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Communications again!

This week has seen me struggling to contact clients again. The main reason seems to be is they are busy which of course is a good thing. I've also been struggling to follow through an enquiry for work which came in a couple of weeks ago.

I've finally come to the conclusion that for whatever reason this person does not want to use my services. The main problem I have with this is I wish they would simply tell me without giving excuses when I ring. Interestingly when I first met this prospective client he made a point of telling me that he worked alone with no admin staff. Strange when I ring up I speak to his 'secretary' who seems to relish telling me he is busy and will ring me back. Needless to say no return call comes!

Onwards and upwards! After eight years in business I am much more resilient to these knock backs and do not take it personally. I have been building up a group of 'key accounts' over the last 5 years which fingers crossed is looking pretty healthy. It is a bit like keeping several balls in the air at the same time, made all the more challenging as each of them is a very different business and the marketing I do for them all varies. This includes organising mailing campaigns, organising marketing material, developing and implementing on and offline marketing strategies and social networking strategies.

To help me manage my clients I bought a book for key account managers. To my surprise this book is designed for employees who have one or two key accounts to manage. I didn't know whether to panic or feel smug that I manage considerably more than that. It seems to me the key to managing key accounts is finding the right person to communicate with, hopefully the decision maker!

Wet weekend

Following a very wet weekend in North Yorkshire I'm back at my desk this week. While away I was on the receiving end of fantastic customer care, something I wrote about a couple of weeks ago in my Women's Business Club blog. I'm really pleased to say that my blog article was used in their newsletter, bringing me to the attention of a few more business women!

So what happened when I was away? On a very damp and cold morning we found a very pretty tea room open. We were the first in but the room was warm with the lovely smell of fresh scones and cakes baking.  A very smiley 'good morning' greeted us. We were offered Sunday papers to read, a morning menu to read and offered warm scones from the oven! Our host chatted about the weather, asked about us, suggested other places we might like to visit and provided a map to help us. Best of all the coffee she made was hot and tasted of coffee. (The Shepherd's Hall Lealhom)

Now I don't want to get all political but I have to voice my concerns about how one action can damage consumer confidence and so harm the business community. A proposed attachment of VAT to static caravans has already had a knock on event which way down the line has the potential to hurt my business.

East Yorkshire builds 95% of the UK's static caravans. A proposal to add VAT to static caravan has already affected trade for one of my clients, with sales down significantly. This caused a wobble with two of the services who support my clients as services have been cut. In a small community the damaging effects of the proposed addition of VAT is surely greater than any gains that will be made.

Slow down

If you provide a service no matter what you do you have in some way to send out proposals and  present proposals to win work. Short of cold calling this can be a very demoralising thing to do. No matter how good you are at what you do and how good the the service you provide is by the law of averages you will not win every proposal and every pitch you make.

Speaking to two of my clients this week, both had lost a pitch for what would have been substantial pieces of work. Both amazingly philosophical. Probably more so than I would have been. 

It's been a strange week this week with communications causing me problems. Or should I say clients who are all too busy to get back to meet to arrange meetings and plan next step strategies. This is obviously good news but very frustrating for me!

I spent an hour listening to a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) podcast this week all about customer relationship management. Perhaps incorrectly I see podcasts as a time to relax in my chair and ignore the phone and E mails. Slides appear miraculously on the screen and match the speaker. Polls taken on topics discussed bring immediate results. This is really interesting and gives me a real feel for other marketers and their views and challenges.

Well at least that's what supposed to happen.... As usual CIM come up with top speakers although I have to say that the first speaker of three I think must have been late for a meeting. In my relaxed mood he sprinted off the blocks and the slides appeared and disappeared so quickly I didn't have time to make any notes and I was shocked out of my relaxed state with heart racing. Then the speaker realised he had missed something and flicked back to another slide then forwards again.

This went on for around 10 minutes when the moderator came in and said 'any questions, we seem to have time for plenty'. Said it all really!!

