COMMUNICATIONS ASSESSMENT
COURSE #12 SELLING THE PRODUCT
“You are what they THINK you are!”
Created by: David and Michele Bellso, Designworks Advertising
Bio
Michele Bellso, owner of Designworks Advertising, has over 25 years of experience in marketing, creative
direction, and branding strategy. She earned a dual major from Newhouse School of Public Communication
and the School of Management at Syracuse University and began her career in advertising working for one of
America’s largest agencies. She broke ground with several startups and began her own agency in 1992.
Dave Bellso entered the world of marketing and advertising in 1983 with direct print, mail advertisements, and
database management. Upon joining Designworks in 1999, he led the operational and sales branch of the
agency. His main responsibility is working with the clients to make sure each advertising campaign creates
brand awareness, generates revenue, and performs on an ROI basis. Together, they work towards creating
highly innovative strategies that drive financial success for each and every client.
Course Summary
You know what your business is, but you may not know what your customers THINK of your business.
Fair or not, customers will buy – or not buy – your products based on their perceptions. How you promote
your product, and what sales tactics you deploy, can make a tangible impact in your business’s profits. This
course will help you sell products in a way that meets your customers’ needs!
Course Outline
I) Getting in the Selling Mindset
II) Selling Practices and Principles
III) Giving Customers What They Want
IV) Branding Your Product: What Matters
V) 10 Tips for Marketing Your Products
What You Will Gain
 Learn to view your business through your customers’ eyes
 Gain sales strategies that work
 How to market your product so it appeals to your customers
 Ways to brand your products for improved sales
 Tips for selling your products
I) Getting in the “Selling” Mindset
1) Perception is Reality: Seeing Your Business Through the Customer’s Eyes
Whatever customers think or your business or your product is their reality. You have a well-defined image of
what you think of your business. Of course, you want your customers to share that image. But do they? Most
often there is a discrepancy. Step outside your business or out from behind your market table and look at
yourself through your customers eyes. Talk to your customers to get their input. You need to know what they
think of you.
2) Are You Taking a Passive Approach to Sales?
Too many people think, “If I create – or grow – something great, sales will fall into place.” Products do not sell
themselves. You must market them. Some people believe “if you build it, they will come” so no need to do
anything but create the product. But when you’re in business, it’s up to you to persuade people to buy what
you’re selling. Tell people why your product fills their needs better than any other product.
3) Building a Better Mousetrap
The phrase “build a better mousetrap” is a well-known phrase that aptly describes marketing. You cannot
build a better mousetrap, just as you cannot create a better tomato. What you CAN do is build a better story
around what makes your tomato better than another farm’s tomato. This presentation will show you how to
tell a compelling story about your products that influences the way your customers THINK about your product.
To Successfully Sell Your Product, Answer These 3 Simple Questions
1. Who am I serving?
2. What do they need, and want?
3. How can I reach them, and persuade them?
II) Selling Principles and Practices
1) Love What You Do!
We are all salespeople, whether we admit it or not. We have a product that we need to sell. But if we love
what we do, it shows through to the customer. Your enthusiasm and energy transfers to the customer and
builds your credibility with them. You will listen to your customers more and be better able to read their
signals so you can pick up on their needs and motivations.
2) Be Knowledgeable About Your Products
Transfer your knowledge of your product to the customer. They want to know about your product and how it
is beneficial to them to purchase your products. Sales are based on giving the right information at the right
time to your customers.
3) Help Customers See the Perks
Know what is important to your customers. Then promote the benefits of your product that matches what is
important to your customer. If your customer is a locavore, then the benefits of your products are that you
have grown or produced them right there in the community. Remember, you have to tell this story through
marketing – don’t assume the customer already knows the “perks” and the “story” behind your products.
4) Explain the Product
Make sure the customer knows the features
and benefits of buying your products. This sign
gives both features: crisp and tart, as well as
the benefit: makes great applesauce and pies.
These apples will sell well because the
customer understands the product and is
motivated by the benefits to buy. Put another
variety of apples next to it, say Cortland, but
without a sign. Most apple-buying customers
will choose the Macintosh because it has been
fully explained to them.
5) Make the Benefits of the Product Stand Out
Be sure the benefits of the product are clear to the customer. How will this product fulfill their needs or
wants? A conscientious mother wants to feed her children the healthiest possible food. A sign that includes
phrases such as “homegrown by our family” and “carefully harvested” would tell her the food has been
handled with care – and will be safe and healthy for her children.
6) Understand the Motivations of the Buyer
Products are not sold, they are bought. Your product must match a customer need. You must transfer the
right information to your customer and target their motivations for buying. Only then will the customer buy
your product. Remember if you don’t meet a need or a want, then you will not sell your product.
7) Know How to Engage a Customer
You have 5 seconds to attract a customer’s attention as they walk by your market table, less if they are having
a conversation with someone. You need to use that 5 seconds to grab their attention. Your brand may help to
attract their attention. But, you need to establish eye contact, welcome them, and invite them into your table.
Be approachable. Stand facing your customers, open your arms, smile and ask open ended questions. Yes and
no questions are too easily answered and ignored. But open ended questions compel discussion and more
often result in a sale. What’s on your menu tonight? What’s your favorite way to cook eggplant? are
questions that not only get the conversation going, but will steer the chat towards how your products solve
their need or want!
8) Position Your Product
Convert your customers’ motivations into your
product characteristics. This is positioning your
product – you are letting people know that your
product is responding to their needs and wants. For
example, this sign stating that the lettuce is local,
and was harvested this morning addresses a
customer’s desire for the freshest, most nutrientpacked greens. It may also tie into their concern for
being a responsible community member, and
supporting their local farmer.
9) The 4 “P’s”
When marketing your product you need to keep the four “P’s” in mind:
product, price, place, promotion. These all must align with the customer’s
expectations and meet their needs for you to make the sale.
For example, the place might be the farmers market each week, with a
product that the customer wants. The price must be in proportion to the
customer’s value of the product and it must be promoted in a way that lets
the customer know this product is what they are looking for.
10) Be Honest
Today, it’s all about transparency! You are looking for long term customers so your credibility and trust is key.
Market perception not deception. In other words, be honest. It builds trust and builds a long term
relationship with your customers. Keep in mind that dishonesty loses that customer as well as every other
person they have talked to. You cannot afford bad word of mouth.
11) Close the Sale
Many people don’t feel comfortable asking for the sale. But that’s how you get the sale – ASK FOR IT! How
many tomatoes can I get you? How about the onions to add some great flavor to that roast you just bought?
You can remember ABC (“Always Be Closing”) to help remind yourself that every interaction with a customer is
a chance to sell your product.
12) Spread Your Product Information
Let people know where else they can go to get more information about you or your business. QR codes are
one way that is gaining popularity. A QR code is a square black and white digitized symbol that is unique to
your business – it’s like a bar code. With a free app downloaded to their smartphones, customers can scan this
QR code which will lead them to your website, Facebook page, or anywhere online that you choose.
13) Get Creative with Suggestive Selling
Suggestive selling is a way to “suggest” a sale without making a direct ask for the sale. It’s a way to give
customers ideas on what to purchase from you. You literally suggest products for them to buy!
TWO SUGGESTIVE SELLING TACTICS TO TRY
1) RECIPES: Recipes can be a form of suggestive selling. When you give a recipe to consumers that
uses multiple products that you are selling, you are helping them to choose more than just one
ingredient from your table.
2) SAMPLING: When you offer a sample to your customers, you are suggesting that they may like the
product and should buy it.
III) Giving Customers What They – Not You – Want!
1) Baiting the Hook
Keep in mind that customers buy what they want and need – NOT what
you like. So build your product line around your customers’ desires and
not around what you like to grow.
In this picture we are reminded of the man that loved to fish and he
loved to eat strawberries. He got the great idea to bait his fishing hook
with strawberries. After all, if he liked them so much, the fish must love
them too. Turns out fish don’t like strawberries and he went home empty
handed until he realized fish will only bite what they like. They couldn’t
care less what he liked.
Your customers are the same way. Sell what they want to buy.
2) Understanding Features and Benefits
The easiest way to differentiate between features and benefits
is with this phrase at left. Features are the basic facts of your
product: indisputable truths about your product. Benefits are
more emotionally charged, and are directly linked to what the
customer is seeking. Customers care about both features and
benefits. They want to know the features of your product, but
it’s the benefits that they actually buy.
