A Simple Survey Reveals How to Reach Your Customers

By Jane Eckert

Click to view a sample survey

"Who are your customers?"

If I asked you that question, what would you be able to tell me? Would you know their general ages, where they reside, why they like coming to your farm?

These kind of basic facts - called demographics and psychographics - are important to find out. Why? Because the more specific information you know about your customers, the more you can target your marketing efforts to reach them directly and motivate them to visit the farm again and again.

The good news is that it's easy and inexpensive to get demographic information on your customers. It's as simple a conducting a survey in your parking lot on weekends!

How will this information make an impact on your marketing strategies?

ONE: Targeting your marketing efforts directly to your customer base

• If you discover that you already have a high concentration of customers (in a particular town or suburb, for example), your job is easy! Whether it's promotions, publicity or advertising you know exactly what group you're trying to reach.

TWO: Developing partnerships

• Future partnerships are best developed with companies that have the same target audience. When you know your customer, it is easier to approach a good partner or sponsor.

THREE: Making effective advertising buys

• When you are deciding whether or not to buy paid advertising, the media representative should be able to show a very specific match between its audience and your customer base. This includes age, interests and location. Otherwise, just say "no thank you" and don't waste your money!

FOUR: Knowing what to change to satisfy your customers

• Never assume your customers are satisfied with your services or products unless they tell you so. Their responses are critical in helping you decide what changes and improvements to make in the future.

So, how do you approach these one-on-one surveys with customers?

LENGTH OF SURVEY

These types of customer surveys should be short (no longer than 2-3 minutes). Be sure to give the participant a discount coupon, free gift or return visit pass as a "thank you".

WRITING THE SURVEY

For an example of a good farm marketing survey, click here. The survey should ask questions that get basic demographic information and specific farm responses that you desire:

• Zip code

• Male/female

• Age (ask by range 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+ )

• How many are in the party

• How many children and what age

• Income (ask by range, less than $25K, $25 -$49K, $50 - $74K, $75K - $99K, $99+)

• How did you learn about the farm (have boxes to check off such as radio, newspaper article, newspaper ad, friends)

• What prompted your visit (have boxes to check off such as "day in the country", "fresh produce", "family fun", etc.)

• How long were you on the farm

• What activities did you most enjoy

• How would you describe your satisfaction with your visit today

• Was the price of admission a good value (if you charge admission)

• If you could give us one idea of how we could improve the experience today, what would it be?

TIME & PLACE

Best time is weekends, noon to 4 pm, in the parking lot when customers are leaving the farm.

INTERVIEWER

The person to conduct the interview should be a mature, friendly adult. I have found teachers are excellent, and I pay them $8 an hour. Somebody who conducts your school tour might also be good. Don't pull your senior staff to do this as they're needed elsewhere.

As you can see, conducting this research does not take much effort, so make a commitment this season to try the survey approach. Best of all, you can conduct your research this season, but then wait until you have more time this winter to analyze the information.

Best of all, knowing your customers' demographics will allow you to make smart marketing decisions and use your marketing budget effectively. And next year you will reap the rewards of research.

Jane Eckert is the founder of Eckert AgriMarketing (www.eckertagrimarketing.com), a full-service marketing and public relations firm that helps farmers to sell directly to consumers, diversify operations and become tourist destinations. She is also CEO of www.RuralBounty.com, a search directory for agritourism farms and ranches in North America. Jane can be reached at 314-862-6288 or you may email her directly or subscribe to the direct marketing e-newsletter via www.eckertagrimarketing.com.