An act of Kindness

Last weeks 'The Summit' my monthly marketing and business news included the usual worldwide marketing and business news also featured my article about fantastic customer service from across the world. Yesterday kicking back into action following the Easter break I visited a client in York then stopped for lunch at the designer outlet on the ring road.

Inside there are about 6 different places to stop for a drink or something to eat. To be honest I take no notice of which one I choose it's always down to the length of the queue and how many sandwiches are left. No longer, from now on it's Pret a Manager for me! I witnessed a scene of effortless customer care and genuine care and kindness.

A woman in front of me had chosen a sandwich and a tea. Coming to pay she could not find her purse and it was obviously a genuine mistake, she had left her purse with a friend when paying for something or other. Instead of being irritated on what was a very busy lunch time all the staff looked sympathetic.

The woman serving without any drama brought the manager who simply keyed something in to the till and the woman was given her lunch for free. The whole thing took less than 5 minutes and I really believe no one in the queue was aware of what was happening. The woman offered to pay but the staff refused. When she sat down obviously hassled but without any embarrassment as none had been caused. One member of staff came to check she was OK.

Incidentally I noticed that everyone in Pret a Manager cleared up after themselves using a central bin and stacking area for any china used. This is obviously Pret a Manager etiquette. This left me with a bit of a dilemma. What are you supposed to do the with the milk you have left from your tea? I only like a bit of milk in my tea and they were generous with the milk portion. I spied activity carefully for about five minutes but everyone seemed to be drinking coffee. Running out of time I could see no option other than to drink the milk and dump the plastic container in the mutual bin!

Taking a Break

It's a funny thing that when you are employed you long for bank holidays. As soon as you set up your own business bank holidays become a major problem. E mails dry up and clients are either on holiday, taking a break or you feel you can't E mail them and ringing is a definite no no. And worst of all is I can't make appointments to visit clients.

Does this mean I will be taking a break? Absolutely not. As I have told you many times I love what I do and on  a normal weekend by the time Sunday afternoon comes round I'm chomping at the bit to get back to work. So you can imagine how difficult I am to live with on a bank holiday weekend and this one has two.

You can imagine my horror this year to discover that thanks to the Olympic games and the Queen's diamond jubilee we are having more bank holidays. now I'm not a killjoy I've very proud of the Queens jubilee and the Olympics, but couldn't they squeeze it all into a working week!

So what will I be doing this weekend. OK I confess to taking Friday off to visit some relatives and share lunch with them. Saturday will see me visiting the local farmers market which I love. The dog will get a longer walk than usual and I might even venture into the garden, but come Saturday afternoon I plan to sneak into my office, catch up and organise my tottering in tray.

Sunday also will see me working as everything will be closed what else am I going to do? Then come Monday and as I am visiting clients twice next week I need some time to work don't I.....

How I communicate with my clients

I've just finished an article about some amazing customer care case studies for my monthly newsletter. I talk about the importance of communicating with your customers and clients in the way they prefer and also contacting them at the times of day they prefer. Although I know this to be pretty crucial it is sometimes easier said than done.

One of my clients prefers text messages. Before we came to this agreement communication was sporadic and the work did not get done. Now communication runs along with text messages flying between the two of us. As a result of this client I now rent a mobile with a qwerty keypad!

Another client prefers phone calls, but only before we E mail to arrange a time. Yet another client only responds to E mails sent in the evening, while another much prefers me to call in when I'm passing. This brings me to my difficult situation. Communication with this client is by E mail through a third party - I kid you not. To compound communications problems my client only works one day a week. So enquiries have to be scheduled by E mail the day before which is a Tuesday, so I can have a response the following day.

As you can imagine my dairy is full of markings, crossings out and highlighted text. Although thanks to wonderful stationery suppliers 'Paperchase' I now have some very small sticky labels from which I can choose 'Check', 'To do', 'Appointment' and 'Deadline'. The coloured labels are in columns and the final columns of jewel like labels says 'Holiday'. All of these stickers are still intact!

