A site visit, demo or sample: which one to offer and when

A buyer says, "Send a sample and I will tell you," and your hand reaches for the courier slip. Stop and ask what the sample is meant to settle. Offer a sample when the buyer can judge the product itself, a demo when they must see it work, and a site visit when the answer depends on their premises. Choose the cheapest one that settles their doubt. If the buyer has not said what they need, send nothing and spend ten minutes on a call first. Proof given to an undecided buyer is often just a gift.

What does each one cost you, and what does it settle?

The question to ask first is not which one you prefer, but what the buyer cannot judge from a brochure. A fabric buyer cannot judge handle from a photograph. A buyer of a packing machine cannot judge speed from a leaflet. A buyer of a false ceiling cannot judge the work without seeing the hall.

How sure is the buyer?

Match the effort to the buyer's certainty. Use a simple ladder of four levels.

1. Browsing. No quantity, no date. Offer information only: a catalogue, a price range, perhaps photographs. No sample, no visit.
2. Interested. Has described a need and asked about price. Offer the cheapest proof: a small sample, or a recorded demo.
3. Comparing. Has a quantity, a date and at least one other supplier. Offer the proof that separates you: a sample of the actual grade, a live demo with their people present.
4. Ready, with one doubt. Needs a single question answered before ordering. Offer exactly what answers it, perhaps a site visit to confirm measurements.

For example, an invented industrial floor-coating applicator in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar gets enquiries from warehouse owners. At level two the applicator sends photographs of finished floors and a one-page note on surface preparation. At level three it offers a small trial patch in a corner of the buyer's own floor, because the buyer's concrete decides how the coating behaves. At level four it visits with a moisture reading, since the one doubt is whether the slab is dry enough. Sometimes the reading says no, and the buyer puts the job off for a season, so the visit earned an honest delay and not an order.

What is the mistake, and the fix?

The mistake is the same in all three. Proof goes out before any commitment comes back. A sample that goes out with no follow-up date is a free item. A demo with the clerk and not the owner is a performance for nobody. A visit without measurements is a day's travel for a guess.

The fix is a short condition you state in plain words, before you send or travel. Examples:

• "I'll send the sample if you tell me the quantity you would order if it suits, and we fix a day for me to phone for your view."
• "I can do the demo if the person who approves the purchase will be there."
• "I'll visit once you've sent me photographs and the dimensions, so I can come with a figure."

These are not hurdles; they are how a serious buyer already thinks. Someone who cannot give a quantity or a time probably is not at level three.

How do I decide when two options fit?

Use the cheaper one first, then move up. A buyer asked to look at a sample, and who then calls about price, has earned the demo. A buyer who sees a demo and asks about their own premises has earned the visit. Escalating in steps lets you stop when the buyer stops, and the cost stays in proportion to the order.

Sometimes the order of cost is not the order of use. A buyer in a hurry may ask for the visit first because they trust measurements more than a sample. Follow the doubt, not the ladder: if the doubt is about the premises, a sample will not answer it.

Some items are regulated or safety-related, such as food, medicines and electrical goods. Rules on samples and demonstrations differ by state and body and change. Check with your own adviser or the regulator before you give anything away.

When should I offer none of the three?

When the product is standard and priced, and the buyer's question is delivery or payment, none of the three helps. When the buyer has a long list of suppliers and wants a sample from each, ask for a purchase order for the sample, or a small fee. And when you are short of stock or skilled hours, say plainly: "I can do the demo in the second week of next month," and give the reason.

What the log should show

Write each sample, demo or visit in a short log: date, buyer, the level the buyer was at, what you gave, what you asked in return and the date you will phone. An invented line reads: "3 Nov, Rao Warehousing, level 3, trial patch 2 m by 2 m, asked for the slab date and a call on 10 Nov, result: wants a second quote." After a few months, count how many led to an order. If the sheet shows many samples and few orders, ask the buyer for more before you send. If almost every visit becomes an order, you may be too cautious, and could offer the proof a rung earlier.

What to send after the proof is covered in follow-up after a sample, board or demo, and protecting your margin on repeat requests in handling a sample request. The sales process section shows where proof sits between qualification and the quote. This week, take your three oldest open enquiries, place each on the four-level ladder and write the condition you will state before sending anything. If you want a second pair of eyes on the ladder, inbound lead conversion describes our work on enquiries, and you can tell us what you need.