DIY: Create Your Own In-House Sampling Program

Sep. 11, 2015

There’s an easy way to increase sales, move specific products off your shelves, and create customer loyalty and it might be right under your nose. Studies show that in-store product demonstrations and samplings return a higher lift in item sales than any other in-store medium.

In your past interactions with vendors, it’s probable that one or two have mentioned demo opportunities in which a member of their marketing team samples products to your customers for a designated time in exchange for a display or prominent shelf space. You may have found that these interactions garnered an increased basket size for a day and moved the intended product, too. But have you considered taking product demonstrations into your own hands and developing an in-house product demonstration program that last longer than an evening and becomes a part of your brand?

We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide for activating and managing your own program to introduce your customers to products they may have passed-by 1000 times. These steps will help you move stubborn products off your shelves, generate a healthy lift, and foster customer loyalty.

Step 1: Develop an In-House Demo Specialist

Odds are that a member of your staff has the personality and selling ability that will make them a great fit for the task at hand. Take a step back and consider the employees on your team: who amongst them has a chipper attitude, a passion and knowledge for products you carry in multiple categories, and is perhaps in need of a refreshing new project. 

Now, jot down the peak times that customers shop your store. These will be great opportunities to test your Demo Program once you’ve laid the ground work down. Decide how many hours of the week you are willing to devote a member of your team to demo-ing. Keep in mind that for every two hours an employee spends sampling, you should factor in 30 minutes for set-up and break down.

Assess the cost of labor: According to a 2014 business article in The Atlantic, a product-demomstration company known as Interactions reported that beer samplings boosted sales by 71 percent. If a similar lift was possible at your establishment, could you find a way to supplement the job tasks of your potential Demo Specialist for two, four, or six hours of their existing weekly shifts?

Approach your recommended team member privately and let them in on your idea. By seeking-out a member of your staff as an individual and empowering them with a role in your marketing plan (that provides them with a great resume-builder), they are liable to be up for the newfound project. Ask the team member to select a product they are passionate about in the aisles and give you a —œmock— sales pitch. How would they describe the product to a customer who has not tried it before? You might be surprised to learn something new yourself—¦.

Step 2: Focus-In on a Product You’d Like to Move More

Perhaps a holiday you ordered lots of a specific SKU for didn’t sell like you had planned. Or maybe you’re worried you’ll be stuck with lots of something when a season comes to an end. Or maybe you carry a great mid-priced wine that often gets passed-up by customers who get distracted by a lower price point or a more eye-catching label.

Unless your Demo Specialist will be creating an in-depth demonstration for the product (ie: creating a Hotty Toddy recipe with a particular whiskey brand), select a couple products for a single demonstration. The more time a customer spends interacting with a product demonstration, the more likely they are to pick-up whats on the table and put it in their basket. In the same report from The Atlantic, Duke University behavioral economist Dan Ariely said that providing a customer with a sample can cause them to feel indebted to the Demo Specialist. —œReciprocity is a very, very strong instinct—¦if somebody does something for you, you really feel a rather surprisingly strong obligation to do something back for them.—

Step 3: Work Product Demonstrations in to Your Store Calendar

Its well-known that if you go to large retail store such as Costco or Whole Foods Market on a Saturday, you’re likely to run into a sample station or two. Make your establishment a destination for shoppers who are looking to try and buy something new. What days of the week and times are best?

Establish a weekly or a monthly time and day when a product demonstration will be hosted at your store and promote it to your customers. If your business has a Facebook page, an email newsletter, an in-store takeaway calendar, or just an extra sandwich board, this is a great place to share your demo program. Give it a fun name, a theme, or brand the event with a weekly topic. And stick with it! If a customer came into your store with a particular product in mind on a way to a party, they’re liable to share with someone about how they discvovered the product they picked-up instead. What’s better than one customer with an extra item in their basket? Two customers, or three or four, right?

Step 4: Present a Clean and Polished Product Demonstration

Lastly, you wouldn’t eat or drink off a dirty table would you? Charge your Demo Specialist with owning their demonstration space. Designate a table that is —œtheirs— and provide them with ownership. Instruct that the sample cups they pour from should be clean, they should look presentable, clean-up any messes on the floor around them, and above all, wear a smile.