Another way to entice customers is to offer free samples of
your products or services.
Everyone wants something for free.
This is the oldest of all sales promotion techniqies.
|
This is a great way to get customers to try your
products/services for the first time and get them to
experience your products/services when they otherwise would
not. In the
customer’s mind, he/she has nothing to lose. But once they
try the product/service they begin contemplating whether or
not to purchase it.
|
You can offer free products/services in different ways:
|
- Without
Purchasing:
You can offer free products/services with no strings
attached. The
customer is not required to make any purchases.
There is no pressure on the customer to make a
purchase. In
this case you’re giving away something for free with the
hope that the product/service will speak for itself and
customers will be highly encouraged to make a purchase.
|
- With Purhasing of
Same Product/Service:
In this situation you’re giving the customer the
chanced to get something for free by making a purchase of
the same product/service.
It gives the customer the sense that he/she is
getting something at a bargain.
The down side is that you may not be able to lure
some customers to try your product/service because of the
free trial will come at a price.
|
- Free with the
Purchase of Other Products/Services:
With this option you’re not confined to offering
customers the choice of purchasing the same item, but you
can let them purchase any other items and still get the free
samples. By
letting the customer choose what items to purchase in order
to get the free sample they are more likely to generate
sales because the customer is buying something they want.
|
- Free With the
Purhase of Additional Quantities: You can offer free
samples with the purchase of additional items by offering
more quantity of the same product for the same price as
regular packaging. Some examples of this would be,
Buy-One-Get-One Free; Buy-Ten-Get-One Free, etc.
|
- For a Short Period
of Time:
Offering your products/services for free for a short period
of time will give potential customers the sense that this is
a rear opportunity to try your product/service for free and
will lure them to your business at the time period you
deemed to be ideal to promote your product.
Offering your free promotions for long periods of
time will give potential customers the sense that this is
not something special and it will allways be there for them
to try. Keep it
short and focus your marketing efforts to alert potential
customers of your free promotion period.
|
- Free Trial Period:
A free trial period lets you get customers to commit
to future purchase upon taking the free product/service.
We see this often with software or service companies
that lets you sign up for the use of their service for a
period of 15 or 30 days, after which you have to pay for a
monthly or a one time use of their service.
At the time you commit to taking the free service you
have to sign up for the paid service that kicks in after the
free trial period.
|
- Premium Give Away:
This is where the customer does not get the free
products/services you promise him/her until after they make
a purchase. For
example, Microsoft may offer access to free downloadable
ringtones if you purchase one of their phones.
|