Personal Selling / Salesperson

Effective Sampling Strategies

2006

The strategy of sampling is one of the most popular and effective tools of direct marketing . It means offering clients a free sample of the product to try and this way stimulating new customers to buy the product in the future . This strategy works for big and small companies , which deal with different products and operate on different markets . Such giants of business world , like Procter Gamble , Neutrogena Warner-Lambert , Kellogg and many others , are spending a lot of money for giving away free samples of their goods

in to gain more and more customers

There is a number of options for the companies , which are trying to select the most effective way of delivering their samples to the potential clients . The samples can be offered right on the streets (on special geographic area , together with related magazines and issues together with other related product , during some special events , or in special outlets and shops . Also , there is a strategy of cooperative sampling , when the companies join their efforts and share the costs

Statistic shows that every year the companies steadily increase their expenses on sampling programs . At the same time , they are looking for ways to lower the cost for sampling , which remains to be a very expensive tool of direct marketing (taking from 200 to 600 per thousand samples . A new trend in sampling is business-to-business tactic , when the companies exchange their advertising products (like diaries , wall-calendars , etc ) hoping to attract more customers

Besides , statistical researches exhibited that 65 of the customers consider sampling to be the most effective motivation for buying the product . Sampling left behind such popular marketing techniques , like coupons , TV ads , etc . Overwhelming majority of the respondents told that they would change their usual brands if they were satisfied with the quality of the samples they tried . Researchers found out that men prefer hand-to-hand sampling , when women prefer mailing tactic

Finally , there are some important points for planning an effective sampling campaign . Those include evaluation of advantages and costs for such campaign , making decision as to the tactic of the campaign specifying target recipients , selecting the way of delivery and appropriate supplier , considering the size and form of a sample considering the necessity of supportive ad materials and , finally creating an effective method for measuring and evaluating the results

Bibliography

Effective Sampling Strategies (n .d ) Sales Marketing Networks . Article No 1022 . Selling Communications Inc . Retrieved September 19 , 2006 , from

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