Why Offering Free Samples to Prospects are Important

Last Saturday I went to an Asparagus festival with my parents and a couple of my parent's friends in Stockton, CA. We went inside a building where there were booths of several different products and services. I was just waiting on my parents and their friends when all of a sudden my mom told me to come over to one of the booths. 

She told me to try a sample of Cosmos Caramel Corn a company called Planetary Food Group, Inc. was offering (www.cosmoscaramelcorn.com). When I went over there the man that offered the samples was energetic, friendly to everyone, and had a sense of humor. He also was putting the product out there for the people to try out, which was why a lot of people were around their booth. I tried a sample of the caramel corn and it was very delicious. I was sold right then and there, and I normally don't even eat caramel corn. 

Though I hesitated at first to buy a bag of their Cosmos Caramel Corn, I decided to buy two bags of it, just because I didn't know where their products are located. They offered one bag for $6, and two bags for $10, which meant they were offering a package discount. Though I bought two bags just so I could have two in stock for myself in case I ate one bag too fast, most people would have purchased the two bags for $10 to take advantage of that discount they offered. But from a consumer's perspective, had they not offered a free sample, I would have not purchased their product, mainly because I don't know who they are, and how they product differs from their competition. 

There was another booth right next to the reps of Planetary Food Group, and there were three people running that booth. Their products were caramel apples and chocolate apples with nuts and sprinkles on them. They were selling them for $6 per Apple. Immediately my mom thought that the price was too high, and I don't blame her. The price was too high for the apples, when you can purchase one bag of the caramel corn that tastes good and has more quantity and value. Second, they didn't offer a package discount like the reps of Planetary Food Group did. Most importantly, they offered no free samples of their products. 

So they weren't able to bring any people to their booth to even see what they had to offer, primarily because they didn't offer any free samples for them to try out. In fact I don't even think they had contact info in their booth, just the products they were selling. They were behind their booth just waiting for someone to come to them. In fact, one lady was asking them, "No free samples? Where's the free samples?' and one of the guys at the apple booth told them in a serious tone, "We don't have any samples. Go over there," and pointed to the Planetary Food Group's booth. If it was one thing the people at the apple booth did a good job at doing, it was referring people to Planetary's booth for them to get all the business. 

This is an example of how important it is to offer free samples to prospects, and let the product sell itself. But you also have to communicate effectively, have some sense of humor, and be friendly to prospects. If you do that people are more receptive to what you have to offer. Otherwise you won't get any business like the people at the apple booth, and your efforts and money would have been a waste.