When to give away samples and where to leave marketing material

Giving out free samples lets people quickly learn if your product or service is for them. If your network marketing product is as good as your sales tools say it is, a majority of the people who try the sample will order.

When looking at your costs for giving out free samples, remember that most other forms of advertising require the costs of repetition, whereas sampling is a one-time expense. When you offer a free sample and the customer is happy about their experience, you’ve won them over in a friendly, personable way — something advertising can’t do. Free samples let you initiate instant rapport and build a bridge for further communication, possibly leading to your network marketing opportunity pitch.

More things to remember about using free samples as a network marketing tactic:

Only give out samples when the quality of the network marketing product is so good that people feel an immediate result.
Whenever possible, include your contact information on the packaging.
Require a person’s contact information in exchange for the free sample, so you can follow up.
If your budget is tight, don’t advertise a free sample offer; you will attract freebie hunters that will quickly exhaust your supply. Provide free samples one person at a time as you are talking to people. It will make each person feel special.
If you offer a service rather than a product, let network marketing prospects “test-drive” your service free for a limited time.

Get maximum return on your investment in multi-level marketing materials by being choosy where you leave them. Place materials in reach of your target network marketing audiences where they hang out, where they work, and where they wait for services.

For instance, if you’re promoting a network marketing nutritional product, your articles, fact sheets, or newsletters have a good chance of getting picked up and read in waiting rooms for doctors, chiropractors, and hospitals.

Other target locations for reading your network marketing materials include:

Apartment leasing offices
Bank and credit union waiting areas
Bookstore entrances with other free publications
Bowling alleys
Dressing rooms
Fitness centers
Employee lunch rooms
Hair and nail salons
Health food and grocery store announcement boards
Include in envelope when you pay your bills
Laundry mats and dry cleaners
Practitioners waiting rooms: acupuncturist, chiropractor, doctor, dentist, orthodontist, veterinarian, hospital medical clinic
Professional services waiting rooms: accountant, attorney, insurance, real estate, mortgage, employment agency
Public libraries
Recreation and senior activity centers
Restaurants, coffee stops, ice cream shops
Supply stores announcement boards
Tanning salons
Teacher lounges
Yoga or dance studios
Public waiting areas (movies, airports, bus terminals, taxi stands, check-out lines, etc.)

Wearing promotional items like T-shirts can spark conversations which lead to building relationships.

Over time, your network marketing promotional toolbox will grow. However, be conservative when encouraging your new network marketing team members to purchase tools. You may find yourself with unhappy new network marketing distributors who blame you for getting them to put out money for network marketing promotional material instead of helping them earn a check.

Keep your costs down by purchasing in quantity that get you a discount. Contact network marketing members in your network marketing organization and other legs of other network marketing distributors for putting together a big order that saves everyone money.

Whatever you do, don’t run out of anything. Avoid giving the appearance of being unprofessional with excuses like “Sorry, I’m out of cards today.” Have materials with you wherever you go. whether it’s a supply of business cards, CDs. or catalogs.