Marisela has come to visit the city from Colombia, enters a luxurious hotel in the tourist area and immediately walks through the lobby, until she is located by the waiters captain of the restaurant of the aforementioned business.
Minutes later, he asks for a soft drink and immediately requests the letter, indicating that he is waiting for someone to have lunch.
Fifteen minutes pass and on Marisela's face, an expression of surprise is drawn, when asking the waiter the name of the restaurant, he realizes that he has the wrong hotel !, his appointment is in a place that is 50 meters away ahead.
Immediately he asks for the bill, the smiling waiter indicates that there is no charge and that he hopes that he will return next time.
Marisela goes to the person with whom she had an appointment and has lunch at the place where the soda was presented to her.
Juan Pedro has been hired to increase the credit card membership portfolio of a major international firm.
As part of the sales strategy, Juan Pedro can grant the different memberships for one year with a minimum of documentation to support the loan, for a specific group of clients.
Juan Pedro reports a resounding success in placing the financial product in the first month of sale.
However, 90% of its clients return the card to the company, since they consider that within the year of "free membership", charges for services not requested by the clients are being accredited.
Catalina works as taster in charge of a prestigious company that processes meats and hams, however these are of the highest quality, Catalina's facial expression is severe, she has problems at home.
When the free samples and information on the hams are required, by the different clients who frequent the place, he delivers them reluctantly and expresses himself indifferently of the product, the result of his work day has been few sales of the new hams.
Three different situations serve as an example of the need to integrate Marketing and Sales actions with Human management and training.
In the three cases mentioned, the success or failure of the demonstration, placement and sale of the products or services mentioned, is due to the work of the people who work for these companies.
Within the service and customer service area, it has long been necessary to link sales actions with a plan that incorporates the human variable.
In this sense, we find within the exposed situations, three elements that every manager must take into account, with respect to the formulation of demonstration programs or free samples and that require the effort of people on the job.
These three elements are: Procedures, Information and Attitude.
We will mention our criteria for them:
Procedures: no organization that prides itself on being serious and sensible will develop a program to promote its products through free samples, demonstrations or tasting, without making it clear to its promoters: what are the procedures that apply to the product or service? to promote?
In this sense, from the customer's point of view, an "excessive enthusiasm" may arise to try or own a certain product or service or become a regular of it, in the period of promotion.
The procedures will make clear what can be given and what cannot be given to the customer.
Likewise, the procedures will set the limits of the quantity of articles or times in which a person can, by "courtesy" check the product or service.
However, these must be applied, with good treatment to the potential buyer.
Information: even when we live in an era where it circulates at an impressive speed, many times the promoter or seller, (who are the grantors of the free sample), can for different reasons, licit or not, omit important product information, service or its conditions of use or application.
This will bring as a consequence, a “fictitious” sale where, perhaps, in the end, we will have a client who is upset or in most cases unsatisfied.
In this sense, the promotion with free samples must incorporate printed elements that mention not only the characteristics of the product or service, but also the plans and complementary services that the client must or may contract, as well as a designed system, to clarify the Frequently asked questions, a good example of the use of this resource, we can see in the FAQ of Internet sites.
This item includes information on promotions or new products for all personnel, since they are at any time spokespersons for the company.
Attitude: there is no use for a product or service, granted as a free sample, if in or with it, the client feels despised, belittled, ignored or simply poorly served.
In such a case, the technical and human training of the promoters is essential, since it is they who will project the image of the company.
The three elements mentioned are integrated into several of the human management processes, where with the help of specialized consultants in the area, companies can score successes in their process of increasing sales.
We refer specifically to the aspects of policy and procedure formulation, selection and evaluation of suitable people and, above all, training in the sensitive area of customer service, satisfaction and fascination through the service.
