Soar to Success June 2015

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The initial consensus for the purpose of product
sampling as a sales strategy is that consumers
always like/want something that is “free”. Although
it is an accurate statement that consumers develop
an emotional buy in when something is free, as a
sales person or business person the art of product
sampling must be strategic to prevent the proverbial
“giving away the farm”. Sampling is likely the most
effective means of dispersing a product or even a
service to a target audience. Sampling is not effective
when performed haphazardly or without purpose so
let’s consider some specific approaches to consider
when deciding not whether to sample, but rather
HOW you will sample the product or service of your
company.
Consider going back to the basics when deciding to
initiate a Sampling campaign:
Remind yourself “why” your product or service
is important and utilize those points to drive your
sampling. Dig deeper into the mission statement and
the core values of your company to accentuate the
need of your customers.
Once you have determined the “why” your customers
need to sample you need to decide “what” you will
sample of your product or service.
Consider utilizing one or more of your five senses
to make the appeal to your customer of what and
eventually how your sampling will take place. Does
your business draw upon your customers:
Sight – interior design, art, landscaping, printed
documents
Touch – toys, cosmetics, books
Taste – soda, coffee, food
Smell – fragrances, cleaning products, food
Hearing – music, audio books, noise deafening
“How” you will sample must focus on your target
audience and be realistic about who is making the
purchase. For example: Gatorade will provide athlete
recovery drinks at a large athletic event but not
at a rock concert. Have a plan for your sampling.
Sampling can be expensive so your plan should
include a budget.
How much of your product will you will sample?
What expenses are involved in the sampling beyond
the cost of the product alone? Employees, packaging,
shipping etc.
What value will the audience perceive from the
sample?
A plan must also include tracking the results of the
sampling. Assessing the results of a sampling effort,
including evaluating generated sales, is essential to
future sampling opportunities. When lead generation
is the focus for sampling then feedback on “quality”
leads generated and sales finalized should be the
factors considered for relevant sampling indicators.
Strategic Sampling
to Drive Sales!
By The Merit Group
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SOAR TO SUCCESS | JULY 2015 | Business Acceleration Strategies