Have you ever been to Baskin Robbins and had the nice young lady behind the counter give you a heaping pink spoonful of one of the ice cream shop’s famous 32 flavors?  Tasty, isn’t it?  Have you ever asked for a second sample or a third before making your choice?  That’s awfully nice of them to do that for you, isn’t it?

It’s awfully strategic of them to do that too.  And well-planned.  And profitable.  After all, everybody likes to get something for free.  A free car wash with eight gallons of gas.  Buy one hamburger at regular price and get the next one for free.  Getting something for nothing is as American as apple pie and Uncle Sam.

The premise is that by giving away a free ‘taste’ of your product or service, you will whet the appetite of your target market and they will come back for more.  This is a marketing approach that has worked for business owners and entrepreneurs since time immemorial.  Even a street-level drug dealer would have to sing the virtues of product samples as an effective marketing tool.  Before he goes to jail, that is. 

Whatever your company’s product or service, a thoughtfully designed sample engages your target audience directly with your product.  You are involving your customers on a sensory level, allowing them to hear, see, taste, touch and feel your product before they buy. And you’re not overtly trying to sell them something.  You’re giving them the product and letting them sell themselves. They’re doing your job for you.  The more valuable, honest and helpful the information you provide, the more likely it is that the person will seek out more information and eventually become a client. 

On a more subliminal level, the fact that you are letting your customer have something for free will position you and your company favorably in the eyes of a potential customer.  If any small sense of indebtedness or expectancy is aroused within your prospective customer, your sample or preview has already demonstrated its effectiveness. 

Though we live in a complex, technologically advanced culture, the basics of human nature remain the same.  Keep it simple.  Give people what they want.   

For a humorous take on product samples and “sample abusers,” check out this episode from Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm .

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