We think we know but that isn’t always the case. Consumers change and people are constantly thinking of new ways to do things. You have to be aware of change happening around you. The population is more diverse and you need to adapt with them.
This hit home for me when one producer shared the following story…
They produce sweet corn and have been using what they call tillage radish for a micronutrient to be plowed under in the fall. The radish grows between the rows of corn and rejuvenates the soil for the following season. One day a consumer asked about taking some of the ‘plants growing between the corn’. The summer student said’ “sure they just plow it under in the fall’. The woman took a couple of plants but the next day she returned with several friends for a mini harvest. As you might know, farmers do not appreciate people taking anything out of their fields so the owner approached them to ask them to stop. When he talked to them they told him they were recent immigrants to Canada from Syria and they had not seen this plant since they had been home in Syria. They were so excited to find it and it was a “taste of home”.
You have to challenge yourself and others in your business about your own products. In this story it wasn’t even a product for sale but people wanted to use it.
Ask yourself what are they doing with the product and what could they be doing with the product?
Including the focus on how consumers are using your products will be very important in your sales strategy. You can share the information with consumers and customers. With great ideas and the right program you will see more of your products in more shopping carts more often.
Seats are limited and time is running out!
We are excited to partner with Perennia to offer “Surviving to thriving in retail”. If you have products on retail shelves and want to sell more, we have an opportunity for you. This 6 session program will help you:
Get a category manager to call you back
Position your product for a price increase
Give you confidence in your next meeting with a category manager
For only $499 you get 6 sessions, which is a total of 24 hours with me to help you thrive in retail. I will use my experience working for a major retailer to help you figure out what you need to do to grow your sales and develop better relationships. The dates for the sessions are:
Feb 10 Full day in store (Sobeys Larry Uteck Halifax)
Feb 19 2 hour online session
Mar 2 Full day in store (Sobeys Larry Uteck Halifax)
Mar 9 2 hour online session
Mar 16 2 hour online session
Mar 23 Full day in store (Sobeys Larry Uteck Halifax
If you have any questions about understanding how consumers use your products please give me a call at (902) 489-2900 or send me an email at peter@skufood.com.