Article: 5 Ways your NAFD Open House can Increase Future Sales

original photo by Eastland Alpacas, Mount Joy, PA

National Alpaca Farm Days is just days away and hopefully your list of things to do is complete (ya right!). The social media posts are up and invites sent, the animal pens are set up, the alpaca products all properly priced, and the barn is perfectly clean (is it ever?!?).

As the Farm Days Alpaca open houses are just around the corner, here are 5 Ways your Open House can Increase Future Sales!

1) Collect Visitor's Contact Info

Whether it’s name, address, or just a simple email sign up sheet - it’s imperative that you get the contact info of all the alpaca enthusiasts that visit your farm this weekend. Even it’s just an email address, you can use that info to keep them informed on the rest of your holiday events, market locations, whats going on at the farm with the alpacas, and any new products or sale announcements you have planned for the Fall and Winter months!

2) Have Signage and Handouts for all your Upcoming Events & Markets

We all know that the true alpaca product sales season starts when the leaves are off the trees and the cool wind whips through the back fields. Make sure your open house visitors know where you, your alpaca products, and possibly even a few good alpacas will be setup next! It’s as easy as putting up a chalkboard, whiteboard, or printing out a flyer to handout that lists out all your upcoming alpaca related events.

3) Engage with your Visitors

We know alpaca farm visitors come in all shapes and sizes - some want to bring the grand kids to the alpaca farm to see the animals up close. Some are there to research the possibility of owning alpacas in the future, and some are just there for the free popcorn and more alpaca socks. No matter the reason, it’s important you or someone working the event engages each group to understand the reasons for coming. This will help you ensure they have a wonderful experience on the alpaca farm which will lead to future product and animal sales in the future.

4) Ask your Visitors “How did you hear about us?”

It’s now more important than ever to find out how your open house visitors are hearing about your alpaca event. In the age of social media and digital advertising, there have never been more avenues available to small businesses in reaching their target audience. By asking this simple question, perhaps on the email list, you can find out what marketing efforts worked the best so you can utilize them for future events & announcements and stop wasting $$$ on the ones that don’t.

5) Offer a Return Visitor Incentive

Give your visitors a reason to come back for more alpaca socks and maybe even bring a friend during the holiday season! Offer a small coupon, $1 OFF your next pair of alpaca socks, with each sale you make during the open house. You can structure this in a multitude of ways to fit your farm and products, just be sure to set a time limit so you have people coming back for more this year!