5 Sampling Mistakes That Are Costing You Sales

Sampling your delicious new food products should be a thrilling part of building your brand! But if you're stuck with outdated methods, it's likely more of a headache than a help.  Let's face it –  doing sampling yourself takes effort, and it's easy to waste time, money, and perfectly good samples if you're not approaching it intentionally.That's where SampleCart comes in. We're on a mission to help food suppliers get the absolute most out of your sampling efforts. So, let's dive into the common pitfalls that might be sabotaging your results and how to turn things around.

Mistake #1: Sending Samples to Unqualified Buyers

‍Filtering sample requests through the ‘contact us’ form on your website might seem like a smart move, but it's a classic mistake. To get results, you need to spend your precious time targeting the right chefs by actively engaging them and building up genuine demand. Your brand needs constant communication and outreach directly with high quality buyers, while filtering out retail demand and personal consumption.‍

The SampleCart Solution: Our database is overflowing with pre-qualified chefs who are genuinely excited about discovering new products. We take the guesswork out of it, matching your samples with the perfect potential buyers. Leads are guaranteed to be (a) representing a legal business entity (b) an experienced culinary professional and (c) requested your specific product.

Mistake #2: Snail Mail Spreadsheets

‍Trying to track everything with spreadsheets is more likely to get you lost than found. The right sales rep, with the right buying signals, during the chaos of a new product launch - by the time a chef actually receives your sample, they might have already found a different solution or lost interest entirely. Slow responsiveness kills buyer excitement so your fulfillment workflow matters.

‍The SampleCart Solution: Our platform speeds up your workflow by keeping you updated every step of the way. Samples arrive quickly, follow-ups happen seamlessly, and you won't need to touch a single spreadsheet.

Mistake #3: Guessing What Chefs Think

Did your new marinade make their tastebuds sing? Did your gluten-free cookies fall flat?  If you don't collect feedback, you'll never know! That means you could be missing out on crucial information about how to improve your product or even your sampling strategy as a whole. Certain products perform great out of the box, while others require more product education specific to preparation, which can make sampling a delicate process.

The SampleCart Solution: We make it incredibly simple to gather chef feedback and track those all-important success metrics. There’s no way around it, understanding the market sentiment starts and ends with great conversations, which is why we give you every bit of contact information required to get in touch with prospects. With the SampleCart platform you'll see exactly what's working, what's not, and how to make your samples even more irresistible.

Mistake #4: High Fixed Cost

Traditional sampling can be expensive with no guarantee of a positive outcome. Drumming up inbound demand is easier said than done, and with what seems like the only alternative being a internal sales team or external sales brokers - neither option is cheap.

The SampleCart Solution: Our pay-per-lead model is a game-changer. Put simply, you only pay when you get a qualified lead, meaning we're invested in your success right alongside you. SampleCart handles all of the advertising, promotion, and qualification necessary for you to invest into leads who are genuinely interested - all at a simple cost per lead, no strings attached.

Mistake #5: Your Samples Aren't Reaching Enough People

Sending out a handful of samples isn't enough to build buzz or give you the data you need to make informed decisions. Your sample size (pun intended) needs to be statistically significant! For most companies this means sampling with several hundred of qualified buyers. Because we know that sales are about getting the right product, to the right person, at the right time - this is why you need to put your product in front of a larger, yet carefully selected audience.

The SampleCart Solution: Our vast network of chefs allows you to scale your sampling in a way you probably never thought possible.  This gets your product into the kitchens that matter, maximizing your chances of success.

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Ready for Sampling That Actually Works? Get Started with SampleCart

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