# Farmers Market Customers



## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

Most of the people I meet at the Farmers Market see the "goat milk soap" signs, and ask questions, check it out, and sometimes buy a bar or two. Other people though...

This week there was one lady who looked at the sign and I could see her mouth moving : g-o-a-t m-i-l-k s-o-a-p. Then she made a face, shook her head and walked faster, as though my soap was out to get her!

Then there are the funny guys. "Hey, goat milk soap - maa!, maa!" "Goat milk soap, does that make you smell like a goat? Ha Ha Ha !"

Are they everywhere, or am I just lucky enough to live in an area where most of the population has never heard of goat milk soap before?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

They are here too. Those are the ones I try to give samples to. Some won't take it but those who do usually come back and say how nice it was (to their surprise). And then some of those will actually buy some.


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

Oh yea...they are everywhere! 

I sell soap, lotion and cheese at the same market and usually if folks are buying cheese, they try the lotion (LOVE IT) buy some and say, "well I guess I'll try this soap too". It is so much easier to sell 3 items to 1 person than it is to sell 1 item to 3 people!

Also at markets I do "package deals" like 3 bars for $10 or 2 cheeses for $15...they think they are getting a great deal!


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2010)

Yep, everywhere... won't look at soap made with dirty smelly goat milk... they make fun of you with the maa maas... you got to swing them over to the good side ..... LOL>.. I love em... 
Barb


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## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

There is such a difference in the people who seek you out and come to your farm to get the precious raw goat milk, and the ones you meet out in the general public who don't know much about goat milk except that it must be dirty and smelly and really nasty to put in soap. It did catch me by surprise, but I think that if I'm there at the Farmers Market week after week, even the un-educated will get used to me and may even decide to try some goat milk soap even just for the novelty of it.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Yeah, my favorites are the ones who act as if the soap is going to jump off my table and bite them or something!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

We only do two juried shows but we stop alot of the bad goat press with Shoofly's show photo and head shot, with the caption "Goats milk from our glamore girls' under the photo. Most think goat and see horned, long haired nasty things....it's always about education. And before she could snear and walk the otherway I would have gotten to her  And give out samples, I have found few people who actually use the product who do not come back and buy it again. V


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## Jenny M (Nov 21, 2009)

We started doing markets in 2003 & have not missed one Sat in all those years. Although i say every year that I'm going to cut back I get greedy. When the market season is over I do some holiday shows & then some spring shows before the markets start up again. We have talked to every kind of person there is, I think. I get a big kick when someone comes close to our booth, reads my banner & then that look comes over their face. I sometimes check the bottom of my shoes to see if I've stepped in something stinky. Those folks are a fun challenge and we always invite them over for some samples & a chat. Sometimes they get it & sometimes they don't but I don't take it personally. Ignorance is a correctable state but stupid is forever. Just let 'em go. 

I really do love the interaction with my customers & if you keep at it you'll build yourself a nice little biz with your soap, etc. There are so many worse things you could be doing, you know.

Hope you all have a great market tomorrow!
Jenny


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## momofmany (Aug 18, 2009)

LOL..I had one guy at the market a couple weeks ago say "goat milk soup?" Whats goat milk soup? S O A P....I said, he said...OH :/


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I get those every once in a while....and they usually end up buying soap! Amazing. The ones that crack me up are the ones who talk about the good old lye soap their grandmother used to make. Took them all day they say and they sure wish they could find some of that...telling them that I use lye in ALL my soaps doesn't seem to sink in. I think they are looking for a big old white, hard bar made with rendered tallow...mine are too "tame" or fancy or something like that.


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## Karen Bailey (Oct 26, 2007)

I just had some handout papers printed with the title "What is Goat Milk Soap?". I thoroughly extolled the virtues of premium handmade soap, and even mentioned that this is a real "old fashioned lye soap". I'll have them available next Saturday, and later on when I have some sample size guest soaps ready I'll try giving out samples with the informational handout in a small bag.

On the positive side, I missed going to the Farmers Market last Saturday because we were doing DHIR testing, and one lady called me that afternoon to tell me she had been looking for me that morning, and would I be there next week because she needed more of that good soap! So I've got at least one convert, and hope to see more.


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

I've actuallly had a lot of people refuse the free samles, they act like it would kill them to touch it. My favorites are the people that smell a bar, look shocked, and say, "That smells _good_!" And the people that ask why my GM soap isn't brownish/orange like others they have seen


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## Happytailzfarm (Jan 5, 2008)

I know this is an old thread but I just had to share, I just had a person ask me how many goats did I have to chop up to put in the soap... and the worst part was, she was serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She actually thought I cut up my goats and add them to the soap.. I was very serious when i educated her on goats milk soap and the benefits but after she left, I laughted untill I almost peed myself!


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2010)

Aletha, is peeing yourself come with old age.. I think so... LOL
Barb


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## Fiberaddict (Jun 4, 2009)

Wait - you mean I've been doing it wrong? I should...chop up...instead of milk out......:head explodes: :lol


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## cariboujaguar (Feb 9, 2009)

Oh my gosh! You should have told her "No, we don't chop up goats for our soap!" all offended-like then said "We mince them." with a big old grin. haha! That's the kind of thing I would have done, which is why I make such a horrid salesperson


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## Hearts In Dixie (Oct 29, 2007)

People are just crazy aren't they! :rofl


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## DostThouHaveMilk (Oct 25, 2007)

I had one young lady pick up a bar and go "Ew, I only buy natural soaps." :rofl
I was "competing" against two soapers last year. One melt and pour soaper (she switched to CP and had made some the night before and it was ready the next day....umm, ok.) and another person whose soap, I'm not sure what process she uses.
It looks like CP and not melt and pour. The second person is still there and some people buy from her and some from me.
The most people ask is Goat's Milk? Why goat's milk?
I offer samples for $.50 each and have been known to just give them to people with skin issues. I have pretty steady sales and people who come back and buy regularly.
The week before last I did not have my soaps with me and had multiple people ask if they would be back next week. It is a very good feeling.

I have three pictures I have put up with my soaps to draw people in. All three severely outdated. The herd shot is from 2007. The other two pictures are from 2006. The picture of Snickers with Lil' Bunny FooFoo is cropped better in the picture I have in a frame, so most of the birth gunk is not showing. They like hearing that both those goats are still alive and both are mothers many times since. 
They work well though.

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