My confetti sample line

[Todd Ziegler]

I made these for giving away samples of my soap. They are just under 3/4" in size and they are all the same recipe.

 

[dibbles]

Very nice Todd! Are you selling yet, or still gearing up?

 

[Carly B]

Those are really beautiful, Todd.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Very nice Todd! Are you selling yet, or still gearing up?

I am selling now. Mostly just word of mouth sales but I am selling 15 - 20 bars a week. I have my lip balm and lotion bars in a few stores.

Most of my soap sells are from people who got samples and then they shared them with other people and they are coming back with their friends and buying full size bars.

 

[AliOop]

These look great! Do you mind sharing how you are packaging them?

 

[dibbles]

Congratulations! It sounds like things are going very well. I wish you continued success.

 

[cmzaha]

How much does each bar weigh? You do not want to give away something that lasts long. They will just come back wanting to try another fragrance, before buying. Depending on the size you can sell sample soap, that I have done and it works, which is what I did with my little flower soaps and I sold a lot of flower soaps even getting orders for them. The only drawback was they were a pain in the backside to wrap and label. BTW, they are very pretty samples.

 

[TheGecko]

I made these for giving away samples of my soap. They are just under 3/4" in size and they are all the same recipe.

I'm with @cmzaha. Your 'samples' should allow for maybe a couple of baths and that's it. Think about the tiny little bars you find in hotels. I did purchase a couple of molds to make 'guest soaps'...1.12 ounces. They are less a 'sample' than a 'thank you' to be put into orders. Right now I'm just adding a few extra ounces to current batches, but eventually I will buy more molds and purpose make soap for them and then sell them in four-packs at a slightly higher price than a full bar of soap.

 

[AliOop]

It's possible each market is going to vary. Given the response Todd is getting, whatever he's doing is working for him, because people are returning to buy.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I made these for giving away samples of my soap. They are just under 3/4" in size and they are all the same recipe.

Wow they are beautiful soap's.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

I took a very different approach for my samples. They are on average 3ozs and I am having great success. Most of the people who got a sample have cut them in half and shared them with other people and that's what I wanted. It is one thing for a customer to try your soap and like it enough to tell other people but when they can share the soap because it is big enough to split in half, then the customer has increased awareness of my soap. Now the customer is advertising for me and the person who got the other half of the sample buys 1 or 2 full size bars and doesn't need a sample from me first.

I am showing the people that I care about them and believe in my soap. I tell every person who I give a sample of soap to, that I don't care if they come back and buy another one or not. I just want them to try it and if they don't like it, no harm and if they like it but don't buy one right away no problem, just enjoy the free sample and if they know someone who might want to try some, please share your sample with them.

This is working very well for me and I plan to stick with it. My sample sizes will not be what breaks my business, bad soap will. I only give 1 sample per customer and if my soap is good, it will sell, regardless of how large a sample is.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

These look great! Do you mind sharing how you are packaging them?

I put them in a candy bag and seal it with a large lable with my logo, ingredients etc.

 

[AliOop]

It sounds to me like there can be a significant difference in the effect of giving samples to strangers at a market, vs. the type of in-person marketing that Todd is doing. I haven't sold at markets, so I can't speak to that. But I have given soaps to lots of people that I actually know.

What I'm finding is that it takes continued use over a period of time for folks to realize the benefits of my soap. Example: after making full-sized soaps as the Christmas party gift for our ladies' group at church, I've gotten at least six women who have come back to me and say that it was only after consistently using the soap over a period of weeks that they realized or noticed the improvement to their skin. I've heard everything from, "My legs have stopped peeling," to "my hands are no longer cracked." I've gotten the same feedback on the full-sized lotion bars I've given away.

If I had given them a small sample, they would have never realized this. But because they had larger bars, they could see the benefit over time. Now they are all clamoring to buy more for themselves, and to give as gifts, to the point where I'm launching into a soapy side business.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

I also give away a free soap bag with every sample. I have 2 different ones. One that I sell and a cheap one that is free. I want them to realize that bar soap is just as convenient as liquid soap.