Where can I put the car?

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to a swanky event by one of my clients. Taking place in York city centre for a group of professionals the well know speaker was the attraction. Now I'm sure that York is not unique in this but getting to events needs the planning of a military operation to achieve. I know what you are all thinking. Why doesn't she use public transport, go on the train straight into the city centre. Sadly not an option the train journey from my home to York would take 2 hours. By car it's 23 miles.

So I spent a considerable length of time trying to plan where I was going to park the car. Checked out the 5 star hotel for a car park, none existent. Park and ride seemed like a good idea. Went onto the web site to discover the last bus ran at 8pm, my event finished at 9pm. Finally checked out the car parks, all involved a 20 minute walk and one was a multi storey. This is a definite no no for me at night, so I chose one of the other options.  

Now I pride myself on not being one of those 'take the car everywhere' people but even for me walking from the car park to the hotel was something of an adventure. I had to negotiate 4 sets of traffic lights using a combination of pelican crossing and zebra crossing (didn't know they still existed), I kept finding myself on the wrong side of the road and at one junction I went through 4 'little green men lights'. At one point I ended up on a cobbled path not a good idea even in my moderate heels. When I finally rolled up at he hotel my client said 'Find it OK?'.

I had a funny day last week

When I make appointments to visit a client I usually blank out the rest of the day. This gives me time to prepare, time to write up my notes following the meeting and time to plan what I need to do next. Last week a combination of running out of time and clients being busy meant I had to make two appointments in one day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The appointments were 46 miles apart, so the night before saw me frantically getting everything ready and working how long it would take me to get from one appointment to the next and what time would I have to leave the first appointment in order to make the second one on time. I hate doing this because it means during the first appointment I am clock watching which I don't think its very professional. Worst case scenario is  to have to wrap up the first meeting by saying something like. 'Times up I have another meeting!

In the morning of the appointments I looked at my desk with its carefully prepared files grabbed them both and loaded up the bag. As I was about to head out the phone rang, appointment one ringing to cancel due to ill health. Into the kitchen kettle on, time for a coffee and time to check my e mails, which reveal that appointment two has cancelled.

Resisting the temptation to fall into a despair of paranoia I do what I always do at times like this, take the dog for a walk! Thankfully both clients rebooked and the day I gained gave me the chance to sort out my in tray and fill up the out tray. Even managed to cross half a dozen things off my to do list......

The Hard Sell & Marketing

Last week I was invited to a marketing training day. At least that was what the event was advertised as! Turned out to be a promotion from a national business magazine selling advertising space. Slightly annoying for some of the businesses who had turned up for free marketing advice. Instead they were presented with a pushy promotion and proposition which took a considerable investment to take up.

I suspect that for most of the businesses in the room the proposition was just too big a commitment for them, although some did sign up. To be fair to the magazine for the right businesses the proposition was quite a good offer, but would have been better pitched at larger businesses selling to consumers.  

I can't deny that these sort of presentations fascinate me. It's the tone of voice, the pitch they use and the language. As soon as I hear 'right here, right now' I know they have been on a 'selling' training course! I really don't like the individual approach they take, squirelling people away in corners and suggesting they sign up now and confirm at a later date. Actually this is not so clever as most business owners don't like this and will not commit.  My personal rule is that given an offer from anyone I always think about it overnight and tell them so. If this is not acceptable alarm bells ring. 

Which gets me on to the much abused 'marketing' word. Never have I come across a profession where one word covered such a wide spectrum. I really don't think it does the profession much of a favour and is I suspect used to attract customers by less than honourable businesses. I've seen and heard 'marketing' used by advertisers, by promotional goods companies and by businesses selling mailing lists. So what exactly is marketing?

This is the definition provided by The Chartered Institute of Marketing. 'The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. 'I get the point but it doesn't seem to me to reflect the practical day to day work I do. So for anyone interested this is my definition. ' Using a combination of practical methods to promote goods and services profitably.'

