In-store sampling is a commonly used marketing technique – a great way to get your product into the hands of the shopper, and hopefully to the consumer, right at the point of purchase. Unfortunately, there are way too many examples of this technique not being used effectively. As a recent trip to a hypermarket near my home illustrated, product demonstrations were far from attractive and from driving purchase.
Just like millions of other moms and housewives across the world, my wife is often stuck for ideas when it comes to creating another culinary delight. I have noticed of late a tendency to solve this problem with a shopping trip around 7.00pm to our local hypermarket in Kuala Lumpur. Not to purchase groceries, and then start cooking you understand, but so the kids eat free at the mass of promoters and demonstrators that haunt your every move! So the parents casually mooch around, whilst the children gleefully scamper from one delicacy to the next, trying everything, and buying nothing!
Why do I mention this strange nocturnal habit? Well quite frankly it is the sheer volume of offers, and the almost amusing lack of effectiveness of this very expensive mechanic which astounds me.
On the most recent visit to one hypermarket, I counted 47 different demonstrators, almost all offering samples of their wares. When I spent a little time trying to evaluate how successful they were, I realized very few of them had any sort of sales pitch, beyond “You try ah? Very good ah”. When I asked why it was good, I got a whole range of answers, from “It’s new”, to “Cheap”; but no one could tell me about any benefits, and only a few could articulate any features. There were also a few, who quite honestly did not speak at all, just pushed their offering under my nose, and glared at me!
Success rates for these hard working ladies (when they were not chatting to colleagues or in intense dialogues on the mobile) appeared very low. In 45 minutes of watching I saw only 4 shoppers take an item offered.
At engage we regularly discuss research which shows some 70% of in-store investment is wasted, and these promoter girls and demonstrators are great examples of how a classic concept can become a complete waste of money.
So what can be done to ensure effective product sampling?
Having a real, living, breathing, sales person in the store can be a fantastic way to gain penetration, introduce new products, upsell, and drive offers, but it has to be done to a high standard to justify the cost.
Here are four ways to improve the success rate for your In-store Demonstrators;-
- Invest in training. If you use an agency, make sure they have a complete guide to your intentions. They need to know who is the real target shopper, why are we demonstrating, and what is the selling proposition. If you have the luxury of permanent promoters, then they should have a much richer knowledge of your brand, and be able to articulate the benefits in a clear manner.
- Looks Matter. These people represent your brand, and they need to give the desired impression at first glance. Providing a branded T-shirt simply isn’t enough. A girl in a branded t-shirt with trousers and trainers does not look like a Brand Ambassador! Give thought to the personality of the brand and the target shopper before deciding on “the look”, then ensure all your people meet the standard.
- Pick Your Moment. I have lost count of the number of times I walk around a store and the promoters outnumber the shoppers. Ensure you pick the peak periods to place your expensive resource, and not just push them in to meet buyers’ demands!
- Measure, and pay for results. It really should be obvious, but over the years I have been told so often how difficult this is. It is not that hard to pick a sensible metric, set a target, and ensure a portion of the pay is set against this. If you cannot measure and understand the return on investment, you should not be spending. And not only should you measure the results of the activities, but also the activities’ compliance with what was previously agreed and briefed – was the promoter there at the right times? Did the promoter say the right things?
I would repeat my earlier comment – active selling in the retail environment by a well trained, suitably attired salesperson, who knows what they are doing, is a great way to drive your sales. Unfortunately, those examples seem a tad scarce!
Ah well, the offspring are sated on a varied, exotic and most importantly, free repast, so I guess it will be back home with a takeaway for mum and dad!
Happy shopping (and sampling)!
To find out more about the in-store execution best practices, feel free to contact us