Host a Plant Promotion Party

There are a lot of ways to get people interested in buying your plants and produce: buying print and radio ads, sending press releases to your local newspapers and television news stations, targeted mailings, door hangers and flyers, etc. The purpose of all of these advertising mediums is to spread the word that you've got a great product or service to sell and to encourage people to buy it from you.

A great way to draw attention to your business and sell product at the same time is to have a party. Many of the most successful retailing businesses in the world use parties as a tool to make sales, generate a "buzz" about the business, recruit new customers and find good employees. Think Mary Kay or Pampered Chef--two companies that operate extraordinarily profitable direct-marketing businesses.

Everyone loves a party, even plant and produce buyers. Why not host an "Open Greenhouse," a "Producepalooza" or a Garlic Festival? Make sure to pick a theme that showcases the products and services that you have available and a party style that matches your hosting skills and will interest your target clients (for instance, don't have a pig pickin' if many of your organic produce customers are likely to be vegetarians).

What's your party style?

All-natural, not too much fuss
Have a picnic. Rent out a local picnic shelter and send out the invites. You can have a potluck-style picnic with a plant and produce theme. If you have it at a local park, your customers can bring the whole family and make a day of it: play on the swings, look at all the gorgeous wares you have for sale, have a bite to eat, go for a hike and then buy a bunch of goods to take home with them. Bring lots of your product and display it beautifully and raffle some of it as door prizes (make sure that you get your customers' and prospectives' contact information on that raffle ticket). Have games or other activities geared towards keeping their minds on your products. Scavenger hunts are great activities for your Picnic Plant and Produce Promotion Party. Make sure that all the clues relate to your products.

High energy, high profile
If you like to do things in a big way, organize yourself a gala or a festival. It could be an elegant charity event soiree which your business sponsors (have fun decorating the ballroom with all of your product--make sure that all of the centerpieces have your business cards affixed to them) or a kick-up-your-heels festival with food, vendors, music and a plant and produce theme. There are garlic, dogwood, tomato and rose festivals all over the place. Why not have one of your own? This type of event can get you a lot of media publicity and can make you some money if you charge admission, sell commemorative t-shirts (make sure they have your business's name on them), etc.

Hostess with the mostess
Those of you who have worked for Mary Kay or other companies with a similar sales model will know that parties work. Host a party at your house and invite everyone you know, or at a friend's (they invite everyone they know--make sure that you compensate them with free products). At the party, have snacks and lots of samples of all your products. Spend time showing your guests how to use your products. Believe it or not, many people don't know how to cook or use produce very well. Even fewer know how to grow and use plants for landscaping or in gardens. Show them how and make it fun. After the party, follow up with each of the guests to make sure that they enjoyed their samples and to encourage them to buy more of the products they particularly liked or ones related to them.

Hosting parties is a fun way to grow your customer base and sell product. After all, if you host a heck of a Halloween Homegrown Hosta Hop, and you have good hostas to sell at a fair price, you are almost sure to capture all of your guest's hosta dollars and that of their hosta-buying friends. Word of mouth is your best selling tool and parties are a great way to spread the word about your business.