Classes & Seminars

Your store’s products and services represent an expertise. Share that knowledge with existing and potential Guests through Customer Seminars.

When customers better understand the nuances of your products and services they better understand the value. No matter what your business, there is probably some class – or a series of classes – you may offer to create appreciation, deeper fans, and more loyal customers.

Thought starters include:

Restaurants

Flights (e.g. Wine Flight, Cheese Flight)

What is your location’s specialty? Offer a flight of *that* item with slightly different versions. Provide a series of tasting portions to let customers learn what they like. This helps set you up as an expert.

Cooking Classes with the Chef

What an experience to learn behind-the-scene, in-kitchen techniques from the experts at your location. Offer classes that will help aspiring at-home chefs learn how to cut, to prep, and cooking skills. If you have a specialty – fresh pasta, for example – be sure to make that part of the class.

Tasting Events

People love to try before they buy! That’s why sampling and tasting events are so successful. (See Sampling & Demonstrations later in this guide).

No matter your industry, hosting a tasting event at your location is a great way to drive traffic and create buzz around your products. You can highlight new offerings, create food/wine pairings, or just showcase something that you especially like.

Check out these excellent examples below for inspiration.

• If you own a wine shop or a bar, showcase a certain region of the world. These types of tastings help to highlight the variety of wine (scotch, rum, tequila, etc.) you offer, and can draw attention to lesser-known items on your list. Paired with some tasty (and regional) snacks, it will be a fun event for everyone! If possible, you could even invite a wine distributor or winemaker from that region to further engage with customers.
• Help your customers learn about where your delicious products come from, and why they are so special. This is the perfect tasting for gourmet goods that may cost a bit more than your average grocery store brand (coffee, chocolate, whiskey, cheese). Your customers will leave feeling educated and better about purchasing the various gourmet products you offer.
• Partner with another local business to cross-promote and reach even more customers! Just make sure you pick a local business that works in a different industry than you do! (Good pairings: coffee and chocolate, chocolate and wine, beer and bbq, etc.)
• For speciality retailers (tea, olive oil/vinegar, coffee, juice bars), it may be a challenge to get customers to invest in your products. Especially if they can get something they perceive as similar at their local grocery store. For this reason, it’s extra important to promote tasting events so that your customers can see, smell and experience the difference! You can even host private tasting events for larger groups, and offer customers exclusive use of your space and a special product offerings.

Retail

• “How To” guide on selecting the right product (a tie, luggage, laptop, car wax).
• How to select the proper stereo system.
• How to buy accessories that go with your furniture.
• Tips on packing for and traveling to another country.

Tips:

• Offer light refreshments,
• Provide a professionally written guide as a take-home reference,
• Have ready all the items you plan to talk about, and
• Rehearse what you plan to speak about and create a presentation if appropriate.