3) Identifying Your Unique Selling Point (USP)
Conversations with your customers, whether face to face or through social media, will help you to understand
your customers’ values, what is important to them and what will motivate them to make a purchase. You use
this information to create the unique selling points of your products in a way that matches their values.
In your conversations, ask leading questions to get them talking. Some people will be comfortable having
these conversations in person, others will prefer the anonymity of social media and email. But also use
leading questions to get them talking and get their feedback on your products or business.
PRODUCT and AUDIENCE
Keep in mind who your audience is. If you are selling the same product to different audiences, you
will need to promote product benefits that matter to each audience. For example, if you attend a
farmers market frequented by seniors, you can emphasize the heart healthy benefits of cherry
tomatoes. If you attend a market where many young families shop, you can emphasize how those
same cherry tomatoes are fun and healthy snacks for kids.
IV) Branding Your Product: What Matters
1) The Emotional Connection
It’s the emotional connection that branding creates, that makes the sale. Look at Nike. They never promote
the features of their sneakers. In fact they don’t promote the sneaker at all. They promote the feeling you get
when you are part of the athletic community – they make you feel a part of the excellence in athletics when
you wear Nikes. Even without actually saying it. But they have appealed to that emotional connection to
athletics. Apple has certainly built their company on an emotional appeal of their products. When you use
Apple products you are part of a unique community of Apple users. As part of that community you will
continue to use Apple products even if another, more superior product comes out from another company.
2) Naming Your Product
More and more companies are branding their food products and building an emotional appeal for their
products. You can do this, too! For example, Hand Melons are simply cantaloupes grown by the Hand family in
the Saratoga, NY region. Their melons are featured at the Saratoga Raceway each summer. You would not visit
the horse races without having a Hand Melon! Their brand carries their product and people that have had a
Hand Melon at Saratoga Raceway will swear no other cantaloupe tastes as sweet. Is that a fact? It is to them.
Remember, perception is reality.
3) The Direct Connection: Your Branding Advantage
Customers are becoming more and more knowledgeable about their food, their health and nutrition and the
value of buying local. This has catapulted the number of farmers markets in the US, and grows the number of
consumers drawn to CSAs. But supermarkets and other retailers are catching on and they are also tapping into
those consumer demands. But you still have the advantage. You are able to share your product and farm
information directly to your customers in ways that supermarkets never will be able to do – straight from
the farmer to the consumer.
4) Be the Brand They Trust
The more knowledge you impart to the consumer, the more they trust you as the producer of the foods they
are feeding their families. The more they trust you, the more they will be persuaded by your brand to buy your
products. For example, your customers know you from the farmers market, they buy your products every
week. They know the quality and value of your products, and will seek them out – and even opt to buy them
instead of generic supermarket produce.
5) Branding Beats Price
When you have adequately branded your product, price becomes less of a concern. You do not have to
compete with your competition on price. Your product is unique, it fills the customers’ needs, and those
customers are motivated to make the purchase. If you have done your homework in sections I and II, and
emphasized the benefits of your brand of products, customers can accept a slightly higher price than the
competition.
THE BRAND VALUE OF SELLING AT A FARMERS MARKET
Farmers markets have their own brand values, such as being important community institutions, and
places that educate people on ways to eat better. When you sell at a farmers market, those brand
values transfer to your product…and warrant a higher price point: remember, you don’t have to have
the lowest prices when you are offering many other benefits. People know the value of farmers
markets, they trust the quality and variety at a farmers market exceeds supermarkets.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
A BUNDLE OF GREEN
Many farmers offer a wide variety of greens: oftentimes more variety than the average supermarket. How can
you bundle your greens to meet customer demand for interesting and new flavors? Consider offering a
“bundle of greens” that includes both common and lesser known greens. You might even include fresh herbs
and even recipes for inventive salads. You could also include instructions for freezing certain greens such as
spinach or kale. That would address customer interest in convenience, freshness and even cost savings. For
example, if you remind your customers that they can freeze your greens – that customer might stock up and
purchase more than they set out to! It’s all about being creative and positioning your product to meet
customer needs!
V) 10 Tips for Successful Product Marketing
1) Have a Shelter
You must have shelter. If you are at a farmers market, having a
tent to protect your product from the elements shows
customers that you value quality. If you can situate your tent to
provide shelter to your customers, then they know you care
about them too. One thing you can do with your shelter is use
it to make yourself stand out. Maybe it’s the color of the tent or
the banners you attach to it, but use it to make you stand out
from all the other tents and farmers in the market. It should also
be branded with your farm’s name, colors and logos.
2) Create a “Flow”
Make your booth easier and more manageable for your customers. Set it up the way customers want to shop
– for example, bags or baskets at the entrance and cash out at the end. Keep your products well positioned so
that customers can easily see what you have. Position yourself to face your customers so that you can engage
them, converse, answer questions and ask for the sale.
3) Display Clear Signs
Clear, straightforward signs can become your “silent salesperson”! Customers reading the signs know the
answers to many of their questions, can help them make their purchasing decisions, and will hold them at
your booth while you are busy with other customers. So be sure everything you sell, has a sign, and the signs
are up high enough to be seen from a distance and even when there is a crowd around your table. Your sign
can be hand written, but it must be neat, clear and accurate. Be sure you have NO spelling errors in your
signs!
4) Brand Your Farm
Branding your farm helps customers to remember you. When they have a good experience with your
products, they should be able to remember you: your name, the colors you use, what your logo looks like. It
should all be memorable. That way, customers will be able to return to your farm each week!
5) Keep it Simple and Consistent
Keep your display simple and consistent throughout. For example, tablecloths should not be distracting – too
much of a print will distract from the product. Signs should be uniform in design and content: Don’t use a
chalkboard to write prices for some products, and then have professionally printed signs for other products.
Make sure everything is clean and neat – even behind the table – because customers will notice! Then once
you have everything set up, come out from behind your table. Look at it from the consumer’s point of view.
Ask yourself honestly, “would I stop at this booth?” You might look at other displays in the market and get
ideas on what you can do better…
6) Use Three Dimensions
Creating height and depth creates the image of abundance. Abundance attracts consumer attention and
encourages sales. Have you heard the expression, “pile it high and watch it fly”? It’s true! The image of
abundance is appealing and draws a consumer’s eyes into your booth to explore using their sense of sight.
Also, think about keeping the bulk of your products at eye level – products too high or too low may literally be
“out of sight, and out of mind.’
7) Keep it Clean
Keep your display clean and neat. People will be turned off by a
messy display. But, you must be careful to not scare people off with
your display. In other words, your display must be shoppable. If
your display is set up in such a way that people would not want to
disturb it, or they can’t easily touch and choose the right product
then your display will not lead to sales.
Look at this display of tomatoes. Is that display shoppable? No, you
can only touch or choose the top tomato or maybe the next layer.
The display is too fragile to touch and customers cannot easily
choose whichever tomato they want. Maybe that’s why the display
of those tomatoes is still in perfect condition while the summer
squash display has been picked through!
8) Talk with Customers
Talk to your customers. That’s how you get feedback, learn what your customers want, how you educate your
customers, and how you build long term relationships with your customers!
QUICK TIPS FOR POSITIVE CUSTOMER INTERACTION
Face customers
Make eye contact
Greet customers
Initiate the conversation
Smile! They’ll smile back
Don’t fold your arms or sit
Don’t be on your cell phone
Don’t be eating, drinking or smoking
9) Plan Ahead
Plan ahead how you are going to create your display – what tablecloths you will use and where you will hang
your farm banner, for example. Create your product signs ahead. Know what you will do to attract customers
how you’ll draw attention to your booth and how you will make your sales. Once you’ve built it, step out from
behind the table and look at it through your customers’ eyes. Does it meet their expectations? Will it tell them
you have the products that will meet their needs?
10) Have Fun!
If you are enjoying yourself, it will rub off on your
customers. Your happiness will become their happiness.
What can you do to show your customers how happy
you are? It’s in your smile, your greeting and your
interactions with them. With Tomato Allie it’s even in
their logo. Look at the happy tomato in their name.
Their brand includes bright colors, and even their name
is a fun play on words: envisioning an “alley” of
tomatoes is whimsical! This farm exudes happiness and
their customers will respond to that in a positive way.
