Don't worry, Costco will be around for a long time...
Dear ,
Three weeks ago, I was on a coaching call with one of my clients.
He owns a food-related retail store with decent foot traffic.
We were brainstorming on ways of getting people in the door.
I suggested a very simple, yet highly effective,
move: Offer a free sample of one of the products on sale.
His reply was frankly unexpected: "I'm not in the business of giving food away... what if 100 people take a sample?"
I explained to him that IF YOU HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT... the numbers will work in his favor: Out of every 10 that sample, you're likely to sell 2 or 3 that you probably wouldn't have sold before. You're still way ahead.
Look at Costco -- there's almost always one or two food sample booths at any given time. They're certainly not going bankrupt any time soon.
And Then It Occurred to Me...
All businesses have some sort of "FREE SAMPLE" they can offer customers/clients/patients to get them in the door, be it:
-- A free consultation
-- A free x-ray
-- A free financial assessment
-- A free home value evaluation
-- A free website review
-- A free portfolio analysis
-- A free gift with inquiry
-- A free personality assessment
And so forth...
But beyond the free taste of your product/service that you're offering, the more important question is: HOW WILL YOU
CONVERT THE FREE SAMPLE INTO A SALE?
They biggest mistake people make with the Free Sample strategy if they offer the sample and then do nothing afterwards. They rely on the customer to make the next move.
The proper action is to use words, social proof, discounts, etc. to LEAD THE CUSTOMER to the sale. Make it almost impossible for them to say no.
This is a
much better move than just giving the free thing and then sitting on waiting.
With great execution, this strategy ALONE can boost your sales 10-20% (or more).
Hope you have a great weekend!
Until next time...