I love it when the plan works

Isn't it strange that you work away, head down, the days and weeks flying by and suddenly something happens that makes you sit up and come up for air. This week a client I have been working for since summer last year sent me a testimonial. It was a very good testimonial but it really surprised me. Everything he wanted to achieve we had achieved.

Now I pride myself on delivering what I promise but marketing and advertising is not an exact science, so often plans and strategies have to be adjusted. Actually this was the case here, but from a desk full of ideas together we came up with a clear strategy and plan that we followed through, tweeked as we needed to and came up with the desired results. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and I glowed all day.

Following on from last week's phone call rant I had a horror this week with a crossed line on my mobile. Not sure which was worst the actual crossed line and my inability to take calls or having to go through a horrendous call centre to get help. You know the sort of thing, press 1 if you want to report a problem with your phone press 2 if you want to buy a new phone and the finally option press 4 if you would like to speak to an advisor. It actually took me 30 minutes to speak to an advisor, who could not understand my Yorkshire accent! I finally got through to the phone company on Twitter and that seemed to do the trick.

I started to get calls from people asking about worktops and units on Wednesday morning. Even worse the phone rang and the kitchen fitting company answered believing I had rung them. Through the course of the day I had an interesting conversation with one man about his kitchen and crossed lines, but in the end I switched off my phone for a day.

The phone engineer gave me some work to do to help resolve the problem, I'm still wondering if this actually achieved anything or if it was simply a way to get rid of me. This involved making 5 phone calls to various numbers and contacts and logging the exact time of each failed call with the number I rang and if possible the number I got through to. It took a very interesting 3 days to fix!

My clients do occasionally ring!

I apologise to readers of my marketing blog, for the short entry last week. I was interrupted by one of my clients ringing, was distracted, or more likely excited and by the time I came back to the blog I had completely forgotten what it was I planned to write about.  Don't get me wrong my clients do occasionally ring me but it is a sort of unwritten agreement that I ring them even when they have promised me a call.

To be honest the majority of calls I receive are a. people trying to sell me something and b. business networks desperate for me to join. The companies trying to sell me things include one persistently  trying to sell me printer cartridges. I also have various mobile phone companies legitimate and non legitimate and a frightening debt collection agency who want to chase my bad debtors.

This all makes me wonder. Do these companies do any research into the companies they target? A little poking around and the cartridge company would soon see that I am a small company, desperately trying to do my bit for the environment, so just how many cartridges am I going to get through in a week?

The debt collection agency is another matter. They have the problem solving selling technique off to perfection. Before you know where you are you are confiding in about any debtors you have and how unfair it all is. However the minute they move onto their debt collecting techniques, including positioning their well marked vehicle outside the debtors premises, I go right of the idea.  

The business networks that are desperate for me to join are no reflection on me or my business. It is I believe a sign of the times as a number of businesses fall by the wayside and the remaining ones work hard to fill the gap, consequently having no free time.

Next time ....I love it when the plan works.

Making Connections

This last week I visited Venturefest at York race course. I love seeing and talking to other business owners and on the second floor the innovators where there in force. My favourite was the 3D copier and seeing it making complicated components out of titanium. It was really good to see so many young people starting out in business, which seems like a really good option to me! We saw so many clever software innovation and IT ideas and as always the fashion trends in business were obvious. this year it was cloud computing, but we still had to battle snow and ice on the yorkshire Wolds to get there!

All the pieces of the puzzle fit!

The song goes 'There will be days when everything falls into place and all the pieces of the puzzle just seem to fit' (Van Morrison). Well this week I had one of those days. It was a Monday  and this Monday was a golden day when everything I touched just seemed easy and it was as if I had an extra hour for every hour I worked. The in tray fell by half, the out tray piled up and the printer chugged away. Everyone I called was available to take my call, everyone I E mailed replied the same day and one of my web sites generated enquiries.

