Teach Soap

Does anyone offer free samples to customers? If so, does it usually end up in additional sales for you? What are your experiences with it?

I was thinking of having a "tester" pump bottle like a lot of chain stores do for my customers to test out body sprays or lotions before they buy. For soaps, I was thinking of making little samples out of a candy tray mold I have. Some of the summer fairs around here have portable wash stations (minimal fee) and I was thinking of having one of those at my booth to try the soap "on the spot".

What do ya'll think?

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Amber D that'd be me!

I think those are great ideas! I prefer trying before I buy any type of lotion stuff, and once I went to a fair and they had a soaper with a wash station at their booth. It was really neat.

I always offer samples. The lotion, butter, salve samples do bring in more people, and do up my sales significantly. I usually have samples of most of my butters available in case someone is deciding on a particular product, but I actually have one product that I will "push" with samples, by offering a test to everyone I see. I will have two different ones available, a scented and an unscented. That way, if they don't care for the scent I have, they can just feel the product.
I do not do the soap samples, however. I quit giving those out at shows long ago, as i found that that they just walked away without boosting my immediate sales. People like "pick up" type freebies and would grab but not always use the soap there. It congested the booth, without converting the amounts I felt it should. Not because they tried it and didn't liek it, but because they didn't try it then. So I do still send samples of soap with orders and I often offer soap samples to children and sometimes to certain shoppers, but I pick and choose. I also will put my card and booth space info into the restrooms with a few soap samples, and those are always used and often result in shoppers who seek me out. I just don't set out soap samples at my space to be grabbed, and I don't have time to offer everyone a sample and a wash. The lotion/butter offer is a draw into the booth and usually translates to a sale. But even if not at that moment, it is quick and then they have something they keep feeling as they walk. I have had many hard core customers who sampled and left, return because they loved the feel of their hands some time later, so it is well worth it.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I also do samples for my lotions, salves and solid lotions. I've gotten quite a few sales from people that tried before buying. I have a pump bottle "tester" for my lotion and for the salves & solid lotions, I have a container of each and use a new popsicle stick to scoop out a little bit for each person to try.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

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Amber D that'd be me!

The local fair will not allow vendor's soaps in the restrooms.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.