Selling Strategeis For Local Food Producers
Summated by: Bill McKelvey

Below is an excerpt from a new MU Extension Guide titled "Selling Strategies For Local Food Producers" written by Bill McKelvey, Mary Henderickson, and Joe Parcell. The guide offers a variety of selling tips for growers who direct market their produce. It can be obtained through county extension offices or the World Wide Web at http://extension.missouri.edu.

For many farmers, marketing and selling their products are the most challenging parts of the farm enterprise, especially when selling directly to consumers. However, direct markets for fresh and unique food products are among the most rapidly growing farm opportunities. People around the country are looking to buy tasty, healthy food directly from farmers - -farmers with which they can talk, ask questions and build relationships. However, these new market opportunities, particularly in farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), roadside stands, restaurants and cooperatives, require expertise in selling as well as marketing, production and financial management.

In any business, marketing and selling go hand in hand. Marketing describes a range of activities that include deciding what to produce and how to price, distribute and promote a product. Selling, on the other hand, describes the techniques used to entice buyers to exchange their cash for the seller’s products. Despite the images that many people hold of pushy "salesmen" who won’t take no for an answer, or the "natural-born salesman" who gets people to buy products without much effort, developing strong selling skills is critically important to acquiring and keeping customers in a direct marketing enterprise. And, while many farmers may be intimidated by the idea of selling, it is important to remember that skills – just like other skills – can be learned.

The selling techniques described in this guide are customer friendly and ethical. There is no advice on how to trick or manipulate customers, or how to get customers to buy something they don’t really need. Rather, the guide provides practical advise on how to increase sales by building loyal customer base. The guide is organized around a counselor approached to selling outlined in the book Win-Win Selling (Wilson Learning Library, 2003) and takes readers through the process of

• Building relationships with customers
• Discovering customers’ needs and preferences
• Being an advocate for one’s products
• Providing quality service

While much of the information in this guide is focused on selling at farmers’ markets, the tips are appropriate for anyone wishing to sell their products directly to consumers.