The goal of product demonstration is to let potential customers experience the product. Car dealerships allow potential buyers to test drive the cars to feel the capabilities and power of the automobile. At the department store, cosmetic companies often have makeup artist on hand to showcase how the makeup or cosmetic products can be used on a woman’s face and enhance her beauty. Some groceries and warehouse clubs provide booths where shoppers can sample and taste a showcased product.

Product sampling drives shoppers and consumers to try out products that they may not have known or wouldn’t have bought. With product trials, you can generate immediate sales through impulse buying. Recent studies show that 51 percent of shoppers tried products they would not have bought as a result of product sampling and demonstration. Or if a purchase is not made immediately, demonstrations can be an investment to generate future sales and increase brand awareness for possible future purchase.

This marketing technique allows you to:

• Give customers the actual product experience
• Demonstrate the superior performance of your product in its category
• Show the detailed product features and benefits
• Illustrate how your product is used and what it can actually do – without the marketing spin that many consumers resist.
• Increase awareness of the product
• Provide a venue to get customer feedback, respond to customer’s questions or concerns and possibly inputs for improving the product
• Reinforce a customer’s decision to buy the product
• Entice impulse buying
• Acquire names of potential customers (if asked to sign-up)

The choice of location will depend on the nature of the product and the type of audience. Product demonstrations can be conducted within your own store, in a grocery, warehouse stores, trade shows and exhibits, or other events or places that attracts sizeable foot traffic. Infomercials and home shopping shows on television are also a form of product demonstrations.

According to Promotion Marketing Association, trial rates average between 40-70 percent for most categories. Your choice of location is critical in getting high trial rates – after all, the purpose of a product demonstration is to get people (particularly your target audience) to come and actually try your product. You need to choose a location that fits the following criteria:

• Your target market is present
• Your target market is abundant
• Your target market is receptive to trying out products at that particular moment

When evaluating the location of the demonstration, verify if the location is a place where your target audience is likely to try your product. If you have a hair care product, for example, breast cancer walks attract a lot of your target audience of women, but women participating in these events are not likely to want to try a hair product. They have a higher cause to consider than hair care!

Product demonstration is a technique successfully used by a number of industries and businesses. Your small business can greatly benefit from doing product demonstrations and sampling opportunities to build your business. More importantly, this marketing technique can help spur word of mouth for your business, which can be invaluable for any business.