*They have an exceptional tagline: “We only sell what
we grow.” That’s a powerful brand promise!
VI) Pricing Your Product
1) Setting Prices: A Balancing Act
Pricing is always a difficult thing. As covered earlier in this presentation, you do not need to be the lowest
priced seller. All you need to do is find that balance between what is fair to the customer and fair to you.
Overlooking either side will reduce your sales and reduce your profitability. Do not try to compete with that
vendor at market who is constantly slashing their prices: they may not be in business for long. It’s also
worth noting that these vendors who sell on price, do not offer brand values such as quality, freshness,
careful preparation etcetera. They may pull in the purely price driven customer, but those customers will not
be loyal once prices go up.
2) Don’t Try to Beat the Grocery Stores
Did you know that produce is a “loss leader” for supermarkets? That means that they will take a very low
profit margin on produce in an effort to bring customers through their doors. You cannot afford to compete
with their massive buying power.
Remember, it is okay to be higher priced than the grocery store. You are different than they are – and offer
different benefits (freshness, quality, selection, unique products) – and customers will recognize the
difference and be willing to pay a premium for what you have!
Studies have shown that price is not the prime motivator in sales of local product. Remember these reasons
why supermarket prices will usually or should be lower than your prices. Then let your product benefits set
your prices. Communicate your benefits to customers and you won’t have to compete on price.
BUSINESS ASSESSMENT
COURSE #13
“Keeping an Eye on Your Customers”
Created by: Lindsay Ott Wilcox
Bio
Lindsay brings over a decade of communications experience to the Farmers Market Federation of New York in
her role as Marketing Advisor. Lindsay is currently the Creative Director at Clear Channel Syracuse and the
owner of Lindsay Ott Communications. Her first interaction with the Federation was in 2007 when she helped
develop and launch the brand for the statewide EBT/Food Stamp token program. Other Federation-related
projects include the creation of the website http://www.snaptomarket.com, public relations for initiatives
such as winter markets, and consultation on various grant programs including the recent Crisis
Communications Guide for Farmers Markets. Lindsay is an award-winning marketer and writer, with recent
honors from the New York State Broadcasters Association.
Course Summary
This course will cover the basics of managing your relationships with your customers. It will cover why
customer relationship management is so important to the bottom line of your business. Then, it will examine
best practices and systems for managing those relationships. An integral part of this course focuses on
gathering data and contact information from your customers so that you can maintain a relationship with
them beyond the point of sale. Once you’ve obtained that data, this course covers how to utilize it in a way
that benefits your customers, and keeps them connected to your business.
Course Outline
I) What is CRM and Why it Matters
II) CRM Systems
III) Gathering Contact Info
IV) Keeping the Connection
V) Survey Says…
What You Will Gain
 An understanding of how CRM impacts your bottom line
 How to choose a CRM system that works for you
 Tips for communicating with customers to maintain relationships
 What gets your business noticed
GROW BY EXAMPLE
5 ORGANIZATIONS USED AS CASE STUDIES
THROUGHOUT THIS COURSE, REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES WILL BE USED
(NOTE: CUSE PIT CREW & CREEKSIDE ARE ACTUAL BUSINESSES, THE OTHER 3 ARE
FICTITIOUS NAMES BUT BASED UPON 3 ACTUAL FARMS)
I) What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Why It Matters
1) What is CRM?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It’s a system for managing the relationship between your
business and your customers. Typically, CRM involves software and computer programs to capture and track
information about customers. That information is then used to improve upon, and enrich, the relationship
between a business and its customers. CRM is not specific to agriculture, it’s used across all industries.
Deploying a system that works for your business is key to successful CRM. This presentation will cover the
most effective CRMs and best practices for using them.
QUICK TIP: One major issue is that some companies think they don’t need to systemize customer relationship
management. You wouldn’t leave core functions of your business – accounting, hiring, legal – etc. to
memory…the same holds true for your CRM!
GROW BY EXAMPLE
THE POWER OF CRM
Pinecone Lane Farm uses CRM strategies: they use Excel, Email, and Facebook. They are constantly staying in
touch with their customers between each weekly market visit. Smith Family Farm does NOT use any CRM
strategies, and between each market visit they are not active.
Excel Database, Email, Facebook
• Emailed out a $1 digital coupon
• Facebook status: “We’ve got
Arugula!”
• New customers received a $2
welcome “gift”
Uses “Memory” + Conversation
• 3 customers have birthdays that
week (no way of knowing)
• Shoppers pleased to see new
item but no money left, no
recipes ready
You can see below that there is a real bottom line impact to using – or not – using CRM strategies. You can see
in GREEN all the ways that Pinecone Lane Farm profited from CRM and also pleased their customers.
Smith Family Farm had many missed opportunities in RED. Without CRM strategies, spending money on
acquiring new customers is a waste of money.
Excel Database, Email, Facebook
• 20 customers stop by to redeem
a $1 off coupon emailed last
week, spend $10 average
($200+)
• 20 customers stop by to pick up
the new item they saw on
Facebook: arugula $3/bunch
($60+)
• 4 NEW customers redeem new
customer $2 bonus, spend $10
extra ($40+)
TOTAL PROFIT: $300
Uses “Memory” + Conversation
• 3 customers have birthdays
within the week, no mention or
reward coupon -$30
• 10 customers are pleased to see
new item (arugula $3) but have
already spent money elsewhere
-$30
• Spends $50/week advertising to
get NEW customers $-50
TOTAL LOSS: $110
So you can see side by side that with CRM you can either make extra money by using some of the tactics, or
you can lose money if you’re not implementing any CRM.
2) CRM and the “Feel Good Factor”
Beyond the bottom line, it’s about the feel good factor. It’s always nice to be remembered around your
birthday, think how you feel when a company remembers your birthday. It may be in a system but it still feels
good! You want to make your customers feel like you value them.
KEYWORD: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
The word relationship is in the concept of CRM. So let’s think about CRM in terms of dating. You
spend time and money on wooing your customers with advertising, just like when you date. Don’t let
the relationship fizzle out. Keep the relationship going! Show them you remember what they say.
Let’s say you went on a date and shared details about yourself but then the next time you went out,
the person forgot everything! Don’t do that to a new customer. Show them you appreciate their
business, and that you remember what they said. CRM will help you do this.
.
3) CRM Saves Time and Money
Save time and money with CRM. By paying attention to customers you’re going to keep them. One study
shows that with CRM, you will INCREASE customer retention by 27% and DECREASE spending on marketing
by 23% (SOURCE: Trackvia 2013 Research). Below are some additional statistics that show that investing in
CRM instead of acquiring new customers through marketing, is much more profitable for your company.
THE BOTTOM LINE IMPACT OF CRM
“70% of companies say it’s cheaper to retain a customer than acquire one.”
“49% say that they achieve better ROI (return on investment) by investing in relationship marketing
over acquisition marketing.”
SOURCE: eConsultancy Research Firm, August 2013 http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/63303-almost-a-quarter-of-businesses-don-t-carry-out-anyrelationship-marketing-report#blog_comment_958818
Don’t worry that you are taking personal information and
customer data without giving anything back. It’s not intrusive.
In fact, by collecting information through your customer
relationships, you’ll be able to give back a better customer
experience. It’s give and take.
II) CRM Systems
A system is only useful if you USE it! You have to look at your
time management, too. What system works for the amount of
time you have available? This course will cover three CRM
systems, in order of simplest to use to more complex:
1) Excel
2) Email Service Providers (ESPs)
3) CRM Software
1) Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a commonly used spreadsheet program. It can be customized with specific variables that
you would like to keep track of. For example, you can create a list of your customers and then input data such
as their address, birthday, favorite products, special dietary needs – whatever information you can utilize to
improve upon or enhance the customer experience.
Excel also has robust sorting capabilities. For example, if you would like to see where most of your customers
live, you can sort them by city or town. Then, if you want to further analyze the dietary needs of a set of
customers within a city or town, you can do that using the sort feature.