Only stopping for a quick bowl of soup I ploughed on. Inspiration flowed for a web site I am writing, even the keywords seemed to slot into the text easily. My golden day lasted all day and into the evening. The next day life returned to normal, with E mails returned undelivered, clients were unavailable, the internet connection slowing to a crawl.

Reading the press surprisingly I saw them, calling by coincidence, my golden Monday 'the happiest day of the year'. Why the happiest day of the year? First pay days since Christmas and people planning for summer holidays. My golden day happened not by chance or by either of these two factors, but by a series of events I orchestrated. Two days before I sorted out work to do, making sure I was keeping track of where I am with all my clients work and finally using the 'Technique for generating ideas' one of the best business ideas ever produced. It's really common sense but like all the best of idea few of us use it properly. 

My diary difficulties!

I wonder if it is an ominous warning but my lovely new diary fell to pieces this week. I blame myself trying to be clever and buying a very modern looking diary with a large spiral binding. I don't suppose trying to write appointments and information into the diary while balancing the phone on my shoulder helped.

It all began in the first week of the new year when I managed to separate the spiral binding from 3 months at the back end of the year. Two hours spent fixing it while watching the Hairy Bikers making an incredibly rich cheesecake resolved me to take greater care. However all to no effect and this week January has completely fallen out and February has been badly affected. It made me realise how organised I am as I had to update a new diary with appointments and events which extend into April!

Despite my dairy difficulties this week has seen me busy organising marketing for a long standing client. This includes designing and writing a newsletter, planning a direct mail campaign and updating a web site with some sparkly new carefully selected key words.  This all follows from an analysis of my clients customers which has resulted in a plan to target a specific segment of potential customers. 

I'm also working on a print catalogue. This catalogue will include quotations for top quality marketing materials including leaflets, flyers, postcards, posters and flyers and  also marketing ideas on the best use of each with loads of hints and tips on using them creatively. I'm really excited about this as I know from experience how many businesses through no fault of their own have poor results from marketing material.

The catalogue ready for launch in February also includes prices for small print runs for all those small businesses out there!

Am I frightening you?

Did you know that being a marketing consultant is something of a business pariah? It doesn't matter what business network, seminar or expo I attend announcing what I do always has the same effect. Now I am quite an open friendly sort of person always happy to help others in business and well known for my enthusiasm. So what is going on? An event this week has prompted this grumbly blog.

I went along to an expo which included short talks on a variety of subjects and yes inevitably social media was included. Before we started the person sitting next to me introduced themselves telling me what they did. I showed my usual interest and asked all the relevant questions. And what do you do? My reply provoked a completely different change in body language and attitude.  It rendered this person speechless, he stuttered some quick excuses and dashed off. I even saw him later and I swear he dodged behind a stand to avoid me.

My conclusion is that people believe because I am in marketing which is akin to that dirty word 'selling' I am always on the prowl for customers. Can't deny I have a passing interest in this but doesn't everyone in business? What do people imagine I am going to do? Talk them into something they don't want? Sell them my services at grossly inflated prices? Or G.d forbid ask if I can arrange a meeting with them?

 Interestingly in social situations telling people what I do has the opposite effect. Their eyes light up and immediately I am pounced on for help and advice with a range of good causes including everything from charity help to how to write an eye catching  poster for a village fete.

Continuing Professional development

You will I hope all be pleased to know that my lovely crisp new diary is filling up nicely and already sports dog ears and one coffee stain! First week of January has 2 hours blocked out for a review of my Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Chartered Marketer status.

As regular readers of my blog diary will know I spend some time fulfilling the obligations of my Chartered Marketer status. So the new year jolts me in to action as my diary warns me I have only 6 months to go before this years offering has to be submitted. If I decide to study something I need to complete it and get the certificate in for June so now is the time to get cracking.

I completely agree with the Chartered Marketer status and what it represents, that is a marketing professional who keeps up to date with marketing, marketing trends and continues to develops within their own field. This is important for prospective clients as after all I could just be anyone claiming marketing knowledge and experience.

