Add Reasons to Buy

“The next wine is a dessert wine called Raspberry Infusion,” the gentleman in charge of the tasting room explained.  “It is best with chocolate.”

Murmurs of a desire for chocolate floated through the room.

“That is why we will hand you a dark chocolate before we give you a taste,” he instructed.  “Take a bite of the chocolate, hold it in your mouth, and the sip the Raspberry Infusion.  Notice how each of the flavors enhances the other for a whole new experience.”

We were all delighted when the person pouring offered a bowl filled with Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses.  We each excitedly snatched one and opened it while the wine was poured.  I popped the entire kiss in my mouth and let it dissolve while I sipped the wine.  I noticed others taking bites of the kiss followed by a sip of wine. 

Contented sounds of “Mmmm” filled the room.  I echoed them.  I definitely want a bottle of this wine, I thought and went in search of it.

Sampling is the best marketing done at wineries.  Being able to taste the wine prompts customers to buy.  They are also more likely to be satisfied with their purchase, and that gives them more reasons to return.

However, offering the chocolate with the Raspberry Infusion was an extraordinary example of sampling.  In the past, I have tasted dessert wines and often been unimpressed.  None of them were poured after passing out a piece of chocolate or dessert to enjoy along with the wine.  Having the combination greatly increased my enjoyment of and appreciation for the wine.  That is why I bought a bottle.

I am sharing this experience with you because whether a businessperson is aware of it or not all businesses have the opportunity to use sampling in some form.  Sampling is giving the customer the experience of using the product or service.  Enhancing the experience as the winery personnel did by serving the chocolate with the Raspberry Infusion adds pleasure and more reasons to buy.  The customer learns how to get more enjoyment from the product.

Take a look at what you offer.  How can your customer sample it?  What can you do to enhance your customer’s sampling and add reasons to buy?     

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What enhanced sampling experience have you had that prompted you to buy?  E-mail me your answer.

The Element of Surprise

In a season of high expectation to receive a gift, giving an unexpected one is highly appreciated.  I saw an excellent example of this today when I walked into the Golden Leaf Café.  The owner was thanking a group as they left the meeting room and handing each of them a small beautifully wrapped packet of mint chocolate beads.  “Thank you for your business this year,” she said.  “We look forward to serving you next year, too.”

Each packet was tied with a note that stated:  “We thank you!  Please accept our gratitude for allowing us to serve you in 2014.  We wish you and your family a happy, prosperous New Year and look forward to seeing you throughout 2015 and coming years.  Golden Leaf Café.”

The ladies thanked the owner profusely on their way out the door.  After they left, the owner saw me entering and offered me a packet, too.  “You support our business.  Please take one.”

“Thank you,” I replied as I accepted a packet.  On my way to my table, I read the accompanying note. 

Nice job, I thought.  Before I left, I thanked her for giving me this week’s Insight. 

Her marketing effort worked in three ways.  First, the packet was a sweet thank you.  Customers love being thanked and recognized for their patronage.  Thanking customers makes an impression that they will remember.  You can’t do too much thanking of customers.

Second, the packet served as a sample of chocolates she sold at the store.  Thus, she gave customers an opportunity to taste them.  Hopefully, they liked the mint chocolate beads and will buy them in the future.

Most importantly, she surprised her customers.  While customers love being thanked and enjoy samples, they are thrilled by the unexpected.  Receiving something unexpected is special.  She increased the value of the thank you by surprising customers with it.  She added to their memorability of her restaurant.  She heightened the likelihood that they will spread good comments to their friends and neighbors about her place.

When was the last time you surprised your customers?  What can you offer as a surprise?  How can you give them the surprise?

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What surprise have you given your customers or received as a customer?  E-mail me your answer.

A Powerful Marketing Tool

I read an interesting story about Stew Leonard recently.  When his dairy store was still quite new, Stew was asked by a local elementary school to talk at a business day.  Stew didn’t know why elementary children would find the dairy business interesting, but, nonetheless, he agreed to participate. 

As Stew drove up to the elementary school the day of the event, he immediately saw a fire truck parked outside.  Nearby, he noticed a police car.  Great, he thought, I’m competing firemen and policemen.  Children will certainly find those professions more interesting than mine. 

