With ardent determination to enjoy the panting July Houston heat, I ventured into H-town’s streets to see what afternoon delights she held in store. As always, armed with goodies, Houston surprised me: a fantastic Farmers’ Market filled with key entrepreneurial lessons:
Lesson # 1 : Share your story
Lesson # 2: Use new technologies to adapt
Lesson # 3: Embrace your customer: Recommendations sell more than any ad
Each of these lessons came from a separate small business owner, which I’ll present as individual case studies in this three part post.
Case Study 1: Lavende Farms. Lesson : Share your story
Even as I walked into a stall that looked like a little corner of France, I was damn sure I was not going to spend the only cash I had ($10) here. Yet, it was testament to Lavende Farm’s marketing skills that I walked away with a lavender spray that keeps mosquitoes away! How did that happen? They made me feel and breathe their story. We were far from a lavender farm in a French country side, in fact, we were on a blistering paved parking lot. Yet, that was the feel they channeled. There were lavender stalks, pictures, and brochures of their farms. “Have you ever been to our farm, Miss ?”, said the lady at the counter. “Oh, you would love it there. It smells a little bit like it does in here.” She then proceeded to tell me everything about the farm, the lavender oils, and how their products are made. She talked about ways she uses the products – adding this to my laundry makes them smell fresh and always reminds me of the farm. Then she walked away, just letting me feel lavender in different forms – soaps, oils, sheets, sprays, and more.
Walking around, I saw a basket containing mosquito sprays. Ingredients: natural lavender oil (turns out mosquitoes hate the smell of lavender) and pure H2O, nothing else. I have been spraying my fiancé (a natural mosquito attractor) with DEET so he could enjoy our lavish Houston balcony. Convinced, I happily gave them my $10 in return for not having to poison my fiancé every evening, walking away thinking I could have sworn that I wouldn’t spend my money here!
What I am sure of now, though, is that I would have walked away with laundry sheets if I had not found the mosquito spray. It did not matter. You see, it was the story and the thought of being in lavender farms that I bought that mosquito spray for $10.00. The spray was simply the form it took. Let people feel, touch, and breathe your story.
Now, I had spent all the cash I had. It was a farmer’s market after all, so credit cards weren’t welcome. How could any more businesses have benefited from my patronage? For that, we have Richard Kaplan’s versatility to adapt . More in part 2 of this post.