How to Sell Out Before Harvest (and Increase Cash Flow)
The most successful Independent Farms offer their products for Pre-Order ahead of season, to capitalize on market demand, simplify their harvest schedule and to increase cash flow. There are some simple steps to help your Farm sell out before harvest. To begin with, you must build a base of local Buyers eager to pre-order your goods, market to them regularly to stay top-of-mind, and offer an easy ordering system - online and in-person.
Prior to offering your products for Pre-Order, set up your business foundations to sell out. Follow these practical steps implemented by successful Farmers to secure Buyer commitments ahead of harvest.
Build a Base of Local Buyers
To sell out of your Farm products, you need to build a local base of Buyers eager to purchase your Products. Your Farm must present an attractive Brand presence that is consistent on all channels (web, mobile, social, email), and draws customers to your products. Build a compelling narrative about your Farm, your products, your history and market to your Buyers regularly - at least once per week.
Meet Buyers at local business, schools, churches, and markets to form an in-person relationship. If they can put a face to your Farm, they will feel more of a connection to your business. Note, 9 out of 10 Buyers want to purchase from a local Farmer!
Encourage Buyers to sign up for your Farm newsletter and follow you on social media. Create an incentive for newsletter sign-ups and sharing your posts on Social Media. This will increase Buyer engagement, keep them in the know of Farm happenings and ensure you are top-of-mind.
When meeting Buyers, educate them on your Farm products and practices. They will understand the value of supporting a local business, and the health impacts for their family. Be personable and honest, so Buyers know they can trust your Farm. Explain to customers why they should buy your products.
Engage Customers with Farm Marketing
Collect customers' emails using a sign-up sheet or QR codes. Use a pop-up on your Farm website to encourage Buyers to input their email addresses for updates. Farm newsletters can include product updates, Farm events, local delivery, pick-up or market schedules, and promotional codes for further engagement.
On social media, engage Buyers with interesting, consistent content. Post at least once a week, sharing something that either educates, entertains or leads your Buyers to your eCommerce site to Shop. Posts can range from Farm chores, to animal cameos or memes, to meals you’ve cooked using your products.
Keep Buyers updated, so they always know your available product offerings, upcoming on-Farm events and every avenue to shop. Farm promos will encourage loyal Buyers to continue purchasing, or may spur a purchase from a laggard Buyer. Using Mailchimp’s Customer Journey Builder, you can write tailored newsletters for different types of Buyers, so communications feel personal, leading to more loyal purchasers.
Sell Farm Products Online
Make purchasing your product easy - online and in-person. Buyers must have access to shop from your Farm 24/7. If Buyers must communicate with you to place an order (email, SMS, FB message), you will lose 50%+ of all sales opportunities. Use Farm eCommerce to ensure your products are just a click away for Buyers to place an order whenever and wherever they please (without contacting you!).
Your store should be linked on your social media profiles, your website and in your email newsletters. This will give customers numerous ways to access your products. Your store should be easy to navigate, with a simple inventory and your most popular items pinned to the top. If your store is too confusing, Buyers will exit without a purchase.
Using a point-of-sale (POS) built for Farmers, you can link online and in-person transactions, so profits and inventory changes are streamlined between various purchasing avenues. For in-person transactions, many Buyers will only have their phone or a credit card on them. If you do not accept these payment methods, you will miss out on sales. A Farm POS allows you to take any payment method your Buyers’ prefer, encouraging more purchases.
Offer Farm Product Pre-Orders
To sell out prior to harvest, offer your products for Pre-Order for a “limited time” only. Build hype around the available window to place a Pre-Order to secure maximum sign-ups. You can market sign-ups by sending email newsletters with instructions to secure a Pre-Order, or post the dates to lock in orders on social media.
Increase the fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) by giving Buyers a deadline to sign-up and sharing that across social channels. This will encourage customers who may be on the fence to make a purchase. You know your harvest times, so you can plan sign-up and fulfillment dates around your typical schedule and/or processing dates.
Read: 5 Promos to Drive FOMO
Successful Farms offer high demand products for Pre-Order, so Buyers have a chance to secure their purchase ahead of time. Tom of Bennett Farms (MI) offers Thanksgiving Turkeys for Pre-Order a year in advance, because he knows they are in high demand and Buyers want to lock in their order (before they sell out). This means that months before harvest, all of his turkeys are pre-sold and he can simply focus on harvest and fulfillment.
Many Farms will offer Subscription (CSA) boxes or Protein Subscriptions for Pre-Order, allowing them to set up schedules and plan ahead for fulfillments weeks in advance. Pre-Orders help your Farm maintain a rhythm with harvest and fulfillment schedules, as well as a steady stream of income year-round, even during the Off-Season.
Conclusion
To sell out prior to next season, you must market your products to local Buyers ahead of harvest. You need a local base of Buyers who are eager to purchase from your Farm, and willing to pay to Pre-Order your products. Selling out will increase your cash flow, and your Buyers will have food security, knowing they have already locked in a purchase with your Farm.
Barn2Door offers software for Independent Farmers to create and promote their brand, sell online and in-person, and save time managing their business. If you’re curious to learn more, watch this 5-minute video.