PROS: Affordable with a $103 One Time Fee (or already available if you have Microsoft Office Suite), Easy
Sorting, Low Maintenance
CONS: Does not automatically “sync” with the programs you use to communicate with your customers (email,
mail lists) and requires manual upload into other programs whenever data changes
GROW BY EXAMPLE
HOW GORGE TOP FARM USES EXCEL AS A CRM TOOL
Gorge Top exclusively uses Excel. They use the notes section of Excel to know what the likes and dislikes are of
their customers at market each week. Gorge Top offers a weekly CSA share so they use Excel to track what
they put into their customers’ share, what customers have paid and who has not, and what day each customer
picks up their share. One of the Gorge Top farmers said, “CRM enhances – not hinders –my already personal
relationship with my customers…” This quote captures the power of CRM: Farmers really love the personal
interaction with customers, CRM will not replace that face-to-face relationship. Instead, CRM will make that
relationship even stronger.
2) CRM Software
CRM Software is software that is dedicated to helping businesses keep track and contact their customers. One
of the highest rated CRM software programs is Insightly. Insightly runs in the “Cloud” meaning that it runs on a
remote server so all you need is an internet connection to access it – you do not have to download anything. If
you are well versed in Excel, play around in Insightly! You can track any fields you would like, just like you can
in Excel. Plus, it’s FREE if you have less than 2,500 customers!
One of the best aspects of Insightly is that it interfaces with communications tools that will help you stay in
touch with your customers such as email service providers (ESPs) like Mail Chimp and Constant Contact.
Rated #1 CRM by
Google Apps!
PROS: Free or low cost for smaller businesses, synchs well with major systems like Excel, Constant Contact,
even social media
CONS: Too much power! Insightly is powerful, but some users may be overwhelmed with all the options
available to them through Insightly.
3) Email Service Provider (ESP)
ESPs empower you to send out emails using software that tracks your email communications with your
customers. You can see how many times a person forwards your email, clicks on links within your email,
deletes your email, etc. Over time, you can see which emails that you send are working, and which ones are
not. Because email is one of the most powerful CRM tools, it can be time and cost efficient to use an ESP as
your CRM system as well! You can set up different email groups such as: new customers, existing customers,
potential customers, etc.
Mail Chimp is a great service that’s free for businesses with less than 2,000
customers!
PROS: Free or low cost for smaller businesses, synchs well with major systems like Excel, Constant Contact,
even social media (just like Insightly!), EXCELLENT if email is your primary means of communicating with
customers
CONS: If you use other communication methods such as direct mail or mobile messaging programs, you would
need to export your customer list into an Excel database, then upload that database to the other
communication platform. You run the risk of not keeping accurate data! It can also be time consuming to
transfer your primary customer list between different communication platforms.
III) Gathering Contact Information
Gathering customer information is necessary so that you can maintain the relationship with your customers.
Without contact information, you have no way to engage with your customers between the times they visit
your booth or farmstand.
However, there are rules to follow when gathering and managing this information. You need to keep it
protected and private for ethical – and legal reasons! A great way to think about protecting customer data is
to think about it as a goldmine of information – which it is! Gold is not something you would give away. Just
like you would never give your customer list or customer data away. You want to earn the trust of your
customers by safeguarding the addresses, phone numbers, emails, and other personal details that your
customers have shared with you.
We will look at two ways to gather contact information: at
the POS (point of sale) and at random. Let’s take a closer
look….
1) Point of Sale (POS)
4 BEST PRACTICES FOR POS DATA COLLECTION
1) Natural Timing: Point of sale is a natural time to collect information because you are already
engaging with your customer.
2) Keep it Simple: Put a clipboard out so people can sign up for an email newsletter. Keep it simple
and just ask for 1-2 bits of information.
3) Make it Protocol: Make data collection part of the routine for checking out customers.
4) Accuracy Matters: The clipboard is great because your customers write out their information – so
you don’t have to make them spell it out. Grab the clipboard and make sure you can read it!
.
A) POS: For Market Managers
You can’t pull SNAP or any financials, but you can gather email addresses from your customers as they enter
the market. Remember, you should only collect information that you will use! Customers are excited to enter
the market, so don’t bog them down by asking too many questions. An example of only collecting what you
use, is just asking for the birth month and date but don’t bother getting the year of birth – how would you use
that?
B) POS: Incentivize the Customer
A great thing to do is to incentivize your customer. Don’t say “would you like to sign up for our email
newsletter” say “would you like to sign up SO you can get a coupon or welcome gift?” Let them know WHAT
they will be getting. Is it a new customer coupon gift? Is it enrollment in your loyalty program? TELL them
what they get: recipes, be the first to know what’s coming to market that week, etc.
This is important for two reasons. First, it will get them excited. Second, it will keep your email from going to
their junk folder. Give them a reason for giving their info. They want to know what they get from you for giving
you their personal data! This will also ensure that you won’t end up in their junk email folder!
C) POS: Incentivize Your Staff
Creekside Books and Coffee gives their employees a dollar for each accurate email address that they collect
from customers. This ensures accurate information and rewards your customers.
2) At Random: Mixed Basket
You can also gather information from passersby at the market, by using a giveaway of your products. To enter
to win, customers would fill out a brief entry form that would include their email address and/or mailing
address, even a phone number. An “enter to win” is a great way to collect data. You legally have to let people
enter to win without requiring them to do anything. That’s why a “no thanks” box is so important. It’s also the
right thing to do!
IV) Keeping the Connection
Now that you have your CRM system, and you’ve gathered data, the question is: how do you use the data and
keep the connection with your customers? We will examine 5 effective, low-cost ways to keep a connection
with your customers.
But first, it’s important to think about the current communications landscape for your customers. They are
being bombarded by emails, billboards, radio commercials, social media advertising and more. How do you
stand out? The key to effectively connecting with your customers is to ensure that you contact them ONLY
when you have something meaningful or useful to share. That’s why Lindsay created the acronym N.E.O.N to
help you remember what content to share with your customers.
NEW: This means something that is new and exciting for your customers. An example would be that you are
now growing a new variety of tomato or adding a herb bundle to your CSA.
EVENTS: Events would refer to any event that you will be hosting. It could also be an alert about an event your
farm is participating in.
OFFERS: Everyone likes to hear about a great offer! Be sure the offer is substantial, not something small like
5% off your next purchase. Think about what offers appeal to you, and which ones you dismiss.
NEED TO KNOW: This refers to sharing critical information. If you are not going to be at your regular Saturday
market, definitely share this with your customers.
1) Emails
Everyone is connecting digitally, the proof is in
the numbers. The chart shows that people of
all ages, ethnicities, household income status,
education, and urbanity are using digital
media.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
HOW CREEKSIDE BOOKS AND COFFEE USES EMAIL EFFECTIVELY
Creekside uses an ESP called Constant Contact,
which is similar to Mail Chimp. You can see how
they carry their brand and logo into their email
(look at the colors, and see the logo in the
upper left hand corner of the email). The
subject line of this particular email (which is the
“title” of your email which appears in your
customers’ inboxes) was NEON, it was an Event:
“Guess Who’s Coming to Creekside?”
Now let’s look at additional ways to ensure that
your subject line grabs attention and gets your
email opened!
What are those magic words that will get people to open your
email? People scan their inboxes so quickly, what can make you
stand out? Be authentic, and use NEON content! Be personal,
because email is a personal medium. Don’t put “April
Newsletter” put “April Newsletter: Award Winning Apple Pie
Recipe,” to add excitement. Don’t say “free” because spam
filters could see your email as junk and trash it.
DOs and DON’Ts for Email Subject Lines
DO think what makes YOU open an email? DON’T get too witty
DO remember your #1 goal: OPEN! DON’T use “free” and “cheap”, but DO use “sale” or “discount”
DO use timely words “alert, new, just announced”
DO be personal… “Your exclusive offer” DON’T forget it’s a privilege to be invited into their inbox!”
DON’T CHEAPEN YOUR PRODUCT
GOOD: Calling All Canners: $1/lb. Roma Tomatoes
BAD: We’ve Got Cheap Tomatoes, Find Out How Much
DO BE EXCITING, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO OPEN THE EMAIL
GOOD: We’ve Gone Gluten-Free, And We’re Sharing the Recipe
BAD: Our Bread is Now Available Gluten Free
.
EMAIL COUPONS: People love coupons! Especially digital coupons, usage is predicted to rise over the next
few years. Creekside Books and Coffee includes messaging on each coupon that encourages the recipient to
share the coupon. That’s great! Ultimately coupons are just tools to get people into your business or to your
market stand. So you should encourage sharing!