He was directed to his designated room for the event.  Tacked on the outside of the door was a sign that read “Milk Business.”  Inside he discovered three children in attendance at his first talk.  Two of them were children of his employees.   Not surprised at the low attendance, he gave his talk and, when he was finished, he handed each child a coupon for a free ice cream at his store. 

The children left, and Stew waited for the next group.  No one came.  He waited fifteen minutes, and still no children came.  He had about given up that he would have more children attend the next session at all when the door flew open.  “I don’t know what you said to those children at your first session,” the principal exclaimed, “but we have to move your next session to the gym.  You’ve got a packed house!”

Evidently, word of mouth had spread about the free ice cream, and every child wanted some.

Free is a powerful word.  Sampling is a powerful marketing tool.  How are you using them in your marketing?  If you are not using them, find ways to employ them.  Target their use toward your market.  Stew’s offering children a free ice cream brought their parents into the store.  Stew likely gained many sales from the parents coming for free ice cream.  That worked so well that he now gives every customer who buys one hundred dollars of product a free ice cream.

When you use free and give away samplings, tie them to a high likelihood of a sale.  Doing so will make the use of these powerful marketing tools profitable.

(If you have a product or service that you have difficulty sampling, use testimonials as your sample.)       

This week's marketing trivia challenge is How have you used sampling in your business?  E-mail me your answer.       

The Power of Suggestion

This week I visited Maiden Rock Cidery and Winery in Stockholm, Wisconsin.  As most wineries do, Maiden Rock Cidery and Winery offered samples of their hard cider, wine, and mead.  In addition, samples of each apple variety currently available to buy were spread across the counter under protective plastic covers.

One apple was not available to sample. 

During her talk to the group, Carol Wiersma, one of the owners of the business, held up an apple called Wolf River and said, “Don‘t bother to taste this apple.”

That statement took us aback.  She continued, “We don’t sample these apples because they don’t have any flavor raw.  Cooked, however, is a different story.  They add an interesting flavor to pies, crisp, and other baked goods.  Since they are very large, you don’t need many for a pie or crisp.”

As murmurs rippled through the group, Carol added an idea which was new to many of us.  “When you bake an apple pie or crisp, use more than one variety of apple.  For instance, put Wolf River with Cortland, Haralson, or Honey Crisp.  Mixing two or three varieties together makes a pie or crisp with different, more interesting flavors.  I know of some people who layer Wolf River on the bottom of a pie and put another variety or two on top of it.  As the pie bakes, the two or three flavors blend together to create a flavor that one variety cannot deliver.”

Carol was absolutely correct about the size of Wolf River apples.  I had to extend my fingers to pick one up.  Those apples were huge!  She was also correct that none were available to sample.  While we sampled every other variety that we bought, none of us were able to sample Wolf River. 

How did Wolf River apples sell? 

If you guessed well, you were right.  Carol had to have more Wolf River brought out.  Intrigued by her suggestion, many of us picked up Wolf River apples.  We were all curious to discover its “interesting taste” in a pie or crisp.

Carol used the power of suggestion to interest us in Wolf River apples.  First she warned us not to sample the apple raw.  When you are told not to do something, your interest is piqued.  Then she gave us a reason to buy Wolf River apples in that they add an interesting flavor to pie or crisp.  Finally, she gave us an idea to use in baking with apples, both Wolf River and any variety.  She suggested that we mix varieties to create a different flavor.  

This idea fits with the drive for information that I mentioned last week.  Carol gave us information about Wolf River apples and baking with apples that we had not known but could use.  Many of us have information about our products or services that we could share with customers but don’t think to do so.  Take a fresh look at your company’s products or services.  What idea, information, or tip could you share which would give customers a different perspective and reason to buy what you offer?          

The Izzy Scoop

Last Sunday I heard a story about the Izzy scoop. What is it? It’s a small scoop of another flavor of ice cream added on top of the ice cream ordered to encourage customers to be adventurous and try another flavor. The ordered scoop is a generous serving. Seeing the small scoop perched on top of the order is attention-getting. “Gives ‘em a chance to try something new without committing to a huge portion,” notes Jeff Sommers, who owns Izzy’s with his wife Laura.

