Selling at farmers markets can be easy. Some folks just walk right up to your tent and buy $100 worth of product. However, many people don’t do that. With my experience selling grass-fed beef, which is more expensive than the junk meat in the grocery store, people can be more hesitant to buy. Sure there are many health benefits of consuming grass-fed beef, but today I’d like to focus on selling your products in a “package.” A package is a predetermined selection of products that you put together, and sell for one price. For example, if your package had 10 items that would individually sell for $100, you might create a package with these items at sell it for $75.
The way to make one of these packages sellable is the value. Explain to your customers, both verbally and in writing that the “XYZ Package” is a $100 value, but only costs them $75. They are saving $25.
You might be asking yourself, “How do I know which products to sell in a package?” The answer is whatever you have excess of. Do you have a ton of chuck roasts? How about an abundance onions and raspberries? You can create a package with these abundant items.
A grass-fed beef package might look something like:
- 4lbs of Chuck Roast
- 3lbs of Ground Beef
- 3lbs of Skirt Steak
- 2lbs of Cube Steak
- 2lbs of Short Ribs
The James Ranch has a very similar package, and I got this idea from them. You might also want to consider another package. Maybe a premium package that features steaks and expensive cuts. Speciality items like hot dogs or burger patties could also be included, if meat sales is your niche. By creating a premium package, you can sell more expensive products at one time. This will help you sell more product!
If you haven’t given this approach a try, I highly recommend it. Make sure that it’s visible to customers as they navigate the farmers market, or you website for that matter. The sales of these packages will not be astronomical, but, it will sure help you sell those surplus products.
What other marketing tips do you all have? I’d like to hear from you in the comments section. Even if it’s not food related, it might help someone else!
