You would really like to be a market stall seller and have a brilliant idea for a business but you are not sure if you have the right attributes for the role? You keep hearing that it is hard work but what exactly does that mean?
The most important feature of being a successful market stall trader is selling something that people want to buy. Exactly how successful will depend on your organisational skills, your willingness to smile and how much you like people. You will need to have the strength to carry your own stock and erect a gazebo too.
Anyone can start a market stall business and can find a market pitch. There are never any hard and fast rules about who would do better because we have seen many different characters succeed throughout the years but a few useful character traits do come to mind when considering this life. And honestly, we have only seen one or two stalls fail in all the years that we have been trading at different markets, so there really is more than 90% certainty that businesses do well, irrespective of individual characters. However, certain traits are more useful than others…
Useful Character Traits:
Determined
The reason to start a business will be different for everyone, however, your level of determination may increase once you start. When I started selling fudge over 15 years ago, I was thrown in at the deep end, not really thinking about running a business at all. But when I saw the positive response my product received and how much I could earn, my whole life changed in an instant and so did my determination.
Confident
The level of confidence needed at the beginning should be enough to get you to your first market. That will be your first major step. From your first market or event, your confidence will grow fast. If you have successfully sold your wares, then you will know what I am talking about. The adrenaline rush of selling will foster more confidence in you.
Belief in your product
If you think that your product is good, useful, tastes amazing, can help people that will come across in your attitude. Let that knowledge shine through and customers will believe you too. The belief you have, will in turn persuade customers to have belief in it too.
Interest in others
There will be a balance to find between telling your story in relation to your product and being interested in your customers’ story. When the customer tells you that the flavour of your product reminds them of their childhood, let them enjoy telling you that and ask them questions about their experience rather than bang on about you. Everyone wants their own story to be heard and will think better of you and your brand if you allow this.
People friendly
Liking people should probably be at the top of this list. You will meet many people at your market stall. Many types of people you may never have met before. Some people are a bit strange. Some people will be having a bad day. Allowing for their foibles and differences and understanding that we are not, all the same, will allow for YOU to have a better experience. Remember, you are always next to another stallholder, so when a rare bad situation arises, you will have a backup from everyone on the market. We know what it is like and we are always there for each other.
Sense of humour
When job applications specify ‘a sense of humour needed‘, I never really understood what that meant until I worked on a market. A sense of humour means that you can see the lighter side of any situation, that you are ready for a laugh and that you will err on the side of the positive. So, to be cheerful rather than miserable, positive rather than negative and constructive rather than critical. All traders have been up early, have worked hard to get their stock to their stall and having a sense of humour really helps the whole atmosphere of the market. I am not saying we should all be like Dick Van Dyke in a scene from ‘Mary Poppins‘ but that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?
Wit
Being ready with a quick witty response is not a trait that I can personally claim. However, some market traders have it and it is hilarious for all who are within earshot. Dani is known for his wit at a market and not only does it make him our top seller – because customers value a good laugh, but other stallholders enjoy trading next to him too. Get two ‘comic’s’ together and they can go on bantering all day and the market becomes an attractive place for customers to be.
On the ball
Having your wits about you on a market is essential. In all the years we have been trading, we have rarely come across any thefts or negative situations. Always be aware of your surroundings and do a mental security check. Unless your stock is particularly valuable then it is only really your money that will need to be secured. Money belts are the most secure but somewhat annoying because of heavy coins, so if you do use a money tin, make sure that you keep the notes on your person as you collect them. These days cash is becoming less used and the issue of cash security is diminishing.
Good Negotiator
Being able to negotiate and knowing that you CAN negotiate for anything is a great skill to have. Negotiating where both parties are happy with the outcome requires skill. If you arrive at a venue and your allocated pitch is not to your liking, asking the organisers if you can move to another spot is sometimes possible if you have negotiated in the right way (that is another good reason to arrive at a new event early!). This trait is particularly useful when a customer tries to negotiate your price down and you don’t want to sell it at the price they suggested. Explaining why you can’t and offering something else with it e.g. I won’t make any profit at that price but how about I throw in one of these with your purchase AND I’ll help you carry it to your car? All humour you can muster up in these situations helps too!
