Increase Sales with Food Sampling

Food Sampling has been called the ‘idiot-proof marketing tool for restaurants and bars.’  That’s right, that’s the power of sampling.  When you think about it, Sampling is the most direct form of marketing. You take the item you want your customer to buy, place it in their hand, and they put it in their mouth to try it. That is truly direct marketing!

Compare that to other forms of marketing such as advertising.  You pay for an ad, then hopefully they see your ad, then hopefully they choose to eat at your restaurant, then hopefully they remember the ad, then hopefully they decide to venture out of their comfort zone and order something new that they’ve never tried before. Then hopefully sales of your featured item will go up. That’s a whole lot of hope that your marketing will work.

There are multiple benefits to using sampling as a tactic to grow sales. Here are 6 reasons Sampling works.

1. It breaks through what I call ‘Habit Ordering.’  Most of us are creatures of habit. We have four or five restaurants that are in our normal rotation of places to go.  At each of those restaurants we have one or two different items that we order. We order those items out of a habit.  We know we like them. We also think we might be disappointed if we tried something else, because these are our favorite items and other things may not live up to that. But with sampling, you’re opening their eyes – or tastebuds – to additional items on your menu.
2. It can increase sales of a high profit-margin item.  If the item you are sampling has a high margin, the sample can help move the customer from a less profitable item into ordering this more profitable item.  Also, if the sampled item is an appetizer, dessert or beverage, you may increase your sales when they add one to their order, which increases check size.
3. It creates good will with guests. A sample is viewed as a gift from your restaurant to the guest, which for many people triggers the need to RECIPROCATE.  That’s the big word that leads to the payoff. I give you a gift, and you feel obligated to give something back to me. While there are no strings attached to the sample, research shows that 25 to 30 percent feel obligated after receiving a gift, and will end up buying the item. That’s the power of reciprocity. When someone does something for you, the feeling is strong to do something right back for them in response.
4. It’s a low-cost way to conduct market research.  If you’re developing a new menu item or testing products from a vendor, sampling provides the easiest and least expensive way to conduct market research. Provide the sample, then follow-up with a couple questions on what your guest liked or didn’t like about it.
5. Sampling can also introduce your food to a new audience.  You may think about sampling in your restaurant, but you can also take the sampling show on the road and sample on the street or at events. Another strategy is to blitz local businesses with samples and a printed menu to leave behind. Anywhere people gather is a good target for sampling – concerts, sports events, fun runs, the local stadium… just be sure your samples travel well and are the same high quality that the sampler would experience inside your restaurant.
6. Sampling can also increase frequency.  If the sample item is amazing, your guests may return more often to enjoy it.  If it’s interesting enough to become an additional option in their short list of what to order, that can also increase frequency because they don’t think of you as just the place they get that one sandwich, or one salad that they prefer.

Starting Your Sampling Program

It’s pretty simple to start a sampling program.

• Choose a Server, or if you’re sampling off-site choose a team of servers.  Not just any old server, but the ones who are full of energy, can talk to anyone, smiles easily, likes people and likes to have fun. Yes, the first ones who come to mind – you know who they are!
• Choose the menu item you’re going to sample. Can it be displayed on platters, or do you need to put them in small portion cups? How can you dress it up to fit a theme and make it a ‘wow’ moment?
• Prepare any supporting point of purchase materials. Perhaps a table tent to reinforce the item when your guests get to their table? Or buttons for all your servers? Reinforce the message in any way you can.
• Meet with your sampling team and practice.  What will they say? How will they approach the guests? Take the time to role play so they feel comfortable and they’re ready for any guest questions or comments.
• Then in the words of NIKE… Just do it.

 If the food is good, let it become your salesperson through sampling.  Let it sell itself.  Sampling works.