Sample or not to sample?

[Desiderio]

I am going to do a craft market in october, its usually very buisy expecially the fall one, so I am hoping in some more exposion for my business.

However after the experience of my first show in may, I am trying to figure out whats the best way to do samples or if I should do samples at all.

The thing is that the show in May was highly advertise with sample to lure people, and the crownd we got on friday was straight SCARY! The just came to ingorge everything free they could put their paws on. Talking to the other vendors on the next day, everybody told me the same, they thought was a scary, irritating crowd and unusual, (one lady told me she started to feel scared of the people pressing on her booth and wanted to smack their grabby hands with her spatula ) I felt the same . Anyway this time I know the people attending this kind of show are different, but what do I do do I do samples or not?

If I do do I just sample on thing that I think rapresent best my work or make couple of ganaches to samples with little spoons ( I will keep the ganache on my side and give them the samples, because I saw at the other show a lady doing this kinda of sampling and people double dipped ).

Any suggestion tip is very welcome.

Thank you

[prasantrin]

Samples are good, but I wouldn't even show them to people. Keep them under the table, then when people seem really interested in your product, take out your tray of goodies and offer them a taste--a small spoonful if you do the ganache route, or a little piece if you decide to give them a taste of a completed chocolate. In Japan, one chocolate will often be cut up into 4 or more pieces, depending on the size (2 pieces if it's really small), and I find that's enough to whet my appetite.

Of course you'd still have samples of boxes filled with chocolates, so they can see what they're getting, but those would not be for sampling, just for looking. And fly swatters, if used lightly, really aren't that painful to the grabbing hands...

[Kerry Beal]

I'm with Rona, chocolates cut into 2 or 4 pieces.

The one issue I might have with sampling the ganache alone on little spoons is that I often make my ganaches highly flavoured - and they don't taste quite right without the chocolate to mellow them.

I did a fun fair at my child's school just before the end of the school year - among other things, I sold almond buttercrunch, sponge toffee, dipped marshmallows, dipped licorice, dipped oreos and other cookies. I chopped small samples of just about everything and put them out a bit at a time. Some folks (particularly the kids) just grabbed things to sample, but most seemed to feel obligated to buy something when they had sampled.

[tammylc]

I agree with Kerry and Rona. When I do events like this I cut each piece into 2 or 4, depending on how much I have and how generous I'm feeling/how likely I think the audience is to buy. I'll usual offer samples of everything I have, and if I'm cutting small pieces, then I don't mind giving multiple samples either.

Good luck!

[Desiderio]

Thank you ladies, I felt I over did it at the chocolate festival, but I guess I did ok then. I cut everything in small pieces, of all the production I had on display, I wasn't sure that was smart, because the crowd we got, but this time might be different, plus I need more people to know my products rigth? I hope I am not trying to chew to much for my jaws! Thank you so much for all the tips and help. I will report later.

[tammylc]

Thank  you ladies, I felt I over did it at the chocolate festival, but I guess I did ok then. I cut everything in small pieces, of all the production I had on display, I wasn't sure that was smart, because the crowd we got, but this time might be different, plus I need more people to know my products rigth? I hope I am not trying to chew to much for my jaws! Thank you so much for all the tips and help. I will report later.

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I think you do need to sample product to sell it. Especially when you're selling an artisanal product - people need to see and taste to understand why they should be buying from you instead of getting a box of Pot O' Gold.