2) Snail Mail
Snail mail is just the marketing term for “mail that arrives in the mailbox” and it’s still a great tactic. According
to a 2013 Direct Mail Association Factbook study, 65% of consumers of all ages have made a purchase as a
result of “snail mail.” Who doesn’t love getting mail? But always use NEON content so it isn’t viewed as junk! A
great tactic is to mail out a “new customer” coupon with a special discount for first-time customers. The Cuse
Pit Crew, a non-profit organization with limited funds, bulk orders blank postcards to keep on hand for thank
yous and quick notes to drop in the mail. You could create a few standard postcards, such as new customer
offers. Vista Print is very affordable: Approximately $25 for 100 postcards!
3) Social Media
Social media is a great way to stay in touch and nurture the relationship with your customers at no cost to
you! Many farms are using social media to share what they will have a market that week, or what new
products are arriving to their farmstand. You can even create events using Facebook. Because it’s “Social
media” it’s a great way to test the waters with your customers: you can ask customers what they think of a
new product. Remember that social media is a two-way street. You want to go over to other people’s social
media page and leave a comment, or write a message that says “great to see you at the market this weekend.”
GROW BY EXAMPLE
GORGE TOP FARM USES SOCIAL MEDIA AS CRM
Gorge Top Farm actually uses Facebook as their CRM tool. They realize that it’s time and
cost effective for their business. They use the free analytic program that’s built into
Facebook so they can see which posts they make on Facebook create the most
engagement with their customers. Remember that CRM is also all about time
management.
4) Text
Texts sent from your mobile phone to your customers’ mobile phones are great ways to communicate with
customers! You can keep texts short, and then include a web link where the recipient can go to learn more.
Or, sometimes the content is concise enough to stand alone as a text. Text is NOT just for teens!
5) Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs are powerful CRM tools. There are three basic types of loyalty programs that involve varying
degrees of digital tracking and data input.
Manual: This is an option where you would give your customers a punch card and punch out their card with
each purchase from your farm or agribusiness. Once they get a certain amount of visits, there would be a
reward such as a $10 coupon or a canvas tote bag.
Manual/Digital: This would be a customer signing up for your loyalty program at the market, but then you go
back to your CRM system and enter the information they’ve given you into your computer. You could also
track their visits and/or purchases manually on a clipboard at the market, then enter the information after
market.
Digital: This is a bit more involved but loyalty programs tied to a POS almost run on auto pilot! You don’t need
to manually track visits to your business, the loyalty program will automatically issue rewards and alert the
customer once they reach a milestone set by the loyalty program.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
CREEKSIDE’S LOYALTY PROGRAM
Creekside has a loyalty program tied too their POS and that way the reward is automatically given to the
customer.
1) For every $150 in book purchases, customers receive a $10 coupon for their next book purchase
2) For every $75 in food and beverage, customers receive a complimentary 16oz drink of their choice
3) For every 5 1/2lb or 1lb bags of coffee, customers receive a free bag of coffee.
V) Survey Says…
There are many free and low cost digital survey
systems. Surveying is important for your bottom line,
because of the information you can find out. But the
very act of asking for a customer’s opinion makes
them feel good because it shows your care (see the
golden rule, left). It’s so important to give your
customers a chance to be heard: good or bad. You can
learn from what they are saying, AND you are telling
them you care. There are 3 basic ways to survey:
MANUAL: Can be simple cards filled out at-market or in store
MANUAL/DIGITAL: Can provide a web link to a survey on a card given out at market
DIGITAL: Can send out electronically via collected emails in your CRM system
Survey Monkey is an excellent tool that not only helps you create surveys but provides powerful analytical
tools. The Farmers Market Federation of NY uses Survey Monkey, as do many Fortune 500 companies:
FREE 10 questions,
100 responses
$17/month unlimited
surveys, respondents
3 BEST PRACTICES FOR SURVEYING
1) INCENTIVIZE: Show you value customers’ time by offering a giveaway such as a basket of product
2) 5 MINUTE RULE: Keep it short + sweet. If your survey is too lengthy you risk people passing it by.
3) SHARE THE RESULTS: Let everyone who took the survey know the results, it shows you’re keeping
the dialogue open and paying attention to customer input. Share how you’ll address concerns or
implement new programs based on survey information…
.
BUSINESS ASSESSMENT
COURSE #14 REPACKAGING AND REPOSITIONING FOR SUCCESS
“PUTTING A HANDLE ON THE TOMATO”
Created by: Bob Buccieri
Bio
Bob Buccieri learned marketing communications working for clients such as Johnson and Johnson, General
Foods and Pepsi Cola. Most recently he has been involved with economic development for communities such
as Seneca Falls and Schenectady and up until January of 2012, served as the President of the Board for the
Farmers Market Federation of New York. He is the founder of the Seneca Wine Tour, the first and only public
bus route touring wineries in the nation, a founder of the Finger Lakes Cork & Fork Culinary Expo, which joins
restaurants, food producers, farmers and Cooperative Extension personnel in a setting to show and instruct
about everything food in New York State. He is currently living with his wife in Norfolk, Virginia where he is
working with many grassroots organizations dedicated to local foods and serving the local community.
Course Summary
Small adjustments can be made to shift a consumer’s perception about a product: It’s all about positioning
and packaging the product with a fresh twist! An example would be a farmer who recommended grilling
eggplant and had a recipe card at his stand. He sold out of eggplants for several weeks and many customers
admitted they had never tried it before but LOVED IT (and bought more of his eggplant). On the flip side, when
things go wrong, you need a plan to approach a crisis BEFORE it comes at you. This course will help you utilize
positioning and packaging proactively so you’re ready for anything...
Course Outline
I) What is Repackaging and Repositioning?
II) Packaging Perspective
III) Crisis Positioning
What You Will Gain
 Learn what a marketing assessment is and why it’s important
 Discover which data is most important to mine for your business
 Acquire skills for collecting and managing marketing data
 Know how to interpret marketing data you’ve gathered
I) What is Repackaging and Repositioning?
1) Understanding Repackaging and Repositioning
Repackaging and repositioning refer to the manner in which businesses alter the way they communicate about
their products. As consumer habits and preferences change, repackaging and repositioning allows a product to
stay relevant and in demand. It involves creating newer, more innovative ways to invite consumers to buy
your product. Here are a few examples:
All Natural > Organic: This shift resulted as people became more aware that there is no regulation of the
definition of “all natural” so now organic is taking its place.
Large Packaging > Concentrated Packaging: Smaller, more concentrated packaging is becoming more trendy
with customers who want on-the-go, ready-to-eat packaging.
Affordable Care Act > Obamacare > ACA: The Affordable Care Act was referred to as “Obamacare” by those
who were opposed to the program, then, it was repackaged a third time as ACA in an effort to present it
without the negative connotations.
REPACKAGING AND REPOSITIONING, DEFINED
 A process by which the product/business attributes are reengineered to emphasize
certain aspects
 An adjustment to strategy, communications or approach to market in order to take
advantage of sales opportunities
 A new way to invite the customer to buy the product or engage with the business
.
One prime example of repackaging of product and business opportunity failure is Kodak. At one time Kodak
was an industry leader. But when the rest of the world was switching to digital cameras and foregoing
conventional film, Kodak focused their attention on re-engineering their film and missed the boat on digital
photography. They lost industry credibility and are now only a fraction of their former self.
2) Why Do We Need to Repackage or Reposition?
Mainly to address customer needs and perceptions.
A) Safety
When a product poses a safety concern, repackaging is how you retool the product and present it to the
consumer that addresses and resolves the issue. Look at the spinach crisis of several years ago. You may have
positioned your spinach as local and well-cared for in both production and post-harvest to ensure high-quality
and safe spinach for your customers.
The Tylenol tampering case is another example of repackaging. In this case, Tylenol stayed out in front of the
issue. They removed and destroyed the product and led the research to develop new tamper-proof packaging,
which is now an industry standard. Their response maintained consumer confidence in their product and
when Tylenol was reintroduced, the consumer response was overwhelmingly positive.
B) Responding to Market Conditions
When market conditions change, threats and opportunities may present themselves to your business.