However for a small business owner fulfilling my CPD is not without challenges. The Chartered Marketer CPD programme is broken down into different elements with hours allowed for each section. To date I have 8 hours completed for private study, I have an exhibition to attend which will give me 4 hours and development events in February and March will provide 3.5 hours.

I need 35 hours so what I else can I do? One option I have is in company development which is a bit challenging for a small business, so I've crossed that one out. Next is mentoring which I have done in the past but this year I have no one to mentor. Training workshops are too expensive this year and most are in London (too far to go in one day). Job related committees are not an option, so I find myself left with language training. Now I'm not really sure why that is in there but mulling it over I think this is not a bad idea. By Monday my enthusiasm and excitement means by the end of the day I have a tutor, a programme of activities and the promise of a certificate in May.

Plus prochaine semaine ....... (more next week!)

The week after Christmas - down to one post it!

Everyone I know takes the time between Christmas and New Year as a break, but for me its catch up and sort out time. This isn't as bad as it sounds as I am always itching to get back to work. So by Tuesday I am once again sitting at my desk amid a storm of last weeks last minute post its and a pile of files spread across the desk. My research and reading file is bulging at the seams with a variety of web sites to visit and research papers to read.

First task is to work my way through the post its updating my super customer management system. This take me an hour by which time I'm down to one post it which I can't decide how to action (it's still drifting around the desk!). Despite a 3 day break I am still checking my E mails and constantly press the send and receive but no one is sending. By lunch time I am feeling lonely, the only E mails coming in are for sales and Amazons 12 days of Christmas Kindle offer.

Tuesday afternoon and all the files are away and I have 3 new Kindle books to read. Back to work I have worked my way through a quarter of the reading and research file, fantastic.

Now its time for my web site annual revamp. This ones a major change and although I have it all on paper its a different matter when I put it into action. I've a new home page, about us page, training page and portfolio page to get ready for next year which is only 6 days away! Finally I decide on the design and everything starts to fall into place.

Wednesday after an hour working on the new site and 2 more 99p kindle books downloaded, sees me very carefully going through my clients files. This is another between bank holiday task and well worth it. Some clients need new marketing plans or updated plans and strategies, pulling together the on and offsite with a little bit of blogging and tweeting thrown in. go to bed feeling very smug!!

More next week........

The week before Christmas!

This is one week of the year when no one answers my E mails. Everyone's too busy clearing out and clearing up for the Christmas break. In vain do I plead and cajole for decisions on marketing material, ads and marketing plans for 2012.

It is crucial for me to move things along for as soon as the magic 2nd January appears in the diary and calendar everyone will quite rightly want their marketing material ready for the new year for  the countless campaigns and promotions that are planned. So how do I deal with this? Rather sneakily I get everything to the stage when all it needs is an agreement from my clients. This might sound obvious but nothing makes people act faster in making decisions than giving them what seems like a fait au compli. Actually it's usually nothing of the sort, but it's amazing the effect what seems like a finished marketing plan or a leaflet ready to go for print.

Speaking of leaflets and marketing material I am once more faced with the difficulty of finding quality images for two customers. This weeks its images for a holiday accommodation web site and images for a leaflet (two different customers). Images sell! Every business needs stock images and quality images that show their products and services in use and if it's a food and tourist business, that show people enjoying themselves.

Holiday and tourist business have the added difficulty of seasonal images. No one wants to see holiday cottages on a gloomy day with trees bare of leaves and huddled figures scurrying along slippery wet pavements. A pretty snowy scene with a cosy cottage is one thing but grey and gloom does not sell. So how are we going to find those images? First we've booked a photographer for next year.  Second we are using a little creativity. This involves setting up a scene in a warehouse that recreates a domestic living room before and after a spring clean. Sadly for the web site we have had to resort to I stock images, something I hate but when all else fails!!

More next week........

Pulling it all together for 2012

All ready for 2012? Here goes!

