Get Rich or Die Trying: Can’t Even Give It Away

“Cor Blimey Guvnor, these prices are so cheap, I’m practically GIVIN ‘em away!”  Ok, so I’m assuming you’re not exactly using this Victorian Cockney slang to promote your wares, but running your own brand can quite literally often result in you having to give items away.  Perhaps you’re trying to get the attention of an editor, or are offering items for a shoot or show.  Whatever the situation, it’s advisable to resign yourself now to the fact that a percentage of your stock should be essentially written off for the purpose of sampling.

Bizarrely, offering samples comes with its own set of moral dilemmas.  The main one you will inevitably encounter, is whether by providing somebody with a free item, they are thus indebted to repay the favour, either in kind, or by way of promotion.  This is a lovely way of thinking, and in an ideal world, every free product you sent out would bring back a fashion spread, a new set of customers, or a return gift.  Realistically, this isn’t the case, and you should be well aware of the fact that for many of the complimentary parcels you post out, saying goodbye to them at the post office will be the last you ever see of hear of that stock again.  If you can’t afford to financially or mentally accept this unbalanced equation, don’t sample.  There is nothing worse than someone who offers an item, then follows the recipient around like a puppy dog requesting feedback and exposure, before eventually asking for the product to be returned because it’s the last one they had of its kind and now somebody wants to buy it.  Wake up.  Editors, bloggers, celebrities and buyers receive unsolicited items all the time.  The truth is, that just because you’re offering a free sample, it doesn’t mean that anybody is obliged to do anything with it, and implying that posting out an item automatically entitles you to a review, free advertising, or anything at all in return is very unprofessional, and free goods should never be considered to be any form of payment or bribe.  There are countless reasons why your sample may never again see the light of day; it may not be appropriate, may never reach the right person or destination, or simply may not have been wanted in the first place. Sampling should be considered a way to have your products seen by the right people, with the potential to gain possible coverage, or expect disappointment.

You should also be open to the fact that if your sampling does result in a review or placement, you do not have the right to demand editorial control of that exposure.  If you’re not 100% confident that your piece will generate  a positive response, do not send it, as many blogs will stipulate that they are as happy to post bad reviews as they are good ones.  Only ever send out the highest quality samples and promotional material, and if you’re at all unsure, don’t let bad stock represent you and ruin your one first impression.  For instance, recently I’d been heavily promoting a brand I felt was an exciting up and coming label.  However, when I received a sample garment, my surprise at receiving an unhemmed, poorly constructed piece of cheap material simply folded in half and quickly stitched down one side leaving excess fabric on the inside was immense.  That item ended up in the bin, and I haven’t written about the brand since.

Be sure to take as much care with your packaging as with your sample product itself.  Avoid quirky ‘homemade’ touches such as putting sweets or glittery stars reserved for children’s scrapbooking into envelopes, and use printed address labels and notes, as anything hand written should be discarded.  I make these points with the assumption that you don’t have beautiful calligraphy skills, or possess a professional touch with craft items; if you really can create packaging that wouldn’t be out of place in a glossy magazine, by all means do, but if your limit is wrapping something in lime green tissue paper and sealing it with an Elmo sticker, restrain yourself.

Sampling is one of the most effective ways to promote your products, and to lead to further opportunities.  Simply approach it with the right attitude, and that one in ten packages you send off may just pay dividends. 

** This has, of course, been a general overview of sampling; if you’d like to read detailed information and advice on how to target the right recipients and offer your work for use in shoots and features, Sarah-Jane will shortly be releasing a set of immensely helpful business E Books, covering this, and many other topics of interest to young creatives, in depth.  To receive news of when these guides become available, please send your details to sarahjane@sarahjaneadams.com, or join her on Facebook.

Image by JB Curio on Flickr