The Farmstand: Direct - ij' Marketing ' (Continued from Pago 1) for great storylines in movies, it is rarely effective in busi ness unless you have an in credibly unusual product or a to-die-for location. More often than not, most markets are not blessed with either (as perceived by the buying public). Because of this, many efforts must be made to allow the seller the chance to convince the consumer to stop, buy, and then return for more. So whether you are selling ornamentals in the fall, free range chicken, or apples from the orchard, you need to have a great appeal that outshines your competitors. While not trying to down play the importance of qual ity, good customer service, or variety of product, creating (jßcan) GREENLAND SUPERFLOW FERTILIZER SPRE AjfaZs SUPERFLOW SEEDER Spreaders are the most accurate broadcast spreaders in the world. The unique pendulum action keeps the spread pattern close to the rear of the machine while at the same time providing a symmetrical pattern on both sides. -U The pattern allows “back and forth” as well as “around and around” operation. The “truncated” pattern offsets inaccurate overlap problems, eliminating streaking. Stop By Your Nearest Dealer and See First Hand Why They’re Worth The Investment PENNSYLVANIA Clifford • North East Dist. & Equip. 570-222-9090 Glen Rock • Wertz Farm Equipment 717-235-0111 Grove City • McDowell Farm Equipment Implement 814-786-7955 Klmgersfown • Stanleys Farm Service 570-648-2088 Distributed By: CUMMINGS and BRICKER, Inc. I i 100 Stover Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013 717/249-6720 an attractive display can be very important to capturing the attention of customers. Often signage is used to focus the buyer on what is being of fered. Without a doubt, this is a critical piece of the market ing equation but by no means all of it. Signs tell the buyer what you have, what it will cost them, and possibly why they need it or how they can use it. All these are crucial to a sale. But someone on a quest for pumpkins for their kids wants to “see” you have them and know whether they will have a great selection! It’s September, you have a roadside stand and raise pumpkins for sale, so put them out front for the world to see, not in the area on the side or behind the store. Put them up on straw bales, mixed in with corn stalks, or i I i 1 ill i i 8 S U P| p ta-J I | j 1 1 Leola • M.M. Weaver & Son 717-656-2321 Lewisburg • Don Erdley Farm Equip. 570-524-2410 New BerlirwiKe • Erb & Henry 610-367-2169 New Ringgold • Eckroth Bros. Farm Equipment 570-943-2131 Orefield • Eckroth Equipment 601-366-2095 100-120 Lehigh Ave , PO Box 928, Batavia, New York 14021-0928 716/343-5411 Peach Bottom • Triple H Equipment 717-548-3775 Penn Run • Manor Motors 724-254-4753 Sharon • Watsons, Inc. 724-346-6514 NEW JERSEY Pittsgrove • Schaper Bros. 856-455-1640 Hammonlon • Rodio Sales 609-561-0141 up on top of hay wagons. Mix in groups of hardy mums, shrubs and trees for fall planting and you have the be ginnings of a good display. Be careful when mixing to not create chaos. The point is to create eye appeal, espe cially from the road. But when the customer goes through the display looking for something, there should be no question about whether or not it’s for sale or display purposes, what it cost, and that it is of excellent quality. And don’t look at displays as something to be changed only with the seasons. Moving larger storefront displays may take some time but seeing the same items in a very different arrangement can be an effective marketing tool and capture someone’s attention driving past. With the same thought in mind, lo cating an outdoor display near your sign will give people a new look at a sign they may have stopped seeing because of familiarity. In-store displays should receive the same amount of (ywaih Rust free polyester hoppers, "DURA-COAT" enamel on painted components with stainless steel metering plates, precision adjustments, and a variety of spouts for a multitude of applications have earned (ÜBj) Superflow seeder spreaders a world-wide reputation as the premier broadcast spreader. Grower and Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 11, 2000—Page attention, as should those on your tables if you’re a member of a farmers market. Attractive displays can easily be made with items you have for sale at the moment. Even perishable items such as fresh meats in a coooler can be ar ranged or prepared to entice a purchase. In this case, pos sibly the addition of mari nated products or pre-cut shish kabobs on a stick can be added to get the customer to purchase something they might have not considered on a previous trip along with something they will now tell others you are offering. At farm market tables, highlight new items in a cen tral location where you com monly see people look first or near a hot seasonal seller and offer samples if possible. If you’re selling a food product, offer recipes or give written planting instructions for trees and shrubs. Always attempt to give the customer the im pression of bounty so they don’t feel they are purchasing the last of something and use containers that compliment Seeder spreaders are easily calibrated for extremely accurate performance. Versatile QficiSi) spreaders band material in vineyards, orchards and nurseries, as well as spread lime, and salt and sand for winter use. Serving Farmers Through Fui m Equipment Dealers Smct 1961 your facility. If you sell locally grown to matoes, don’t display them in recycled California produce boxes. This gives the cus tomer mixed messages and distracts from your market appeal. Along with creating new displays and changing them to draw and maintain inter est, keep track of comments, customer reactions, and sales response that can be traced to your display efforts. Even the best of displays can be made better. Use the information you gather to give you new ideas and to gauge what the customer is looking for. Too often, in the haste of day-to day business, it is easy to forget what draws the cus tomer to your product. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers