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ItMany of them never reach the house or the housewife.
When they do, there is no prediction for them. The product is
cheapened. It is not introduced in a favorable way. So with
demonstrations in stores. There is always a way to get the same
results at a fraction of the cost.
Many advertisers do not understand this. They supply thousands
of samples to dealers to be handed out as they will. Could a trace be placed on the cost of returns, the advertiser would be stunned.
Give samples to interested people only. Give them only to people
who exhibit that interest by some effort. Give them only to people
whom you have told your story. First create an atmosphere of
respect, a desire, an expectation. When people are in that mood, your sample will usually confirm the qualities you claim.
Here again comes the advantage of figuring cost per customer.
That is the only way to gauge advertising. Samples sometimes seem to double advertising cost. They often cost more than the advertising. Yet, rightly used, they almost invariably form the cheapest way to get customers. And that is what you want.
The argument against samples are usually biased. They may come
from advertising agents who like to see all the advertising money
spent in print. Answer such arguments by tests. Try some towns with them, some without. Where samples are effectively employed, we rarely find a line where they do not lessen the cost per customer.
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