Yesterday I threw some serious shade at a local farmer’s market coffee vendor who made a big assumption instead of asking a probing question. But very often, experiences are multi-faceted, and this interaction was no different.

Just as I was deciding not to double down on my coffee expertise out of pride, the vendor said, “Oh, I forgot to put out the oranges for the kids!” He reaches into a bag, produces two bright, fresh oranges, and hands them to my three and six-year-old.

Of course, they were over the moon that they got an orange to eat as we walked around. Something as simple as free fruit went a long way to soften my grumpiness over the assumptions made by the coffee seller.

Farmer’s Markets are intrinsically simple – a tent, some goods set out on a table, and friendly conversation. The low pretenses mean simple acts like a free piece of fruit for kids or a willingness to chat are great marketing tools. I wonder, how can you bring some of that spirit to your business this week?