The Psychology and Power of Free Samples.
The psychology of product sampling is the process of understanding why and in which ways a customer is influenced when you give them a free sample. Understanding the power of sampling can lead to an increase in sales in your salon.
Sampling comes with several benefits to your customers and businesses alike. These include:
- Reduced risk to the customer. Thanks to the ability to trial products.
- Allowing your business to keep adequate retail stock levels of regularly sampled products.
- Introducing seasonal/product of the month which you choose to market at a specific time.
- The marketing of new products during a launch.
Let’s explore the different ways in which sampling can affect the psychology of your customers. We will talk about how sampling influences consumer behaviour, how it combats risk aversion and ultimately how it benefits your business.
How Does Sampling Work?
Skincare sampling works on several levels of psychology, providing a range of benefits for businesses and consumers alike. These benefits feed into how customers interact with a particular brand or product and ultimately influences whether they will buy something.
The main ways in which sampling affects the psychology of a customer, ultimately influencing the way in which they behave regarding products, are:
- Reciprocation
- Salience (importance or noticeability)
- The powers of ‘experience’ and ‘free’
- Risk factors and risk aversion
By focusing on the benefits of each aspect of consumer psychology regarding skincare sampling, you will be well equipped to provide samples that can greatly improve your reception and sales.
Reciprocation.
A key principle behind the psychology of sampling is reciprocity. This is the idea that when YOU ARE given something, YOU WILL want to give something back in return. A free sample can be viewed much like a gift or an act of kindness in this regard.
By receiving a free sample, the customer will be in a situation where they have gotten something without paying for it. Normally they will have paid with money, but in the case of a free sample they have only gained
This will give them a sense of duty that makes them want to buy your skincare product to reciprocate the free sample that they were given. With the sachets and sample pot opportunities from KD you can make sure they’re not left wanting!
Even if a customer’s reciprocity doesn’t result directly in a sale, it will cause them to view your business and product favourably. This can eventually result in sales of other products due to the good impression your samples would have left on them.
Remember to make note of who and which sample you have given. This allows you to follow up with your client after a couple or days. This is not being pushy. This will be seen as great customer service.
Salience Bias.
Salience is the psychology of a product being at the front of your client’s mind. Salience bias therefore refers to how a customer will be more likely to buy a product that they try and love. A positive experience with a product sample, puts it to the front of their mind when they think about their skin, or specific skincare concern.
Something that is striking or memorable and works wonders for their skin is easier to focus on than something that they haven’t tried. This sounds obvious, but incredibly important and easy to overlook.
Giving a product salience through samples can have a significant impact on how a customer feels about a product. Keeping the results fresh in their mind when it comes to making a purchase.
Free samples give inherent salience through their ability to give a customer a physical experience of your product at no risk to them. This will give them a memory of your product which they can relate to whenever they think about buying it.
Offering your client a sample of a product which will ‘change their life’ builds excitement. Returning from your cupboard without this sample or giving them a different one (because you don’t have the ‘life changer’ in stock) is counter productive to your sampling efforts. Use your POS Points and make sure you have all samples and sample pots in stock.
The 'Power of Free.'
The concept of ‘free’ is often considered to be a trap. You know the phrase – “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” And it’s true! Free samples often result in a customer wanting more, leading to an increase in sales.
Free samples come only with upsides. They are typically hassle free, don’t involve commitment and provide a product to a customer that they would otherwise have to pay for.
A free sample is appealing. It only involves gain for the customer and helps to invoke the other psychological elements of sampling such as reciprocity.
In turn, the free sample will result in a consumer viewing a product under a positive light, creating a link between them and the product which helps drive customer satisfaction and sales.
Remember you get 3% of free POS with each KD order when you use your POS Points.
The 'Power of Experience.'
Having a physical experience of using a product to remember, creates a connection that is invaluable when it comes to making that final buying decision.
A free sample achieves the power of experience by giving the customer memories of the sensations involved when using a product. It does this by providing just enough of the product so they can see its worth, while leaving them wanting more.
Statistics show that for every 4 samples which are given, a sale is made. Give new or different samples to your regular facial clients. They are prime recipients of link sell products.
Risk Factors.
Spending hard earned money on an unknown product is a risk for most people, convincing people to pay for a product they have never tried before can be challenging. Giving away a product for free is a solution to this, but not a good one for businesses.
Sampling removes the risk factor to both parties. Providing a small amount of the product in a sachet or sample pot gives the customer the ability to make an informed decision about purchasing a full size in the future, without you having to give a full size product away.
What is Risk Aversion?
Despite the elimination of the risk factors involved, most customers still have some level of risk aversion that extends beyond the exchange of money. Understanding this aversion and how to combat it is a good way to see how sampling can influence the behaviour of your customers.
Simply put, risk aversion is the tendency people have to avoid risk and change. There’s a lot more to it than that however.
With skincare products, risk aversion can mean that a customer might continue to use a product they’re already familiar with rather than try out a new one. Even if making the change would be purely beneficial.
It can be scary to try something new. Whether this is going skydiving for the first time, or just changing the type of treatment cream you use, there are a lot of factors to consider – so much so that many are averse to taking a risk in the first place.
Samples can then be used to provide your customers with the ability to make an informed decision about your product.
Samples come with several added benefits for customers. They are convenient, they offer an increased awareness of what the product does and improves the understanding of its purpose, effectiveness and attributes.
Skincare sampling is unique as it provides the ability for a customer to really get to know what it is they’re buying. They can see how well it works for them, how it smells, feels and whether it is right for them.
Once a consumer finds out that they love a product, their risk aversion will be overcome. They will then feel comfortable to buy more of your products with the knowledge that they gained from using it before.
Remember to use your POS Points and claim your free samples, with every order.
Every time you order, you are allocated 3% of the value of your order in POS Points. You can use these to claim samples, brochures, bags; anything in our POS Collection. The points you earn from today’s order are ‘spendable’ on your next order. You can use them all or ‘bank’ excess points for next time. But remember the power of THE FREE SAMPLE!
This Blog originates from an article written by our sachet sample manufacturer. It has been adapted to help you understand the power and psychology of product sampling in your business.
With live,
Kirsti x
