All in Good Taste: How Tasting Samples Can Work for You

Here at Maple Ridge Farms, we know the importance of samples.  We strive to provide beautiful pictures of our gifts in our catalog and on our website, but pictures can only go so far, especially when it comes to food gifts.  There are other senses to appeal to!  Nothing compares to being able to bite into a gourmet treat, to feel the chocolate melt on your tongue or savor the crunch of fresh-roasted nuts, to experience the creamy texture of gourmet cheese or the chewy goodness of fresh-baked brownies.  Sharing this with your clients is a great way to build excitement and seal the deal!

Because tasting samples are such an integral part of selling food gifts, we have a variety of approaches to help you find the perfect tool.



Each year, we run a unique sample program: One Taste is All It Takes (or the One Taste program).  For a small investment, we'll ship a sample directly to twenty (or more) of your clients; you need only provide us with your list and business cards.  We include your business card (and your name and address on the return label), along with a mini-catalog and a great incentive to order.  This year, we're featuring gourmet brownies or deluxe mixed nuts.

Every year we offer the One Taste program, we hear success stories from distributors who drew in new business--or saw increases in existing business--with the samples.  It's not only food gifts that see the increase, either!  The One Taste program is an excellent way to keep your name in front of your clients and build goodwill.  (My favorite story is of the client who was eating his treats when he realized that he needed to order some promotional piggy banks.  He'd felt like a pig because he was not going to share those treats!)

If the One Taste program doesn't quite suit your needs, we also offer tasting samples of virtually any item included in our catalog.  Maybe your client has already seen a gift but wants to try our Cocoa Dusted Truffles before committing.  Not a problem!  We're happy to provide our tasting samples without any additional packaging in limited quantities at low rates to help you secure your order.

We also offer pre-selected tasting sample kits--Chocolate Favorites or Crunchy Favorites (especially ideal for warmer months when chocolate may melt before the samples can be delivered)--at subsidized costs.  These are good for keeping samples on-hand for short-notice meetings, or to keep in an office or showroom for walk-in traffic.  These are also a great way to introduce new clients to food gifts!  Simply open a sample when you arrive at a sales call and let your clients munch on the goodies as you discuss their needs.  They're so delicious that your clients won't be able to resist asking where they came from--and how they can get some for themselves.

To find out how to participate in the One Taste program or for more information on tasting samples and how to use them, please feel free to contact our team of gift specialists.  We're here to help you on your way to food gift selling success!