Samples are almost a requirement...but beware of opportunists
The Dark Side of Sampling...
Do you have a love/hate relationship with providing SAMPLES at pop-ups, roadside stands, Farmers Markets, or other events?
LOVE OF SAMPLING
As FoodCrafters, don’t we just LOVE the reactions of people when they nibble our goodies? Right?
It hits the mouth, and she or he take a (sometimes sharp) breath, the head comes up, pupils dilate a bit, maybe shoulders straighten or sag, and you hear an “OMG”, “that’s wonderful” or other positive verbiage.
Of course, sometimes, it’s just the polite thing to do.
But after a while, we can tell when the enthusiasm is fake. But that does not dampen our rich anticipation for the next customer, who will of course, be “smarter”. And we know there will be lots of them.
SAMPLING EXHAUSTION
And then the hate…
Sampling can be a pain.
Deciding on what to sample. Portions (what size and how many?) How to display? Where to display? What does my state’s cottage food law require? individually wrapped? Ingredients individually or just a sign?
And even the affect on sales? Obviously it helps some prospects buy. But does the sampling line block would-be buyers, who leave when it takes too long to work through the tasters?
My observation is that sampling rules in some states are just bureaucratic individual bias on how the inspection agency leadership can carefully cover their butts.
imho
Fortunately, my Idaho is very lax.
Regardless, we do the sampling drill, and consider it part of the cost of doing an otherwise FANTISTIC, FUN business.
But...
SOME PEOPLE ARE JERKS
What if some of those adoring customers are narcissists, or even sociopaths - one in 50 people according to experts - and they pick YOU to mess with.
Of course, they might just be having a bad day. Or maybe suffer from one of many personality disorders. Or are just not nice people.
But what happens when one of them chooses YOU as their next victim?
After all, you have something they want, and this type of person thrives to create anger, pain, fear, apprehension, and/or discomfort during their nasty, pointed communications. I am sure you’ve met one or more of the types.
Maybe I am laying it on a bit thick. But maybe not.
Let me describe an experience of mine, and you decide if this might happen to you!
THE SAMPLING BANDIT!
Circa 2007-08, it was the first season of the Orofino Farmers Market, which Sandy and I helped organize.
It was a Tuesday in July, the 2nd month of the market, and we were laid out with our selection of huckleberry jams and syrups, barbecue and other sauces, and granola. For this day, being at the market, I’d added some cookies to my offerings. Butterscotch chip oatmeal, if I recall. (Sooooo good with coffee or milk!)
I chose not to offer samples. And since this was PRE-Cottage Foods, the cookies were laid out on a tray for people to pick up themselves, with a small sign, “$1 each”. (Note this was 16-17 years ago, and the morsels were small >> medium, probably 2 oz.)
I’d sold a few things as people filtered through.
And then this disheveled, mustached young male with a roundish head, mid-20s, approached. He had a dog with him. Since dogs were not otherwise allowed in the city park, I assumed it was an “emotional support” pooch. Did not take long to find out.
He approached the display table calmly and somewhat ominously, looked things over. Then he grabbed a cookie.
I was something like, “Welcome to our booth! That’ll be a buck.”
Without missing a beat, while crunching on the cookie, he said he was sampling.
“Sorry, I am not offering samples today. That will be one dollar.”
He never flinched or missed a beat. He was watching my reaction. He knew what he was doing and being.
Sarcastically: “You can’t be a real food business without sampling.” Kept munching, slowly, with a condescending stare pointed right at me.
“Well, then, how many cookies would you like, today?”
He finished his cookie, and stared disdainfully as he brushed the crumbs off his shirt and fingers. “Not bad,” he grunted derisively, as he turned away. He abruptly left with his canine, who obviously was not helping this poor soul be a real person.
My entire body went from the euphoria of market day, to now, a bit of shock and depression. The Orofino Farmer Market was more of a work of love, as sales were not that good early on.
I am sure the blood was draining from my face.
(I am glad I did not pack a baseball bat with me as part of my vendor kit, or I might have gone to jail.)
How would you feel if someone came up and decided one of your $5 mini-loaves was a sample — because they decided it was.
I hope you never experience someone like this. Sadly, part of the human condition is remembering upsetting events more than positive ones. This was one of two sampling stories that continue to haunt me.
GANG SAMPLING
The other incident was during a Palouse Mall holiday show in 2002, Moscow, Idaho, a college town built around the University of Idaho.
Our booth in the hallway was right next to a small cafe’, and we got to be good friends with the owner.
We had a “BarbieQ Sauce” we wanted to sample, and asked the cafe’ guy to make us a pork roast and cut it into small pieces. (Rules were more lax for samples back in those days.)
We pain-stakedly put a wooden toothpick in each tidbit, making nice rows. And added a bowl of the sauce next to the tray of pig cubes, for dipping.
I went to wash my hands (Sandy was close by), and just as I got back, three tall college guys with long fingers (looked like basketball players), walked by.
One at a time, they ran the rows of toothpicks in between their fingers and pinched them, picking them up off the tray. Lunch was on the house, apparently.
Ninety percent plus of my expensive pork samplers were gone in seconds, and I’d not yet enticed a single customer.
Some people’s kids.
The UPSIDE to DOWNSIDES…
My general philosophy of life is to turn memorable events (positive or negative) into learning experiences.
As I am sure you know, these kinds of incidents are part of the cost of doing business. But…
SAMPLING STRATEGIES COMING SOON!
As a result of these, and other, experiences, I’ve put together a list/description of suggested sampling tricks, which paid subscribers can look forward to in a future article. This article is long enough for today.
Anything like this every happen to you? Or ever get stiffed in some other way?
How can you manage your samples to prevent these types of incidents?
All for today! And remember, always an upside to the learning downside.
Mal Dell
The MONETIZATION CHEF
”Cooking Up Profits for Foodies!”