5 ways farmers get stuck - You’re shouting into the void
Efforting is your anti-hero.
You find yourself doing ALL the things, especially when it comes to marketing your product. You're going to ALL the markets, you're posting on ALL the socials, even trying viral TikTok dances if it will only get you some customers.
Nothing is working.
You're yelling but nobody is buying and product is starting to accumulate. You need to make some sales now.
But where on earth are the customers hanging out?
Everybody eats. So why is it so hard to find people that want to eat your food?
You have a great product and you are motivated to make a sale. Any sale.
The exhaustion of trying everything
All this efforting is exhausting. You're frustrated and annoyed at the customers who should be buying from you.
It's demoralizing to try so hard and not make a sale. You're great at growing stuff but if you can't make sales you're going to have to close up shop.
You question yourself. Your business model. Your prices. Your product.
Maybe adding more variety to your product line will bring in more sales? Maybe a new market? Maybe a different platform?
You're not confident in your ability to turn things around.
The shiny object trap
Here's what's actually happening: you're spinning.
You try one thing. It doesn't work immediately. So you try another thing. And another. And another.
You're constantly "turning all the knobs" and jumping from one strategy to the next.
And because you never stay with anything long enough, you have no idea if any of it would have worked.
You're not giving anything time to actually gain traction. You're just... flailing. Loudly.
The shiny object syndrome is real. Every new marketing tactic, every other farm's strategy, every podcast tip — it all sounds like the answer. So you chase it.
But chasing everything means committing to nothing.
Why more isn't the answer
Your instinct when things aren't working is to do more. More markets. More products. More posts. More platforms.
But more is almost never the answer.
More spreads you thinner. More exhausts you faster. More makes it impossible to do anything well.
What if the solution isn't doing all the things? What if the key to your success is to do one thing and do it well?
One market. One platform. One product line. One customer base.
Constrain. Focus. Go deep instead of wide.
That feels terrifying when you're desperate for sales. But desperation is exactly what's driving the scattered approach that isn't working.
What it's actually costing you
Beyond the exhaustion and demoralization, shouting into the void is costing you:
Your confidence. Every failed attempt chips away at your belief that you can actually do this. You start to think maybe you're just bad at marketing. Maybe you're not cut out for this.
Your clarity. You have no idea what's working because you're changing everything all the time. You can't learn from your efforts if you don't stay with them long enough to see results.
Your money. All those markets cost booth fees. All those products cost inputs. All that marketing costs time — and time is money.
Your energy. The mental drain of constant pivoting is enormous. You're spending all your creative energy on strategy-hopping instead of execution.
The problem isn't your product
Let me say that again: the problem isn't your product.
You have a great product. You know how to grow things. That's not the issue.
The issue is that you're trying to be everywhere for everyone instead of somewhere for someone.
You don't need more customers. You need the right customers. And you find them by getting really clear on who they are and showing up consistently where they already hang out.
Not everywhere. Somewhere.
How to break the cycle
Pick one thing. One market. One platform. One marketing strategy. Commit to it for at least 90 days before you evaluate whether it's working.
Stop adding. No new products. No new markets. No new platforms. Not until you've mastered what you've already got.
Get clear on your customer. Who are they, specifically? Where do they shop? What do they care about? Stop trying to sell to "everyone who eats" and get specific.
Track what's actually happening. You can't know if something is working if you're not measuring it. How many people came to your booth? How many bought? What did they buy? Start paying attention.
Stay the course. This is the hardest part. When it's not working immediately, your instinct is to pivot. Resist that urge. Give your strategy time to work.
How coaching helps
When you're so fixated on the desperate need to SOLVE the problem, it can be difficult to zoom out to actually SEE the problem.
Coaching provides a neutral perspective and non-judgmental space to explore the thoughts and motivations that keep you spinning.
The one-on-one support and accountability helps constrain and focus your energy. By reigning in shiny-object syndrome, you can stop exhausting yourself and actually see (and value) the progress you've already made.
Sometimes the answer isn't a new strategy. It's staying with the strategy you have long enough to let it work.
The invitation
This week, try this:
Audit your efforts. Write down every market, platform, product, and marketing tactic you're currently doing. All of it.
Ask yourself: what if I cut this in half? What would you keep? What would you let go?
Pick one thing to commit to for 90 days. One market. One platform. One approach. And actually commit — no pivoting, no adding, no "just this one more thing."
Track your results. Not just sales, but conversations, contacts, repeat customers. Pay attention to what's actually happening.
You don't need to shout louder. You need to stop shouting into the void and start talking directly to the people who are already listening.
Less noise. More signal.
That's how you stop spinning and start selling.
If this resonated, you might also want to read:
You're worried about the wrong thing - the farm down the road can't steal your customers - Stop watching what everyone else is doing
The energy drain of unmade decisions - Why spinning on strategy is exhausting you
The mindset that separates thriving farms from struggling ones - How to stop efforting and start focusing
You're doing a great job. Even when it feels like nobody's listening.
If you need support getting focused and finding your people, I'm here. You can schedule a free chat with me anytime at FarmCoachKatia.com/work-with-me.