LESSON 12: SAMPLING YOUR PRODUCT

There is only one way to truly let customers know how your product tastes – you must sample it. No matter how eloquently you describe the flavor of a cheese, it cannot compare to the customer tasting it for themselves. Sampling is the ultimate test for the quality of the food that you sell. As you set up a sampling program, keep these points in mind:

Sample the Food Yourself

Make sure that you and your staff have tried the cheese you’re selling. Taste every bulk form of cheese you cut into smaller pieces. It’s difficult to promote flavor if you have no idea how it tastes! Customers love to hear that you tried one earlier and it is at its perfect stage of ripeness, or great flavor.

Be Informed About Your Product

Your staff must know where the products they have sampled are from, how to tell when they are at their best and how long they can last in good edible condition in the customer’s own refrigerator.

Pay Attention to Your Customers

Some shoppers might come up to you to ask for a sample, but most won’t. It doesn’t mean they aren’t interested, it usually means they don’t realize such an option is available. Approaching a customer who looks to be trying to decide between cheeses and offering them the chance to sample both is the pinnacle of customer service.

Be Quick to Offer Samples

Give a sample of whatever cheese you happen to be working with at the moment, while the customer shops. This will engage them, get them thinking about what they want, whether it’s what they just tasted or how what they want is different from what they just tasted.

Passive Samples (Pre-Covid)

These are great to sell to the shy, just beware as this can quickly become a significant source of shrink. Cut fewer samples more often. When there is less out to sample, people will tend to take less to leave some for others. A bountiful mound of passive samples is an invite for customers to simply snack.

Remember, sampling generates more impulse sales than any other selling method. Share your food and delight your customers!