Have a clear idea of what it is you are selling in terms of benefits rather than features. For example 'No need to buy any more printer cartridges' as opposed to 'Rent one of our photocopiers for all printing needs'.

Know specifically which businesses or groups of people you plan to sell your products and services to. Perhaps you sell home made soups and you want to target people who visit farm shops and farmers markets. Once you know this it is much easy to promote your soups by finding farm shops and farmers markets.

When you pull all your ideas together don't forget how you are going to make your business stand out and be memorable. This might be the way you 'sell' your products and services through, for example, truly distinct shop window displays. Alternatively it might be your product or service that has a measurable distinction within your own trade or industry.

There are many different ways you can sell your products and services, through your web site, by e mail and direct mail, advertising and social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Whichever of these you choose you must get the most out of everything you do. For example If you are advertising in a local free magazine, send readers of your ad to a specific page on your web site where they find an offer or more news on what it is you are selling. Announce the offer which is included with the ad through LinkedIn or Twitter. By always aiming for three parts to any activities you will increase responses and conversion of enquiries to sales.

A marketing plan

To help you I have included a downloadable marketing plan. Rather than the usual type of marketing plan that places the emphasis on activities this plan puts the emphasis on the businesses or customers you aiming your products and services at. Doing this will help you to focus on your potential customers and makes it easier to concentrate on marketing activities.

You will see that the marketing plan is set for 3 months of trading. This means you will have to review your plan regularly. A three monthly plan  will keep you on track and will enable you to see results of your mini marketing campaigns.

Finally, this sounds obvious, but make sure you build on the marketing and advertising that brings in those sales and change what the marketing that is ineffective.

A Tale of two farm shops

Take two farm shops, both sited on busy roads with plenty of passing and local trade. One has the advantage of sitting at the junction of two busy roads and sells it’s own farm produced beef. Both have car parks and both are Yorkshire based. Which one do you think is the most successful with a constant stream of customers? Before you decide here is some more information.

First farm shop

This one sources 95% of food it stocks within a 20 mile radius and makes this very clear on blackboards in the shop. Many local products in the farm shop have information about the producers with recipe ideas.

Sells sandwiches

Fresh fruit and vegetables most of it local, supplied daily, they also sells seasonal fruit and vegetables

Fresh bread, cakes and pies daily, all made within ten miles of the shop.

Sells bags of potatoes, carrots and onions etc hung up outside

Deli counter with cheeses which are all from the UK and most are Yorkshire cheeses. Favourite  cheeses are always available, but others change regularly with a ‘cheese of the month’ available to try.

Owner run

Second farm shop

Sandwiches

Coffee to take out

Sweets

Hot soup

Deli counter – UK and European cheeses

Fresh fruit with limited seasonal vegetables

Staff run

Butcher meat comes mainly from own farm

Visits farmers markets with fresh meat

 On the face of it the second farm shop has the advantage in that it is on the junction of two main roads and has their own farm meat on sale. Surprisingly the first farm shop is the most successful in terms of reputation, turnover and profit despite not actually selling any of their own produce.

 How is this farm shop successful?

Firstly by giving fantastic customer service. The owners know their customers and pay attention to customer comments and requests. Secondly fruit and vegetables are fresh daily and they bring in and promote seasonal fruit and vegetables. A blackboard outside tells you what is seasonal and what’s in the shop. Displays change regularly and staff know about the products on sales.

The second farm shop despite having many advantages has a poor fruit and vegetable display. Despite having its own meat it does not provide recipes or any guidance on cooking. They also sell  non farm shop related goods such as sweets and toiletries sending out confusing messages to customers. The second farm shop has a much higher staff turnover and regular runs out of fruit and vegetables.

Conclusion

This story illustrates how important it is to give customers what they want and to keep products fresh and changing. Actively promoting local produce and telling ‘the story’ of the producers appeals to lovers of local produce. The story of these two farm shops shows customer service can be more important than the actual location of a business. You cannot even say these two farm shops appeal to different markets due to location. They are within 12 miles of each other!