All of us have suffered through different salesmanship styles, from the hard sell to the cell phone obsessed inattentive seller. But what happens when you are on the other side of the counter? I had to the chance to live this experience for 31 straight days, so I formed many opinions. While my training for being a salesperson primarily included repeated viewing of Alec Baldwin’s epic speech from Glengarry Glen Ross, I too, found the leads often to be weak. Being a saleswoman is indeed a tough racket, especially when dealing with post-Brexit Brits. Maybe it was the month straight of selling cheese and spirits, but a number of their behaviors led me to drink the artisanal organic gin I was flogging. You indeed do need brass balls to sell whisky.
Listed here are the behaviors you should avoid when shopping at your local farmer's market. This is not Saturday morning at Costco. This is not a free brunch. Samples are not an excuse to eat for free. They are sampling the very product they would like to sell, the product their living depends on. If you are not going to buy, do not try it. Don't waste everyone's time. Don’t walk onto the farmers market parking lot if you are not willing to buy.
The approach: when interested in a product engage the seller with smile and a question ask about the samples: What are they? Where do they come from? Do you make this? How? These questions allow for a phenomena that would not take place at your local supermarket, so why not take advantage of the living breathing knowledge base in front of you. You may get a recipe or just a kind human interaction.
Next, remain at the stall while enjoying the sample, give positive or constructive feedback after finishing said sample (not the time to behave like a twitter troll) and slam the product.
Finally, you by now have decided whether to make a purchase or not. The more samples you try the farther you are going down the road to agreeing to buy something from them, no matter how small. There should be a wide price range of products. You can still support this person without emptying your wallet. If you are not going to buy, do not be like the Brits and say “I will have a think.” Instead just say, “thank you, not for me” and walk away with a smile. If you find certain products you appreciate and choose to buy, continue to support the people who make it, eventually they may give you discounts for your loyalty. Being a loyal customer is about building local relationships.
Visiting a farmers market should not be a trip to the Soup Nazi’s restaurant in Seinfeld, yet it is heartbreaking to sell a product you believe in and have people grab a handful of it and walk away silently, or demean you and your product in front of a group of customers. A farmers market is an amazing chance to build relationships with people who are just as passionate about food or more so than you. They will help you learn about local products and their relation to political issues and farming policy. Farmers are genuinely fascinating people. Get to know some at your local market. Just make sure to follow the above recommendations so you don't behave like a hopeless punter.
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