Most people don't expect a cleaning products company to set up a table in their grocery store. Honestly, that's part of why demos work. People walk by, do a double take, and stop to ask what we're doing there.
Here's what a demo day actually looks like.
The prep nobody sees
A demo starts well before I get to the store. Sample bottles have to be filled. Information cards have to be printed. We always bring those, because people like having something to take home and read later. The table has to be packed.
Then I carry all of it to the store. On the subway. Which is usually delayed.
If you asked me the hardest part of demo day, it's not talking to strangers. It's getting there.
Timing matters
I like to do demos in the late afternoon, when people are getting off work or about to, and grabbing groceries for dinner. They're already in shopping mode and not rushing to the office. Weekends work well too.
What happens at the table
People are usually surprised a cleaning brand would do a store demo. Then they try the samples, and that's where it clicks. Once they've smelled the hinoki, lavender and cedarwood, they want to hear the story: who we are, that we make everything in small batches here in NYC, and why plant-derived, non-toxic ingredients are worth switching to for the stuff you spray around your kitchen every day.
That conversation is the whole point. A shelf can't tell our story. A person standing next to it can.
The people you meet
At every demo, I meet people who want to help the brand grow. Some follow us on Instagram. Some introduce me to friends. Some work in the consumer industry themselves.
At one health store demo, I met a sales rep for a supplement company. We're still talking. You never know who's going to walk past your table.
Uncomfortable, then fun
I'm not going to pretend the first one was easy. Standing behind a table and trying to get strangers to stop is uncomfortable. But demos force you to put yourself out there. After the first few, it becomes fun and even rewarding. You get to watch someone smell the product for the first time, get it, and walk out with a bottle.
If you see our table at a store near you, come say hi. And if you can't wait for the next demo, find a store that carries SOHJI or shop the All-Purpose Surface Cleaner online.
— Max
Read more about building SOHJI: The SOHJI Journal.
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