Repackaging and repositioning can help you turn those threats into opportunities. Shifting demographics, for
example, can be an opportunity to reach new people, if you stay on top of what this new demographic wants
and needs and then make those changes to your business. For example, an aging population might mean that
you could repackage some of your produce in double serving containers to make it more convenient for empty
nesters and seniors to prepare dinner for two! Another opportunity might be adjusting your product line to
respond to the increasing popularity of ethnic foods. What about cooking with fresh herbs? That is also
growing in popularity. Can you add fresh herbs or on-trend produce such as bok choy, kohlrabi, or other “newto-the-customer” items?
C) Regulation
The Produce Safety Rule and the Food Safety Modernization Act may have a significant impact on your farm
and business. How will you repackage your business to respond to these changing regulations?
D) Technology
Technology is definitely changing the way you do business. Think of the rise in digital communications! You
now have to ensure that your product information is available digitally to those who are seeking it.
E) Cultural Shifts
Cultural shifts may also require repackaging. The consumer movement toward organic, local and healthy are
trends that you may want to follow and find ways to re-tool yourself to accommodate these consumer trends.
ESSENTIAL REASON TO REPACKAGE: YOUR PROFITABILITY
Ultimately, we repackage our products to increase profitability! There are many strategies, but the
bottom line is that repackaging is a means to increase sales and profitability. For example, you could
sell 11.5 ounces at the same price as 12 ounces! That is an 4% increase in revenue. You can give your
product a new look and attributes. You are able to pack more product into the same space. You’ll
reduce inventory management and increases sales!
G) Increasing Value Perception of Your Products
One of the most important reasons to repackage your products is to increase the product value perception
and improve its image in the consumer’s mind. You need to “own” the perception that the consumer has of
your business or product so that they can rely on the consistency and quality of that image.
.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
THREE EXAMPLES OF POSITIONING FOCUS
What is a positioning attribute that you can own, and be known for? Positioning your business is about
promoting your strengths. Here are three examples from the retail food world. You need to position your
business using all three of these focus areas to some degree. But choose the one that you are really good at as
your foundation, and then build from there. To determine your initial positioning, you can use your gut
instincts, but then back it up with measurable results and research to ensure you’re on the right track.
WESTERN BEEF COMPANY: PRODUCT FOCUSED
Western Beef Company has been around for many, many years. They have several
locations, all within NYC. They chose the name “Western” under the belief that
this would reflect an image of quality meat. Western Beef Company stayed a
small, neighborhood store. They focused on high level quality products and
specialized products that could not be found in bigger stores. They were the neighborhood farmers market
before there were farmers markets.
STEW LEONARD’S: CUSTOMER FOCUSED
Stew Leonard’s has just 2 locations in Connecticut, but their innovation and style have
made them an industry icon. Stew Leonard’s initiated the wider aisles in the supermarket
for a better shopping experience for their customers. Along with that, they developed rear
loading racking and display cases so that consumers weren’t interrupted by store help
stocking shelves with product. These innovations alone made the store an industry leader and they are studied
and visited by supermarket leaders worldwide.
WEGMANS: CORPORATE FOCUSED
The credo for Wegmans is that customers should never have to wait in line.
They manage the front of the store very carefully to minimize the time
customers spend waiting to check out. They are also the first to embrace
and adopt new technology. They have found ways to stay ahead of their competition by implementing new
strategies, new store layouts and innovative store offerings. Wegmans has built a loyalty that is the envy of
many consumer companies, yet they have achieved this by focusing on the preservation of their business
model, not their customers.
HOW YOU CAN APPLY “CUSTOMER FOCUSED” POSITIONING
Perhaps the most important positioning focus for your business is a customer-focused position. To be
customer-focused you have to value your customers and engage them, ask for their input, responses and
feedback. You can do this face to face, through questionnaires and surveys, through email or social media, or
even a suggestion box. But you must show your customers you care by engaging them and following through.
You also show your customer focus by providing advice and assistance. Show them how to prepare your
products, provide recipes, provide inside knowledge about the product, etc. Respond to customer requests,
for example be prepared to undo bunches and sell smaller amounts if that is what the customer wants or
needs.
II) Packaging Perspective
1) What Product Can Be Effectively Repositioned or Repackaged?
Look at the way products are packaged. For example, supermarkets package multiple artichokes together,
rather than selling them individually. Carrots are always bunched or packaged in bags. Is this the way YOUR
customers want to buy your products? Ask them and find out! Talk to your customers and listen to what they
want. Then find a way to deliver it. If they want one carrot, sell it to them. Be prepared with an answer when
your customers want products in ways other than the traditional packaging.
Are your customers buying products that you can bundle to make it easier for them or to encourage them to
buy more? Think in terms of bundling products to encourage sales:
Salsa Packs: Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos, Cilantro
Pizza Packs: Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions
Tomato Variety Packs: Cherry, Beefsteak, Vine, Etc.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
REPOSITIONING BASED ON CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
In one market in upstate NY, a farmer was selling patty pan squash. The size was about 2 pounds each. A local
chef came into the market and purchased them. He came back the next week for more, explaining that he was
using them as soup bowls for a nice presentation and his customers loved them. He then asked if she could
provide him with smaller squashes, about golf ball size. He explained that he liked them chopped up in salads
and stews and a few other dishes and that the flavor and texture was much better when they were that size.
The next week she brought in his golf ball size patty pan and he bought all she brought. Eventually, she only
harvested the patty pan as small, golf ball size and packaged them for her customers, as well as the amounts
the chef asked for each week. It turned out to be much more profitable than waiting until they were a 2 pound
size, as more people purchased the small squashes and the chef was a weekly customer for her.
Had she not listened to her customer and acted on it, she would not have found a more profitable way to
harvest and sell her squash.
2) Sizing Up Packaging
Talk to your customers and know how they want to buy your products. Is bulk appropriate? Would smaller
quantities be better? Only your customers can answer that for you. So talk to them and be prepared to act on
their responses.
Consider that re-packaging your products could bring you new customers. Empty-nesters and seniors will want
smaller quantities of each product. You may find that you can actually get a larger price per pound when you
sell smaller packages.
3) Complementary Product Mix
PACKAGE THE EXPERIENCE
Mexican Fiesta Mix
 Tomato, pepper, cilantro and onion in a “to go” pack
 Instructions for preparation
Herb Mix
 Fresh basil, oregano and thyme for an “Italian” theme night!
 Rosemary, lemon balm, and lavender for a “baker’s special”
This is an opportunity for you to talk to your customers, what types of cuisine do they like to cook and how
can you accommodate their tastes. Mexican cuisine has become a favorite, can you package a mix of products
that will help your customers prepare Mexican dishes, and create greater sales for you in the meantime?
What
. this really accomplishes is getting you to engage your customers, present yourself as an expert and show
that you are committed to your customer.
4) Package a “Dog” with a “Prince”
Do you have a product that isn’t moving as fast or as well as you would like it to (a “dog”)? How about
pairing it with something that is selling well (“your prince”). For example, pair your butternut with a few
tomatoes for a soup base. You can also promote those products not moving well with a BOGO (Buy one get
one free) promotion or a “2 for” strategy (i.e. 2 for $1.00). But when creating discounts, remember your costs
associated with each product. Your discounted prices must still meet your profit margins. So look at your
inventory, create a package and promote it! See below for princes (in green) that evolved from dogs (in red).
POSITION IT WELL, PRICE IT RIGHT, PROMOTE IT PROPERLY…SELL ANYTHING!
 Sugared, colored water with gas in it becomes Coke
 Bitter, coarse wheat becomes Spelt, the Egyptian Wheat
 Leftover grapes are crushed into custom blended vintages
5) Technology as Tool
The internet can be a very useful marketing tool. Social media, email, and such can help you position your
business and product, and build customer engagement. It can be a very effective tool to assist in getting those
sales in face to face situations. Visuals and recipes on your website or social media sites can help to build
excitement for the product and customer interaction through these sites is a way to inform your customers
. your product and business, improve your credibility and build excitement for your product
about
LOCAL IS NOT A POSITION
The “Locavore” craze is advantageous to many farmers and food businesses, BUT
 It is difficult to protect (corporate infiltrators, WalMart, Wegmans, Harris Teeter)
 It is assumed by your customer that you’re local at point of purchase
Customer should be previously educated concerning local status. Do NOT fight the big guys, spend the
effort positioning yourself and your products.
