Can "Pink Spoons" Increase Your Promotional Products Sales?

The ice cream shop, Baskin Robins, made pink spoons famous. You can walk into the shop and sample any flavor, before purchase, on a little pink spoon. As an ice cream lover, I always enjoy sampling new flavors and coming back for more, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

My local Whole Foods market hosts special theme evenings where you can sample local, in-season food prepared a variety of different ways. On those evenings, sales of not only the featured item, but all items, increase and the positive energy in the store makes for a fun evening that I always look forward to.

Last weekend, my husband Bob and I were headed to a local BYOB restaurant and stopped to pick up a bottle of red wine on the way. Upon entered the wine store, the first thing we were greeted with was the delicious aroma of fresh hot pizza and free samples of a variety of interesting wines. We ended up happily purchasing a dozen bottles of wine when our true intention was for just one bottle.

What does all this have to do with selling promotional products? Free samples (the promotional products equivalent of the little pink spoon) help sell the order and increase the order size. When you provide free samples and your customer sees their logo on an item, or a variety of items, it increases positive feelings and enhances your chance of getting the sale. One of my coaching clients always prepares a sample with the customer's logo with every large quote she sends. The result, she wins more bids and has increased sales without having to drastically cut her price.

Many suppliers offer low-cost or no-cost spec sample and virtual samples. Be generous with samples and show that you believe in what you sell and you're sure to increase your sales and income.