Chef His-Self

So this was the weekend I did product demonstrations at the local big box store. The deal was that I was to do two different demonstrations, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Demonstrate is a misnomer. Prepare and hand out samples is the more accurate description.

The product on Saturday was Sutton & Dodge (Hormel) Pot Roast in a bag....lightly seasoned, pre-cooked. All you have to do is heat and eat. The bag contained a 5 pound piece of beef and it was selling on sale for $11.99/lb. That means the 5 lb. bag retailed for right on $60. $12/lb. for a piece of meat is a little...no a lot more than I normally would consider spending so I was interested to see how other people perceived the product.

Before distributing the samples I had to heat a piece of meat in a microwave and then cut it into sample size servings. Heating the meat caused a very nice aroma to surround my little work area and it really attracted people. I had tasted the product before I started handing samples out and I will admit it was very tasty. That's what most of the customers said too.

Once most of the people learned the price they walked on but many didn't bat an eye and picked up a bag. I sold all of the product the store had on hand except for one bag and I had a great time doing it.

When I first started my real work career 36 years ago I was a sales representative and sold commercial and industrial products to building contractors. I did ok at it but was never really comfortable in a sales job because the pressure never quit. You could have a record month/year but then the next month/year you started from zero and the pressure was on again. In this little hobby/job there is no pressure. The task is to give out samples and if someone buys the product that's an added bonus. That made it a fun thing for me.

Sunday the product was BOOST Juices. I have to tell you that I don't really "get" that product. I is a natural juice made of some exotic fruits that is supposed to work magic for your body. The "Inner" formula said it was supposed to make all of your organs function better....It tasted like watered down prune juice to me.

I didn't have the aroma going for me on Sunday and traffic was very light. The goal was to hand out 400 samples and I handed out maybe 70. You win some you lose some! While it was boring not being actively engaged with customers I still had a good time people watching and studying what people were buying.

All in all I had a good time and will probably do some more of this. This will have to wait a few weeks though because the great Tucson Road Trip starts this coming Sunday. This week will be busy getting ready. In addition to getting everything packed I have to reinstall the two coach batteries I use as back up power in the RV. When I know I'm not going to use the RV for several weeks I take them out of the coach and keep them in my basement hooked up to a trickle charger. I also need to clean the gas burner and flue for the RV refrigerator. It's been acting up on the last several trips and normally requires cleaning every couple of months. This is the kind of work I really enjoy....getting ready for a road trip.

Thanks for visiting.