Our innovative sampling system is gaining more traction than ever, and it's easy to see why. Sampling is easy to utilize, both in person and from a distance and can have some seriously impressive benefits for your business.
In fact, according to an article by The Atlantic, some retailers have seen a 2,000% increase in sales because of sampling. Why does it work? The article quotes Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University, who breaks it down into two reasons:
- Reciprocity: “If someone does something for you, you really feel a rather surprisingly strong obligation to do something back for them.”
- Cravings: "What samples do, is they give you a particular desire for something. If I gave you a tiny bit of chocolate, all of a sudden, it would remind you about the exact taste of chocolate and would increase your craving."
Our sampling system can significantly increase sales and potential distributor enrollments—in fact, our clients have reported conversion rates as high as 36%. This system removes the typical challenges of traditional sampling, making it a very attractive and efficient option for growing product exposure and sales.
If this sounds like a good fit for your company, but you're unsure of the steps you'll need to take to implement sampling in your business, this post is for you. We've mapped out the process you can expect to consider when signing a sampling contract with us--from beginning to end.
Step 1: Welcome Aboard
Before you commit to signing a contract, we’re happy to put our tools to the test with in-depth demonstrations, led by a caring and savvy sales team. Once you feel ready to sign, you’ll be assigned to an Account Executive who will be by your side every step of the way. You’ll also meet a representative from the Project Management Team, which is responsible for successfully implementing in-app products/features that greatly enhance the value of our app. This includes Samples, Surveys, Business Tiles, and any other unique use cases that come our way. This team plans and executes project implementation, defines and manages project scope and resources, and ensures timely delivery of high-quality projects for our clients. Your assigned team member will be your direct point of communication throughout the project.
Step 2: Kick-Off Call
Your Project Management Team Member will organize a kick-off call or meeting, where you’ll have a chance to sit down with our team to discuss your individual needs. At this meeting, we’ll introduce you to the members of our Creative Team, and then strategize to ensure that we're covering all the logistics of carrying out your sampling project. We'll also ask questions that impact the user experience, to double-check that the features and functions of the product will meet your business needs. In the kick-off call, you can expect us to…
- Discuss your brand, as well as the voice you’d like to convey through your sampling materials
- Ask you to obtain a list of assets we can use as supplemental information for drips, websites and social posts
- Provide an estimated project timeline with deliverables for each individual/team involved
- Build out project milestones and tasks (based on the last bullet point)
Primarily, this initial meeting functions to allow the Creative Team the opportunity to define the scope of the project and figure out how we can best satisfy your needs. We have a combined 60 years of experience in developing tools for the direct sales market, and we pride ourselves on making sure that your experience with us is just that—an experience. We want each of our clients to have the chance to participate in a positive, collaborative process that results in your utmost satisfaction.
After the call, you can rely on your Project Management Team Member to be the driving force behind project execution, ensuring that teams and individuals are meeting deadlines and specifications of the project as outlined from the kick-off call and other communications.
Step 3: Copywriting
You'll be given a choice to provide the necessary sample materials (drips, website copy, social post copy, assets, sample mailer copy, and letter copy) based on a template, or we can compose those items for you. We highly suggest taking advantage of the latter. Our copywriting team has years of experience and possess the skillset necessary to help you get your message across succinctly and effectively. Once a project has been approved, you can count on receiving a copy to review within three business days.
Step 4: Design
After you’ve approved copy, it will go straight to our talented designers, who will work to create a suite of materials that will help you present your message in the most aesthetically pleasing, on-trend, and compliant way possible. We know that design is your company’s “first impression,” and our designers are passionate about crafting pieces that will grab attention and draw in prospects.
Step 5: Off to the Press
When final designs are approved, we’ll get to work printing mailers and letters and loading drips and social posts into our digital platform.
Step 6: Ready, Set, Launch
When your physical samples have been assembled, it’s time to launch your sampling system.
Samples can be either 1.) sent by a distributor or 2.) requested by a prospect for the cost of shipping. Once a sample has been sent or requested, the prospect will receive an email letting him, or her know a sample is on the way, followed by a string of automatic emails throughout the next few days. These emails feature information about product benefits, as well as calls to action (for example, call me for more information). The sample will be packaged inside a mailer that features additional information and/or directions for use and accompanied by a form letter from the distributor.
After the project is successfully completed, you can continue to rely on your assigned Account Manager for further support. They’ll be happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have at any point in the future.
It’s Time to Get Started
Hopefully, this breakdown has given you a useful glimpse into our processes and helped you to see just how painless implementing sampling can be. Remember: your company has one opportunity to create a great first impression and a lasting positive experience—we can make sure you get it right. Our job is to ignite (and reignite) excitement in your customers and distributors, helping you to attract attention and create long-term, meaningful connections. It’s time to see how sampling can help you stand out—contact us at info@verb.tech for a demo!
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