Markets - for crocheted doilies or huge opportunity?

Markets… not just crocheted doilies in church halls…

Markets… Do you love them or hate them?

They are so much hard work, always take longer than you think to get ready for.

Usually at the weekends impacting social life.

Seemingly entirely unpredictable based on takings and footfall…

But I have started to think about markets as an overall marketing activity… sales are a requirement, but meeting sales targets don’t indicate success and not meeting them doesn’t mean failure.

Markets can be an opportunity to talk about your products and your ethos and really deliver the personality behind a brand.

Customers are entirely captive, they have walk to your stand to engage with you and once they’re there, assume they are interested since they made the effort to come over. It’s a great way to recruit future potential customers, even if they don’t buy on the day you can ask them to sign up to a mailing list, follow your socials and direct them to your website. Not to mention being a familiar face at the next market.

Have postcards on hand to give out to people who don’t even want to engage. If it looks good, they may stick it up somewhere or find it in their bag months down the line.

It can feel clunky speaking to people that are unsure if they want to engage, but approach them anyway. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit awkward. You don’t have to be perfect and neither to they.

Usually, and entirely in my experience, the other stall holders are wonderful. You can make great connections for collaborations, share info about markets and your businesses, and get an idea for how the market was overall… ie, if everyone says it was slow, chances are there’s an environmental reason people aren’t buying. And if everyone had a cracking day, whilst you didn’t, you have information. You can start to look at why you didn’t perform. Bare in mind, some people aren’t always 100% truthful about their takings, so speak to people you trust.

Some days sales at markets are off the scale. Some magical days, people turn up with cash burning a hole in their pocket. And they can’t wait to buy from you. At some markets, a days work can be that of a good week, or even couple weeks. There’s nothing better than coming home after a super successful sales market.

So whilst markets aren’t a pivotal part of my business plan, they are full of wealth for product based small business and I intend to make the most of the Christmas market season ahead.

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