The requests for category managers and other employees in retail to visit suppliers never ends. People are proud of what they do, and they want their customers to see their operation. When I was working in retail, we could never get to all of the farms. We were managing hundreds of suppliers and almost everyone wanted us to visit. There is no doubt, it is valuable to see suppliers in action and understand their business better. Unfortunately, it is just not realistic to get to them all.

If you have invited your customers for a visit, but they tell you it probably will not happen, then take a different approach. Take the farm to them.

We all have the technology to make it happen

Now is the time when most fresh produce operations in Canada are at their best. Greenhouses are in operation all year, but outdoor farms are busiest during the spring, summer and fall. Take photos of different parts of your operation and if you can, add video too. The surroundings you work in every day are the norm to you. To a category manager sitting in an office, there is a lot to learn about how a farm works and what is happening out there.

You can attach photos and videos to any email or text. One consideration is to keep the file size reasonable. (size?) Often the security protocols will block emails with large attachments. 

Encourage the different people who work in your operation to take photos too. They are often exposed to parts of the farm you do not see every week. They might also have some ideas of what is important to showcase that are different from your ideas. Always good to get a different perspective. 

If your employees consent, include them in the images and videos. It is important for retailers to see the people who produce their products. This is also an opportunity for you to highlight some long-term employees who return to your operation every year. This is a sign of stability in your business that most retailers will appreciate.

Take a strategic approach

Pictures are great, but make sure they have a purpose. Review your last discussions with your customers and include photos to illustrate points you were trying to make or investments you have made in your business. Perhaps you installed new energy-efficient coolers to extend shelf life for your customers and consumers. Share pictures of the coolers being constructed and in operation.

Consider some of the changes or issues that might be coming in the near future. Use photos and videos to illustrate your arguments. There is always the possibility of a new pest or virus impacting your crop. If you are starting to see signs this year, show the impact and let them know this is an issue you have invested in controlling. Although you would like them to see it in person, a photo or video is the next best thing.

During your off-season meetings, your customer might have made a request of your business. You or your employees might have been against the proposal. If you did have to implement it and it worked out better than anticipated, let them know and use photos to reinforce the successful outcome. I can recall a grower being against the shift to re-useable plastic containers (RPCs). Once the employees started to work with them, they actually preferred the new packaging over the old style. Never hurts to let them know the change was beneficial.

Share the images over the growing season

People want brief communication. Share your photos over a period of time to keep the emails smaller and reinforce the progress you make over the season. If you try to send too much in one email or text, they probably will not look at all of the pictures and even if they do, they will not take it all in. 

This also provides you a number of opportunities to communicate over the season. Plan the subjects. You know your business better than anyone. Include important topics such as sustainability or initiatives you are implementing to manage costs or keep high quality. You can make sustainability a subject for three to four emails through the season. Use photos to illustrate water management or reduced pesticide use.

If you produce private label, it helps to refer to the product as ‘their’ item. When retailers believe your approach is to produce ‘their’ product they see it as more of a partnership. You can share a photo with the caption ‘your product ABC after six weeks in the ground’.

Don’t expect a response

Do not be disappointed if you do not get a response right away. Category managers receive hundreds of emails so yours might not be the first one they read. If they are interested in your business and continuing to learn, they will open it at some point. 

If you know other people in the team such as  assistant category managers,  copy them too. The more people you can connect with, the better. When you do see them in person for a meeting or at an industry event, bring up the photos. You should get the response you want and confirm that your work to take the farm to them through the season was worth the effort.

If you do a stellar job with photos and videos you might increase your chances of an in-person visit in the future.