Have a Sense of Customer Service
When I trained in customer service all those years ago as a Travel Representative, the one thing I remember vividly was, ‘imagine you are talking to your granny‘. That meant showing respect, no matter how angry or distraught the customer was. Remember they are putting their stress onto you, but it is not usually about you at all but about something else going on in their life. The situation is probably the last straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back and you are the recipient of all their pressure being released. While it is not very nice for you to get the brunt of this, others will be looking on and will judge you according to how you handle the situation. Even though that customer is having a bad day, you will garner the respect of others who will buy from you just to show their allegiance. But seriously, having an angry customer is extremely rare by the way, and I have only seen someone fly off the handle once when a stallholder asked that someone’s dog be kept under control!
Going the extra mile for a customer will show and it will build your brand. When you take extra care when packaging their purchase or when you explain in detail how to warm up their pie at home or how carefully you explain what allergens are present for a gluten-intolerant wary customer.
Assertive
While you want to be considered a nice person to deal with you don’t want to appear to be a pushover either. Being assertive is the happy medium between aggressive and passive. Assertiveness is being able to say it like it is without any emotion behind the words. If you feel that a customer is acting in an inappropriate way or taking the proverbial then express your thoughts in a clear, unambiguous way. If you get it right then there won’t be any bad feelings involved in the discourse.
Big Picture Thinker
While you are standing at your market stall, it is raining, it is cold and your feet are getting wet, think of the bigger picture. Just wait a few hours and the sun will come out, the customers will be out on their lunch break and at least you will have some stock left for your market tomorrow. Acknowledge that you are in the lucky position to be working for yourself and not for somebody who dictates your daily actions. You are the controller of your own destiny and a bit of rain can come and go, but you will ultimately have more earning power and freedom than if you were working for someone else. Need a holiday? Take one. Need to visit the dentist? Go whenever you like. It is your choice.
Courteous
Remember, courtesy in all things, from ‘good mornings’ to ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’ are seemingly very small things but they amount to a lot. You will remember the person who doesn’t say ‘excuse me‘ or other courtesies and oddly we British humans expect these unfailingly. Not all cultures pay as much heed to these as the British and we notice. Omitting these genial utterances are considered large blunders and exceedingly rude!
Relationship Builder
When you sell a product that people would buy often, then building relationships with your customers is essential for future transactions. These customers will not only become your friends and loyal supporters but will also recommend your business to their friends and family as well.
Dependable
Being where you say you will be and always turning up to a market is essential. Not only for your customers to know where you will be but also for the market organisers themselves. Nobody wants to trade next to an empty stall which is what happens when you don’t turn up without prior notice. An empty stall looks bad and will reflect negatively on your brand – the market organisers will not think too highly of you either and strange as it may seem, your reputation will be tarnished. Turning up late and leaving early is also not acceptable and is frowned upon.
Optimist
Believing in yourself against all the odds will get you out of bed on those cold early mornings. Being excited to get to a market and to see your friends and customers again will fill you with adrenaline and positivity. Having this optimistic view of your world transfers onto everyone you cross paths with and they will want to be in your company. Optimism breeds success no matter how you look at it.
Passion
If you are building a brand at a market, then being passionate about your business will show. I remember trading next to a coffee roaster once in the Forest of Dean. I couldn’t believe the passion he showed to each customer, explaining how to get the best out of the beans, what temperature the water needed to be and what aromas to expect. Five years on, that same coffee roaster is one of the most celebrated in the area. Even local coffee shops that sell their coffee are trained to take special care with every cup. The owner regularly visits those shops to check and see if they are serving it correctly. That is passion! See: https://www.jamesgourmetcoffee.com/
To Conclude
These are but a few insights into the kind of people who fare well in this peculiar and specialist world but ultimately being an entrepreneur at heart will get you very far. Knowing that at the heart of every successful business you need to do is Invent, Innovate and Inspire!
Happy Trading!