How to get your food product flying off the shelves

In this masterclass, in-store shopper researcher Tessa Stuart will give a quick visual tour of the branding tricks leading UK food brands to use to stand out on the shelf.

Key takeaways from this session:

• The key branding mistakes to avoid

• Why being too generous will make you no money

• The trigger words that get your food product noticed on the shelf

Tessa's top tips for boosting your food product sales

Always smile and say 'hello'

This sounds so obvious, but positive levels of energy beaming outwards from your market stall, your exhibition stand or your sampling on Saturday in-store, will draw people to you. If you look tired, so will your products!

Grab people's details

We can all do email newsletters for free, and the minute you start building any kind of database of contacts with people who seem well disposed to you or who have bought your products, you have gold dust there - the ability to get into their inbox!

And to remind them where you sell from, what you sell and keeping your products in their mind! Obviously this also opens up possibilities for an e-commerce business too, which is another channel for sales! PayPal makes this so easy now too.

Package your products well

Don't just slap labels on crookedly, and make sure your products are nicely presented, facing forward, at the front of the shelf.

Get your friends into the habit of nipping into the deli(s) where you're stocked and tidying you on the shelf. I do this for all my clients when I am working in the supermarket aisles!

Also make it clear what your product is, and very clear how people can use it. People really act on impulse when food buying, and the right packaging gets you bought over other brands.

Promotions and offers sell

Everybody wants a deal these days. Make yours 'three for two', which encourages people to buy more. Build this into your marketing costs at the outset, and do check that your margin can take it.

Enthuse the staff in the delis or shops where you're stocked

A friend of mine sells her chocolate in Liberty London's and all the staff there are very enthusiastic about her chocolate and keen to talk about it with customers! That creates a mini-sales force on your side to sell your products for you!

Build your brand

There are so many ways to do this now - social media is great for food brands. Just remember, as Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks says, "A like is not a sale, only a sale is a sale!"