III) Crisis Positioning
Crisis positioning is how you manage your business’s response to bad news, whether it’s a crisis elsewhere
within your industry or a crisis with your very own business or product.
. News Comes Fast: Be Ready!
1) Bad
Bad news travels at the speed of light thanks to the internet. You must be prepared BEFORE the crisis hits.
You may have the media calling for your insights, but your customers will have immediate questions.
2) Manage the Moment
You should speak with authority, meaning you have researched the problem and understand what happened.
But don’t offer comments if you are not sure of the answers. It’s okay to say you don’t know, but always
follow that up with “but I’ll find out and get back to you.” Don’t say “I heard” or “I think”…be sure to use the
resources around you to get the facts, whether it is the state Ag Department, state or county Health
Department, industry trade associations or your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Get the facts and
communicate only the facts!
GROW BY EXAMPLE
TAINTED SPINACH CRISIS OF THE 90s
Back in the 90’s tainted spinach sickened hundreds and killed a few people. So what should be your response
to a situation like this?
“The tainted spinach came for California. But our spinach is all local, grown on our own farm.”
“That was large scale production where many hands are involved in production, harvesting and preparing the
product for sale. We are small scale with few hands in the mix. And we take extra care to be sure those hands
are not causing any cross-contamination.”
“Our product is safe, wholesome and delicious!”
When you talk about your product, you should be careful about building up your own product without
degrading others. But, again, be prepared to talk about the problem that occurred. Don’t dodge questions.
People want to know your thoughts and hear how your products are safe.
3) YOUR Crisis…When It Hits Home
Play out the crisis during periods of calm. What WOULD you do in the event of a crisis within your own
business?
A) Be Upfront and Address the Issue: Address the problem immediately. Use your resources to help
you understand what happened and communicate that to your audience. Along with that be sure you
are talking about how you are addressing the problem to make needed corrections, whether it is
recalling the product, plowing under a field suspected of being contaminated, or cleaning and retooling
packing lines. But the key is to stay out front of the story, be honest, yet spin the story to the positive –
how you are handling and rectifying the situation.
B) Use All Your Resources: Do you have a lawyer or legal firm you can connect with so that you can call
on them if a crisis occurs? Assemble your media list of who you would need to contact when a crisis
hits, and potentially partner with a local public relations firm to help craft a press release or statement.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: BEEF INDUSTRY
The Beef Council missed a huge opportunity. When meat was being portrayed as unhealthy, the Beef Council
ignored this publicity and maintained its “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” campaign. Customers ignored their
campaign in light of the current research and beef sales plummeted. Had the Beef Council responded with a
campaign pairing beef with healthy food options, and promoted it as a component of a healthy meal, they
may well have prevented the slip in beef sales.
4) Crisis of Competition
Competition is scary! Most people fear competition. But it is not always negative. Instead of being afraid, take
an assessment. What is the potential for loss and is there any change that you can benefit from competition.
Chase Pitkin, a home improvement store that was a branch of Wegmans, researched their competitors and
found that anytime a competitor opened in their vicinity, their business initially dropped about 20%. But,
within a couple of months, their sales were actually higher than before the competitor moved in. Why? They
helped to bring more people to the area and more people were introduced to their store as well. So they
learned to welcome competition, rather than fear it.
A local greenhouse operation learned that Lowe’s was moving in just down the road. Lowe’s is noted for their
home gardening department. What should the local greenhouse do to prevent losing his customers to the big
box of Lowe’s? He installed street signage to attract the attention of the increased road traffic that Lowe’s
brought to the neighborhood. He also added 3 greenhouses to the front of his operation. While his actual
growing space did not significantly increase, the presence of the greenhouses along the frontage of the
business gave customers the impression that he was much larger than he actually was. Again, his business
increased as Lowe’s brought more people to the area, increased his exposure to new people and his sales
soared.
So analyze what the competition is doing and then focus on what you do best!
5) The Story of Sally…
Here’s the story of Sally. She operated Sally’s Shoe Shack. A small business that sold shoes to local consumers
for years. Sally knew her customers, what they wanted in a shoe store and then catered to their needs. Her
business was doing very well.
But one day Mega Shoe came to town and opened up right next to Sally. They offered discounts – buy one pair
and get 3 pairs for free. But that wasn’t all…
Shoe Beast moved in on the opposite side of Sally’s Shoe Shack and offered their own discounts – all shoes at
50% off. Sally could not compete against their discounts and their big budgets to promote and position
themselves.
But Sally knew one thing better than these big guys did. Sally knew her customers. So she hung her own sign.
It simply said…Enter Here.
Sally knew her customers, offered what her customers wanted, and in the way they wanted. Her business
thrived in spite of the big guys next door. So the lesson is: Positioning or repackaging is a creative response to
market conditions, product attributes or customer perceptions. It’s an ongoing process that keeps in touch
with your customers and responsive in a way that will continue to build your sales and profitability.
BUSINESS ASSESSMENT
COURSE #15 MANAGING DATABASES
“DRUDGERY THAT PAYS WELL”
Created by: Laura Biasillo, Cornell Cooperative Extension Broome County
Bio
Laura Biasillo is an Agricultural Economic Development Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension in
Broome County, in Binghamton NY. Laura has been in this position since 2007, and her educational and
program responsibilities focus on increasing marketing channels for farmers, creating education programs
focused on new marketing skills and technologies, and facilitating farmland protection and agricultural
development initiatives in the county.
Contact Information
Email: Llw257@cornell.edu
Course Summary
Once you have successfully built, executed, and reviewed your marketing plan, you will need methods to find
and update data so that your plan becomes a “living” document that evolves along with your business. It is
more than just “being organized,” it is building a system of marketing that uses the most reliable data in the
most effective and efficient manner available. It may mean “bookmarking” critical census or industry pages on
your computer; or reserving one night a month to update your e-mail lists; or creating time to pay attention to
social media outlets, or even deciding to employ some outside help to care for this aspect of business.
Prioritizing information is the most difficult part of running any business because there is so much of it out
there. This course will help you identify what data is most important – and how to manage it.
Course Outline
I) How Far We’ve Come: Marketing For Profit Journey
II) What Do I Do With This Information?
III) How Do I Evaluate Its Usefulness?
What You Will Gain
 What type of data your business should collect, and how to maintain it
 The basic data needed for business and marketing plans
 Tips for successful ongoing marketing and promotions
 Where you can go for additional help along the way!
I) Marketing for Profit Journey
1) What We’ve Learned
Over the last 3 years, the Marketing for Profit webinar series has taught us:
• What data to collect
• How to find the data to collect on our customers and our competition
• How to conduct a SWOT analysis
• How to create and maintain spreadsheets to track all the data we have collected
• And valuable marketing and promotional skills.
2) Dealing with Data: Information Overload!
At this point, we recognize that we are all operating on information overload. In other words, information is
coming to us from everywhere. How do we filter this information and determine what is important. The goal
of the data is to get you better access to your customers and fulfill their wants and needs.
A) You should be collecting the following types of information:
• Customer contact information
• The types of products your customers are buying and what else they want
• What products are selling vs sitting on the shelf
• What customers are asking for
• Are your sales steady throughout the year or are there ebb and flows
• What is your competition doing
• Do you have any loss leaders vs. profit centers
• What are your biggest costs
B) How should you be collecting the information:
• In person – through conversations with your customers
• On line – social media, website
• Surveys – online or in person
• Word of mouth (listening to what is being said)
C) How should you be maintaining the information:
Store the information in a spreadsheet that will help you make year to year comparisons and recognize trends
in production and sales. Collect the information throughout the season, but no less frequently than annually.
3) SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
SWOT analysis is a process for identifying and analyzing the internal and external factors that can have an
impact on your business. You should perform a SWOT for your farm and products, your community and your
competition. This will help you position your business and where it fits within the community, with your
customer, and with your competition.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE “SWOT”
Strengths - internal attributes/resources that support a successful outcome
Weaknesses - internal attributes/resources that work against a successful outcome.
Opportunities - external factors you can capitalize on or use to your advantage
Threats - external factors that could jeopardize your goals
Herb Mix
 Fresh basil, oregano and thyme for an “Italian” theme night!