Jeff and Laura came up with the Izzy scoop, which is just one of their many successful ideas. Jeff was a middle school teacher, and Laura was an attorney. Eleven years ago, Jeff bought a book on how to make ice cream from amazon.com. He followed that with a two-day workshop, and, four months later, Jeff and Laura started selling ice cream. “We were doing what we knew from our guts,” Jeff states.

Ever since, they constantly dream up new flavors of ice cream which they sell at their store on Marshall Avenue in St Paul, Minnesota. Their ice cream has been proclaimed the best ice cream in the nation by Readers’ Digest and Bobby Flay, Food Network’s toughest critic. Along with the usual flavors, Izzy’s features some very unusual ones: Salt Water, Cranberry, Norwegian Chai, Graham Cracker, Blue Mountain Spice, and Mango Django, to name a few. Mango Django includes honey, balsamic vinegar, poppy seeds, a dash of cayenne pepper, and ground pink peppercorns. It was the Best of Show Winner 2011 at Izzy’s 9th People’s Flavor Awards, an ice cream tasting event.

In 2006, Hot Brown Sugar took the top prize. The idea came from Jane Carlson, an Izzy’s customer. It features brown sugar burnt caramel ice cream with praline pecans toasted in cayenne pepper. “Wow! It just tastes so great!” Jane responded the first time that she sampled her idea.

Izzy’s uses this contest to solicit ideas for new ice cream flavors from its customers. The rest of this year’s winners include Upside Down Delight by William Turner, a vanilla ice cream with crushed pineapple, buttery yellow cake, and caramelized brown sugar; CH-CH-Cherry Bomb by Nicolas Larkins a Japanese plum wine with grenadine-cherry; Slow Your (Nut) Roll by Markda Awada, vanilla ice cream with crushed Pearson's nut roll, caramel, nougat, and fudge swirls; Fruit! Bomb! by Maggie Baxter, lemon flavored ice cream with frozen strawberries and apricots; and Caramel Coffee Swirl by Amelia Odens, caramel ice cream blended with coffee infused cream and a fudge swirl.

Out of its current 120 flavor selection, Izzy’s features thirty-two flavors at any given time, which are listed on its Web site and updated every three minutes. Jeff searches for the finest ingredients to use in creating these ice creams. He and Laura have decided not to expand beyond one store so that they may maintain their high standards of ingredients and flavor.

Through this attitude, Jeff and Laura remind us what is important in business: creating a product or service that our customers want and delivering it consistently. They involve their customers with an annual contest to get new flavor ideas, and then they follow through on their customers’ suggestions. They innovate with these customers’ ideas as well as many of their own. They top this off with an Izzy scoop, giving their customers an opportunity to be adventurous and sample new flavors. Their customer focus is a recipe for success.

How can you use Izzy’s recipe in your business?

The Good Samaritan

I discovered Monday morning that the township plow had come down the frontage road and blocked the end of my plowed driveway with chunks of snow. I called the guy who plows for me and asked him to come by and unblock it. His wife said that he was out plowing and would come over. Since the time was 8:30 a.m. and I didn’t need to leave for class until 4:45 p.m., I was confident that he would take care of it.

My driveway is quite long and snakes down the hill with the end of it out of sight from my house. Normally, I would see it when I walk my dogs, but Monday I did not walk them because my schedule was very busy. Consequently, I had no knowledge if the driveway was unblocked or not when I drove down it to leave for class. Since I hadn’t heard to the contrary from my plow guy, I assumed that it was clear.

You can imagine my horror when I reached the end of the driveway to find that nothing had been done. With no shovel and no time, I chose the lowest spot, stepped on the accelerator, and drove into the mess. Thankfully, my car went through undamaged. As I continued down the road, I thought that I would have to shovel my way back into the driveway in twenty below temperatures when I returned home that night.

When I returned, I got out of my car with the intention of retrieving a shovel, but, as I walked through the ruts I had made on my way out, I thought that I just might be able to get back in without shoveling. I repeated my earlier efforts and was successful, leaving the shoveling until morning.

