Sending product samples via Direct Mail

[NotSo]

Hi All,

We have got some 10g samples for our beauty product. I am wondering if anyone has sent direct samples door to door before ? What were your conversion rates like, how long should I expect before I see any potential conversions ?

I posted 60 samples to a random street about 5 days ago, and aside for 2 visits to the site on the initial day, things have been a little quiet since.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I would say it would be the same as any direct marketing around 2 per cent hit rate 60 shots is a very small amounts

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi All,

We have got some 10g samples for our beauty product. I am wondering if anyone has sent direct samples door to door before ? What were your conversion rates like, how long should I expect before I see any potential conversions ?

I posted 60 samples to a random street about 5 days ago, and aside for 2 visits to the site on the initial day, things have been a little quiet since.

As @JEREMY HAWKE said the cold rate is very low. You should keep your samples for people that show interest. If they visit your stall/shop or if they make an enquiry.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

How did you select the houses/ street, did you do any research? A good cheap method of finding out if something is wanted, is a car boot event, lots of people from all different types and low cost to yourself. just takes a morning to find out what the public think

 

[NotSo]

I would say it would be the same as any direct marketing around 2 per cent hit rate 60 shots is a very small amounts

Where did you get the 2% from ? Also, surely there is a difference between a leaflet and an actual product sample ?

 

[NotSo]

How did you select the houses/ street, did you do any research? A good cheap method of finding out if something is wanted, is a car boot event, lots of people from all different types and low cost to yourself. just takes a morning to find out what the public think

No specfic research was done, it's a random street we picked down the road to see what kind of engagement we would receive.
The assumption was that we would be targeting women as there is an even distribution of men and women through out the country, and who would turn down a free beauty sample.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

No it will always be around that figure unless the deal is too good to be true !
The type of potential customer you are targeting will also have an effect ie a £95 fragrance that is very good wont see any orders from a low income target

 

[JustGettingOnWithIt]

I would agree that 2 percent is about the response rate. Although it is too small a sample to tell, you did get 2 visitors so I would guess that's about it for you too.

I am probably your target market and if I had a product sample come through the letterbox that I had never heard of it would go in the bin. The main reason is trust. Why would I try a face cream that I hadn't paid for, didnt recognise and got stuffed through the letterbox? I have the brand that I've been using for 30 years and does everything I need. As a business it is difficult to get over thar reticence when you want someone to buy from you instead.

Apparently the way leaflets produce good results is for high ticket price items, to the right demographic with good copy at the right time. You also have to repeat the process several times so maybe leaflets the first few times and then samples after would increase brand trust and awareness?

one of the previous discussions...
https://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/leaflet-drops-tricks-of-the-trade.376826/

Good luck