Guest post by Chef Alli

Always keep in mind that you are the number one ingredient

What you put into your cooking demos and food sampling is exactly what you’ll get out of it. It doesn’t matter how good your marketing is, nor how strong your brand, if you don’t understand the importance of adding the “you” element into the connections made with the public.  If you’re not excited about what you do and how you present your product, why would anyone else be? 

Taking the time to make a personal and warm interaction with your potential customers is crucial, especially if this is the first time they are experiencing your product and your company. It is said that we may not remember specific details of certain situations, but we always remember how we are made to feel. This is why hospitality is so important when creating an interactive customer experience. Hospitality (noun): The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, and generous way when they are in your presence or home.

Here are tips for engagement from my experiences:

• Every customer starts out as a stranger. They are longing to be your guest, and they are longing to be treated as your guest. When someone approaches, be sure to smile, shake their hand and offer a warm greeting. And don’t be a wimp:  smile openly, shake that hand firmly, be all there. Make sure they know they matter.

• Don’t be hard core. Customers want to buy from you, but remember, they do not want to be sold. Nobody likes to be roped into hard-sell situations and made uncomfortable. If you are enthused about your product and let that genuinely shine through, people will want to buy from you.

• Everyone’s favorite word is their name. Dale Carnegie, the great leadership guru and author, said we should all make a point to learn the names of everyone we come in contact with. This is very powerful, especially in a public setting because it elevates the customer in front of others. You are demonstrating that he is no longer just anybody; because you know his name, and are willing to use it, this shows to others that he/she is someone special to you. Customers love this!

PRESENTATION MATTERS

We all eat with our eyes first. This is why presentation is so very imperative when potential customers approach your demonstration table for sampling. How both you and your station appear is very important. Below are a few key points for ensuring your customers have a positive experience at your demonstration and/or tasting:

1. Passion
   You either have it or you don’t and it sticks if you don’t. Ooze to enthuse. Passion is engaging when it’s real and authentic. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and steps to take as you prepare:

• Are you passionate about your product?  Does it show?
  Are you knowledgeable about your product? Can you verbally convey this? Are you convincing?  Are you genuine?
• What are the three key points that you want to convey during a conversation with a customer? Keep in mind they cannot really remember more than three.
• Have someone film you and your customers for an hour or so at one of your demos. Play back these videos to see what it is that you need to change or improve on. This is excruciating but you will gain from the pain, I promise!

2. Practice

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

• Very few people are a natural when it comes to speaking, engaging and presenting – it’s takes PRACTICE and there’s nothing wrong with this! Don’t think that just because you have to practice that you weren’t meant to do this – that’s a big, fat lie.
• Just because you know what you want to say, in your head, doesn’t mean it’s just naturally going to flow right out of your mouth. Practice, practice, practice until you sound natural at what you want to convey. Once you start to conquer this, it will get easier because you gain confidence.
• Dress rehearsal = perfect execution. Use real food, real cooking, real people when you do your test run. Ask them for their opinion – Do I look like I know what I’m doing?  Do I appear confidant? Does my food and demo area look appealing? Do I look attractive?  What do you think I could I do better? Would you want to buy from me?

3. Positioning

Know what TOMA (Top of Mind Awareness) is and constantly strive for it.

• If you stand behind your station or table, that is where you will remain:  behind. A barrier allowed between you and your customer will always stay put until you step out. This is especially important upon approach of a customer. Come out to meet them! If you are not able to move from behind your table, because you are busy, bring a long a sidekick and helper to stand in front and engage.
• Positioning yourself in your customers’ minds is also very important. You cannot do this unless you are knowledgeable about your product and have the ability to communicate this to them. This is why your story as well as your 30 second elevator speech is so key.
• Positioning yourself as the expert on your product is not optional. When you are willing to become the expert on your product, its advantages and positives, along with the problems it solves, you bring value. Every customer in the world wants value. Also, this is where you begin to use thought leadership to show how you are the expert via blog posts and articles.

4. Preparation/Planning
   There’s absolutely no such thing as being too prepared. The milk is going to spill – It’s just a matter of when and where.

• Planning ahead is key. Having Plan B in your back pocket brings a lot of peace. For instance, will you need electricity? If so, is that available where you are setting up to demo?  Or, if there happens to be a power outage, what then? Will inclement weather affect your demonstration?

• Be organized. Do you have a system? Is it quick and easy to pack and unpack your props, equipment and tools?
• Do you have checklists created for what you’ll need for your demo and whether or not the needed items/tasks are done, packed, and ready?
• Here’s a sample checklist that I often use: (You can click here to download a pdf of the checklist)
  • Available product to sell
  • Recipes - be sure your recipe has your contact info included. Take time to point out your social media info on your recipe and ask them to follow you – they like it that you ask.
  •  Special Tools – showing customers special tips and how-to’s with culinary tools is something they really enjoy. This also helps them be successful in creating the recipes you share and this will bring them back to you for more.
  • Email Sheet – Tell your customer you’d like to stay in touch with them in the off season. Gather their emails by asking them if they’d like to receive recipes and tips from you.
  • Coupons – giving your customers a coupon is something they also enjoy – everyone loves saving a buck. Partner with other vendors at the farmer’s market or your local kitchen store.
  • Business Cards/Brochures
  • Pretty Tablecloth and Table Props
  • Logo Apron – this lends incredible credibility and professionalism. If you don’t have an apron, you can always order one at the From the Land of Kansas Marketplace.
  • Demo cups and taster spoons (plus something nice to put them in, such as a basket with pretty liner)
  • Tasting of product itself
  • Tasting of an easy recipe they can create using your product. Rotate these recipes from week to week, to show versatility. For instance: Create a salad dressing that incorporates one of the jams you sell. One week use it on grains, the next week on mixed greens, the following week dress cubed melon and mint.
  • Pictures for the finished product for recipes on your website or social media.

I hope you found this information to be helpful!

For more information tips related to food safety of sampling, check out the direct-to-consumer regulation guide.

• toma
• tips
• sampling
• presentation
• engagement
• chef alli