 

[earlene]

I believe you are both onto something there, Todd & AliOop. I have also observed it is the long-term use of hand-crafted soap that shows the benefit to the user. Although I do not sell, I do have family that have asked for more after using it for awhile. Most have offered to pay for it, but I still prefer to gift my soap, so that's what I do.

I also wanted to mention that teaching customers that they can cut the soap themselves was an interesting thing. Although it never occurred to me that anyone would respond with, "I didn't know you could cut soap" I have actually had two members of my family respond with surprise that that is even possible, let alone would have ever thought of it themselves. Surprising, huh? But true. I personally like larger bars, but my SIL said one of the bars I gave her was too big, so I suggested she cut it in half and she said "I didn't know you could cut soap." And also my baby brother, had no clue that soap could be made in large loaves and then cut to size. I am sure it's just because they never gave it any thought, but it still surprised me.

 

[lucycat]

Your samples surprised me because they are so similar to my test bars. When testing a fragrance I like to make about 8 ounce batch per fragrance. They are always confetti like yours with a different color top layer so I can tell them apart. I like a 2.5- 3 oz bar as a way to give a regular customer an extra. Plus I get an opinion on a new scent.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Your samples surprised me because they are so similar to my test bars. When testing a fragrance I like to make about 8 ounce batch per fragrance. They are always confetti like yours with a different color top layer so I can tell them apart. I like a 2.5- 3 oz bar as a way to give a regular customer an extra. Plus I get an opinion on a new scent.

I really like making confetti soap. It is an easy way to create an interesting bar. However I have never made a test batch before and I probably should. I like your testing method. You have something usable if your test is a positive.

If I have a customer who says that they want to try another sample in a different FO, I charge them for it. However I tell them upfront that anymore samples will cost them $2 or $3. The price depends on if they have already purchased a full size/price bar or not.

 

[cmzaha]

It's possible each market is going to vary. Given the response Todd is getting, whatever he's doing is working for him, because people are returning to buy.

Of course, you have to realize I did weekly markets with upwards of 5000+ attendees so giving away big samples was not affordable. The little flower samples I made were using the silicone multi-cavity mold and were approx 1 oz each, those I sold for $1, sometimes I did not charge, but I did not set it up to where they would expect freebies, which is a mistake when dealing with weekly large markets. When a customer purchased multiples from me they never left without an extra bar of soap, a soap deck, a lotion they may have shown interest in, you just never knew what I might throw-in. I gave away a lot, my customers were treated very well. Sometimes a new customer would walk away with a free bar even without purchasing.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Of course, you have to realize I did weekly markets with upwards of 5000+ attendees so giving away big samples was not affordable. The little flower samples I made were using the silicone multi-cavity mold and were approx 1 oz each, those I sold for $1, sometimes I did not charge, but I did not set it up to where they would expect freebies, which is a mistake when dealing with weekly large markets. When a customer purchased multiples from me they never left without an extra bar of soap, a soap deck, a lotion they may have shown interest in, you just never knew what I might throw-in. I gave away a lot, my customers were treated very well. Sometimes a new customer would walk away with a free bar even without purchasing.

I have my limits and when it comes to setting up at craft fairs or farmers markets, I will make the decision of when and what size sample that I will give them based on each customer that I interact with.

Right now I am approaching the people and asking them if they would like a sample and for this, I feel that the larger sample works well and I have been right so far. However when it quits working or something like the bulk prices make it unaffordable, I will change my strategy.

If I have learned anything from my years working in DC, is that, go with what works and adapt and change when it quits working. One advantage that I have, is that the market in my county and three of the county's surrounding me are untapped, virgin soap markets. I can't say that there is no one making or selling soap but I can say that there are not very many and the demand is high.

 

[cmzaha]

However when it quits working or something like the bulk prices make it unaffordable, I will change my strategy.

If I have learned anything from my years working in DC, is that, go with what works and adapt and change when it quits working. One advantage that I have, is that the market in my county and three of the county's surrounding me are untapped, virgin soap markets. I can't say that there is no one making or selling soap but I can say that there are not very many and the demand is high.

I changed strategy many times in my years of selling. You are very fortunate to live in an untapped county, I was not so fortunate. My main markets, when I started selling soap, would have from 3-7 soapmakers at any given time so I had to think up ways to stay ahead of them, and I did but it took a lot of work.