I’ve always enjoyed the food samples offered in Costco, Trader Joe’s, and other fine stores. But it was the seats ripped out of an airliner and scattered along the concourse that really made me realize how important trial (and contrast) can be for marketing.

The seat trial was quite brilliant. Delta Airlines had placed seats from their first class cabin on the airport concourse, mixed in with the standard hard benches, and put appropriate signage next to the seats, inviting weary travelers to try them out. For folks who don’t routinely fly first or business class, this was their first chance to try such seats… and the contrast between those seats and the ones they’d soon experience in Economy class set up a wonderful trial experience. Think a bunch of those folks would take the point of sale upgrade on their next flight?

Let’s generalize: why should we all offer prospective customers the opportunity to try our product? Because people have small brains, but large sensory apparatus – and the subconscious always wins.

Specifically:

·        On an informational level, we gather many more impressions through touch, scent, taste, sound, and peripheral visual cues than we do through direct visual input. Trying a chocolate cake (or first class seat) for thirty seconds will tell the prospective consumer more about the product than an hour-long examination of a data sheet. Good product sells itself.

·        On a psychological level, trial is commitment, to varying degrees. You’re more committed to buying a car after taking a test drive, whether you enjoyed the drive or not!

So ask yourself how much it would cost to set up trials of your product or service, and how much it’d be likely to increase your sales. My guess is you’ll find a high return on your investment in trial. Let me know – meanwhile, I’ll be in the nice Delta seats.

 
[ps: Please buy my book. http://buynow.stupidmarketing.com -- and tell your friends!]