The next morning my plow guy called to tell me that his plow was broken and he was waiting for parts. I did not want to continue to risk going through the mess at the end of my driveway so I picked up a shovel and headed out to clear a path through it. As I was working on the lowest part which I had driven through, several pickups with plows drove past. Watching them drive away through my iced-up glasses, the marketer in me thought, “One of the best marketing actions that a person with a plow could take would be to drive around after a snowfall looking for plowing opportunities. Any of these guys could have picked up extra cash by stopping and offering to help me. They may have even signed up a new customer.”

The mouth to my driveway from the frontage road is very wide. Tuesday morning I shoveled just enough to get out, vowing to finish Wednesday when the temperature would be thirty degrees warmer and not below zero. Wednesday afternoon I went out to do just that. The temperature made a huge difference, and I had moved about a dozen shovelfuls when a pickup with a plow drove by. After traveling just slightly past me, I noticed the pickup’s brake lights. Suddenly, the pickup backed up and came to a stop beside me. Rolling down his window, the driver said, “Would you like me to help you with that?”

I smiled. “I’d love it; thank you!”

With four quick swipes, the truck’s plow accomplished in seconds what would have taken me an hour or more. When he finished, I asked, “Do you have a card?”

“Not with me,” he replied, “but I do have some paper. I’ll write my name and phone number on it.”

“Great! I might call you to plow me out in the future.”

“Call me anytime. I live close by. Merry Christmas!”

After he handed me the paper, I thanked him further, and he drove off. I was reminded of the story of the good Samaritan. Although I know that he helped me out to be nice, in doing so he made a very good impression. As I walked back up the driveway carrying my shovel, I marveled at how many pickups had driven past compared to the one that had stopped. That led me to wonder how many opportunities such as this the average business passes up everyday. How many customers do we pass by and miss the opportunity to make a good impression? Most of us are so absorbed by what we have to get done that we fail to take note of what is happening around us.

When did you last notice opportunity as you passed by it?

Just a Sample

After finishing a late lunch at Culver’s the other day, a client and I were sitting and discussing business when one of the staff came up to our table holding a tray. On the tray were small paper cups with a spoonful of frozen custard inside each one.

“Would you like to try a sample of our maple nut custard?” the tray-holder asked. “It’s our flavor of the day.”

“Sure,” we replied in unison, and the tray-holder promptly placed a small cup and spoon in front of each of us.

As we savored the frozen custard, I offered, “This is delicious.”

“I agree,” my client replied. “I think that I will have a dish. Would you like one, too?”

“I would. Thank you.”

While he went to get a dish for each of us, I mulled over what had just transpired. The management at Culver’s had taken the opportunity to increase the amount of money that customers already in the restaurant spent by offering a sample of frozen custard. This was an excellent example of one of the three ways to grow your business, which is to increase the amount that a customer spends each time the customer does business with you. By offering the sample of frozen custard, Culver’s had directly tickled our taste buds, thereby prompting us to buy more. Culver’s had increased the amount that we spent that visit, and we had enjoyed the frozen custard.

As I reflected on this, my mind skipped back to another recent example that I had experienced of sampling. I had received a sample of Grammy’s Pot Pie flavored dog food in a shipment of dog treats. After I dropped a handful of the Pot Pie into a dish, my border collie had dashed to the dish and growlingly had driven my shepherd away. You see, my German shepherd readily eats almost any food, but my border collie mix is a very picky eater. Therefore, I was amazed.

“Wow, she likes Grammy’s Pot Pie,” I commented.

Thinking her reaction may have been a one-time event, I offered her some Grammy’s Pot Pie kibbles at her next feeding. She hungrily devoured them.

At that point, I went to the company’s Web site and decided which size bag to order.

By inserting a sample into the shipment, the company increased how much I spent with them on my next purchase. Just like Culver’s, the company grew its business by increasing how much a customer spent on the next purchase by offering a sample.

Sampling is an effective marketing technique to employ but one many of us forget to use. Offering a sample is an easy, noncommittal way to get a customer to try a product or a service. Every business has ways to offer a sample. Even if you sell a big-ticket item, you can sample doing business with you by offering a customer advice or information on how the product can be used to the client’s benefit. That is a sample.

Do you offer samples to increase your customer’s purchase? What samples can you offer? How can you add them into your marketing plan to increase your customer’s purchase?

Remember, just a sample leads to an easy sale.