 Rosemary, lemon balm, and lavender for a “baker’s special”
Ultimately you want to be able to identify your weaknesses and turn them into opportunities. A great way
to do this is by creating a perceptual map. This will help you understand where you fit in with your customers
and against your competition, allowing you to make the necessary adjustments to bring customer perceptions
of your business in line with the image you want your customers to have of you.
First, choose two attributes you want to measure – and then select each attribute’s opposite. Let’s say you’re
a CSA, and you want to analyze if you’re perceived as generous. The opposite attribute would be stingy. Then,
the other attribute you’re interested in is if people think you use some organic practices: the opposite is
conventional.
Next, put yourself on the perceptual map. If you feel that you’re generous but the “word on the street” is that
you are a little stingy with what you give them. Then you would need implement tactics to change where you
fall on the perceptual map. Remember, this is all about how customers view you – and marketing can help you
change that perception!
Finally, put in where your competition falls on the map. If you notice that most farms are clustered on the
“organic” end of the spectrum, you might actually want to consider being known as the conventional farming
provider. This would require that you educate your customers about the benefits of conventional farming: it
saves time and money for the farmer, and they could pass along the savings to you. In addition, if you utilize
SOME organic practices, you can point that out to your customers. They may also not be aware of just how
careful you are with growing your produce and that you use many similar practices required by organic
regulations.
GROW BY EXAMPLE
SWOT + PERCEPTUAL MAP FOR A CSA
GENEROUS
Now, let’s look at the perceptual map and interpret it
using “threats” and “weaknesses.”
COMPETITOR A
COMPETITOR B
CONVENTIONAL
ORGANIC
THREAT: Your farm grows conventionally, but your
primary competitors grow organics. You could turn that
into an OPPORTUNITY by educating your customers on
the fact that you don’t use harsh pesticides and that you
follow many of the same practices as the organic farmer.
However, because you did not have to pay thousands of
dollars to meet rigorous organic criteria, you are able to
keep your costs lower for your customers.
COMPETITOR C
YOUR FARM
STINGY
WEAKNESS: Your customer has a perception that you are
stingy because your share sizes are smaller than your
primary competitor. Again, you can educate your
customer and break down the cost of each item for
them to show them that in fact, they are getting a good
deal with each share. You can also emphasize that the
share sizes are built around average consumption. The
customer can always “add on” more produce at pick up.
4) Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets will help you track all the data you have collected. You can use the spreadsheets to spot trends
and to make informed business decisions on production, sales and marketing. There are minimally 4 types of
spreadsheets you should maintain:
• Customer database with contact information and all other information you collect from them
• Planting/livestock information
• Sales data; both gross sales information as well as what was taken to market versus what was brought
back
• Budgets; production and marketing
These spreadsheets need to be updated on a regular basis, best if done weekly. They can be electronic or
paper, but electronic spreadsheets are easier to manipulate the data and spot trends, weaknesses and
opportunities. But ultimately you must find the system that works best for you, whether an excel
spreadsheet, or notebook with hand written charts.
5) Marketing & Promotions
Marketing is NOT trying to get anybody to buy whatever you have. You must identify your target audience and
tailor your products and marketing toward that target. There are 4 main types of consumers:
1. Foodie/locavore
2. Price conscious
3. Motivated by social causes
4. Ethnic or religious motivations
Determine which customer type fits your products and personality, then focus your promotional efforts on
that target. Understand the importance of branding and maintaining that brand through everything you do –
logo, color, font, messaging, etc. It helps maintain your identity in the eyes of your customers.
Be sure that your marketing efforts are professional. It doesn’t mean it can’t be a folksy format, but it must be
professional as those efforts are a reflection of your business.
Promotions are not always the best way to build awareness of your product. Instead, determine which type of
advertising and promotion best fits your product and your customer and will get you the biggest bang for your
buck. But measure that against your time and skill level. Promotions must be ongoing to be effective so if you
are reaching beyond your time and/or skills you may not be able to maintain an ongoing campaign.
II) What Do I Do with All the Information I’ve Gathered?
We’ve covered how to manage all of the information that we’ve gathered through SWOT, surveying, and
marketing practices. The next step is inputting this information into a business plan and a marketing plan, then
implementing those plans. In the final section, we’ll review how to evaluate the effectiveness of these systems
we’ve put into place!
1) The Business Plan
The business plan is a roadmap that provides the detail on how you will achieve your business goals. You can
use this business plan template for launching an entirely new business, or creating a new “arm” of your
existing business – such as a CSA or farmstand. There are basic sections in every business plan:
 What do you have to sell?
 How will you sell it?
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Market Analysis
Customer Analysis
Financial Projections
You will use all of this information to answer basic business questions, such as:
• What do your customers want?
• Will they pay enough for the product for it to be profitable for you?
• Where and how will I sell the product?
• When can I get started? (if you’re already established, ignore this question)
By creating a business plan, you have established a roadmap on how you will achieve your goals. It will help
you understand the realities and the financial implications and steer you to making your business a success.
We create a business plan using the data we have collected. People-watching is another method that is
helpful. Go to a farmers market or a competitor’s business and watch people – what are they buying, how
much are they buying, what are they paying for product, what is their reaction to their purchasing and general
demeanor?
Finally, use a reality check. Does the project/product/business fit with your other life priorities and goals. For
example, if you and your family plan to travel during the summer months, is it realistic to build a new
vegetable farm? Probably not. Think also about the other people in your life, as your decisions will impact
them as well.
2) The Marketing Plan
A marketing plan spells out your marketing and promotions plans for your business, including the goals you
want your marketing to achieve. Your marketing plan will drive your business plan.
It should include the following sections:



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Objectives – including your target customer and the products you plan to sell
Research – is there enough of an audience, who will pay enough for a profit, for the product
you intend to sell
Competition – who are they and how do they compare to your business. Is there enough of a
market share remaining to make you successful
Communication – how will you reach your audience – includes all signage, marketing materials,
advertisements and promotions
Once completed you will need to update your plan on a regular basis. Your maintenance should focus on your
target customers, competitors and the changes in the marketplace over time. Again, perform a reality check
against your time, resources and skills. If necessary, find someone to help you perform your marketing plans
to achieve your goals.
3) Implementation
Ultimately, the business and marketing plans are just plans – you must implement them to make them truly
work for you! Look for common points and use them to create both long term and short term goals. Once
established, write them down. This makes them real for you and more likely to be realized. And use your down
time to work toward accomplishing those goals. This will help you keep the momentum going.
It’s also important to prioritize your goals. You can prioritize by money or resources needed; time
commitment required; outside forces or any combination. Look at who will perform each task (goal), what
resources they need and when they should accomplish each objective.
III) How Do I Evaluate the Usefulness of the Systems in Place?
You should take the time to evaluate whether you are achieving your goals. The evaluation does not need to
be complicated. It can be as simple as an audit of your marketing materials. Take a look at your marketing
materials, your farm stand, etc. from a customer point of view. For example, do a drive by of your farm stand
or a walk by of your market stand. Then, look at these items from the customer’s point of view:
• Does it draw your attention? Is it inviting?
• Is there good signage?
• Is there a memorable logo?
• When entering the farm stand or approaching the market table, does the experience match the
impression customers have of you?
Use this information to make adjustments to improve your customers’ impressions and ensure they are having
the best possible experience with your business. You will use your business and marketing plan goals to assess
your success. Determine how you are measuring your success as defined by your plan goals:
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Increased sales
Increased numbers of customers
Improved strategies
Increased efficiencies
Increase marketing channels used
Does your evaluation show that you achieved your goals? If not, what changes can you implement to help you
get there?
Your business and marketing plans are living documents. They should be updated on an ongoing basis and
brought down off the shelf to help you make your business decisions. These plans can help you be more
profitable, but only if they are used!
If you don’t feel comfortable preparing these documents yourself, there are resources to help you:
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Most communities have a Small Business Development Center. Often they will help you prepare
these documents without cost
Cooperative Extension offices frequently have an Ag Economic Development Specialist who is
trained to assist farmers with these types of plans
Trade organizations may be able to help you; maybe with assistance in preparing your
documents, but more likely in providing you information you need for your plans
Community colleges and universities can be of assistance too. They may have an internship
program where you can get a student to help you or you might find a professor who will want
to use your business as a class project to help teach business and marketing planning to his
students
Local marketing firms can also help. They may be low cost assistance or they may be able to
point you to other local resources and internship programs.