10 Steps to a Highly Successful Market
A lot of the people I coach sell their products through some sort of in-person market.
I work with farmers selling their produce, flowers and meat at farmers markets.
I work with artists, makers and designers selling their art and creations at makers markets, pop-up events, music festivals and holiday events.
I also sell flowers through markets during peak flower holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother’s Day, and although I’m transitioning away from farmers markets, they used to make up a significant portion of my revenue.
The time and energy put into each of these events can be significant, and often my clients get to the end feeling exhausted and drained.
The face-to-face aspect of markets is also highly beneficial; a mix of quality online marketing with quality in-person marketing is a solid marketing plan for any business.
Step #1 to a Highly Successful Market: Plan Ahead
There’s no better way to take care of yourself than planning well. This process could look differently whether you’re doing a weekly market or a 3-day event. I’ll focus on the basic elements to plan:
Create a pack list. You can use this again and again if you do multiple markets.
Create a day-of flow by the half hour. Although I use a paper planner I find when planning for events I need more detail so I’ll use a full sheet of notebook paper for each day I’m planning.
Create a brain dump of all the things you need to do.
Put all these things into your schedule.
Take notes on what you will delegate.
If you're delegating, pencil in when are you going to pass off and explain all the tasks.
Once I have a solid plan in place, I immediately relax, sleep better and trust that everything will go smoothly.
Be sure to plan for unforeseen things popping up. Plan in some buffer time in case something unexpected comes up.
Be realistic with yourself. You are not a superwoman and please don’t try to be. Don’t schedule things that don’t need to be scheduled when you’re planning for a larger event. Take care of yourself by being realistic about what can be accomplished during the day(s) leading up to your event.
Step #2 to a Highly Successful Market: Invest in Help
Having an extra hand at the market can be invaluable. They can grab products for people, give you a break if you need to step away, collect emails, answer questions, clean up a spill or mess, etc.
Do some quick math and figure out what you can afford. If you’re not there yet with your finances, plan to get there as quickly as possible. You being the sole do-everything person in your business is holding you back.
Step #3 to a Highly Successful Market: Take Notes About People You Meet
Connecting with people and building relationships takes effort. One of the cool things I’ve learned is to actually take notes on people you meet that you may come into contact with again.
I have a Google sheet that I can access on my phone that has a list of all the people I meet that may be a good relation for business. Along with their name and business, I also jot down some personal things they shared with me. Things like “likes dark chocolate” or “has a daughter going off to college on the east coast.”
How can you use this list? If you know ahead of time that you’ll be at the same market, you can pop into a networking spreadsheet and remind yourself of key people and their personal interests. That way in your next conversation, you have something personal to talk about with them like, “how's your daughter doing in college in Boston?”
As an introvert, this simple method of cataloging people is life changing for me. I now have an easy way to make small talk that matters to both of us, and I love connecting one-on-one with people. Plus, others will be thrilled that you remembered something very specific and personal about them.
In addition, a lot of folks struggle with remembering names. Writing down (or typing) a name after you meet someone and then reading it over a few times helps imprint the name in your memory. Remembering names is a skill. Hone that skill and you will become remarkable to others. Nothing lights up our brains by hearing our own name said aloud. Be that person who can recall names.
Step #4 to a Highly Successful Market: Interact With the People Shopping
This takes practice but it’s so worth it. Your market appearance is your opportunity to be the face of your business and to connect with potential customers, even if they don’t buy from you right away. Put your phone away, look up and connect when people come your way.
If small talk doesn’t come easy, make a brainstorm of 10 things you could say to people to break the ice. This isn’t about you, it’s about them. Don’t use this time to interact as a time to push your products or talk about your work. Their interest in your wares will unfold with your interest in them.
Here are a few ideas:
“Oh wow! Looks like you’ve had good luck shopping- what did you find?” (if they have a bag or package from shopping the market)
“How about that (insert current weather)! Have you been getting out in this amazing sunshine (then ask them something about their experience with it)”
People always joke about weather-talk, but I absolutely love it. As an introvert, it’s a bit of small talk that comes naturally to me. Plus, we all notice and are affected by the weather, so why not talk about it?
“Have you been to this market before? What’s your favorite part?”
Become a kid person and have little giveaways for the kiddos - stickers are easy peasy!
Get creative! Brainstorm a few more and you’ll be ready to make new friends and customers.
Step #5 to a Highly Successful Market: Delegate as Soon as Possible.
How quickly can you delegate tasks relating to the market? Packing for market, staffing the market, collecting emails.
If you don’t have help yet, now is a great time to start working on your SOPs. Document exactly what you do and think about how to communicate this clearly in a video or PDF document so that every task is explained. Don’t assume anything is common sense. Spell out every detail.
Step #6 to a Highly Successful Market: Get People on Your Email List.
Your email list is pure gold. The people on your email list are the only marketing contacts you own. Instagram and Facebook could go away at any point and take all your followers with them, so build your email list.
Plan a giveaway that won’t break the bank and use that to attract people to give you their email. Have an enticing lead magnet on your website and tell everyone that if they get on your email list, they’ll get it!
Get in the habit of asking every customer you come in contact with to keep in touch by giving you their email.
Step #7 to a Highly Successful Market: Have a Plan for When Things are Slow
Do you feel awkward just standing there when there are no customers in sight?
Have a plan.
Give yourself little goals for times like these:
Exchange business cards with 3 new vendors you haven’t met yet.
Go up to two vendors and ask them to tell you about their business.
Have a gift in mind to buy for someone (you can always go Christmas shopping early!) and get around to find that unique gift.
Have a couple simple computer/phone tasks on your list of things to do so you can get things done during a slow time.
Step #8 to a Highly Successful Market: Use Markets to Network with Others
Markets can be used not only as a place to sell your product but also as a place to network with other vendors.
Get curious about other people. Ask questions. Be the most interested person at the market. People love when others show genuine interest in them and they will remember you.
More often than not, serendipity occurs when you put yourself out there again and again.
Step #9 to a Highly Successful Market: Plan a Rest Day Afterwards That you can Look Forward to
A rest day is truly restful and rejuvenating. It is not a time to stay home and clean the house or catch up on work emails. This needs to be a day you’re REALLY looking forward to so you can power through the market knowing that if your energy levels get low, you’ve already planned for how to take care of yourself after the fact.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few rest-day ideas that you can string together to create a full rest-day experience.
1) read a book
2) take a long walk
3) meet up with a friend
4) cook yourself a healthy dinner
5) sleep in
6) pack for the day and head out for a ski or hike
7) take a hot bath
8) ask your partner to make you dinner.
Get the idea?
This is a day to take care of yourself. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Focus on simplicity, low stimulus and getting into nature.
Step #10 to a Highly Successful Market: Analyze Each Market
Take notes after each market to get good solid information based on facts and not emotions.
Here are some things to take notes on:
Sales totals
Number of customers
Number of new emails added
Weather
Favorite products
What people are curious about or asking about, etc.
Go through the following process of analyzing the market by asking yourself these questions:
1) what 3 things went well,
2) what 3 things didn’t go well, and
3) what is ONE thing to do differently next time.
I hope this blueprint for a highly successful market will help your business grow to new heights.
There’s one final thought on markets that I’d like to share: success is a mindset.
Sometimes things outside our control affect our market sales. If you do the things above, your market can be a success regardless of sales numbers.
Of course we all want high sales numbers to accompany our market efforts, but if you show up with an attitude of success and do the things I’ve laid out above, people will be attracted to you and your brand.