5 Sensual Ways to Advertise a Bake Sale

Planning a fund raising bake sale is like creating a small business. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. In the beginning, there will be a period of preparation followed by the Grand Opening. In the middle, there will be the actual sale of goodies, and in the end, there will be the big close-out sale. And even though your bake sale is designed to last for only a few hours, just like any small business you can use many of their techniques to increase your sales.

One way to maximize customer attendance and increase your sales is to use what we all have: the 5 senses. We are all programmed to respond to what we see, smell, taste and touch, and hear. If any or all of these sense are incorporated into your bake sale plan you are on your way to a great sale.

Here's just a few ideas of how these can easily and inexpensively be done.

Sight: Eye Appeal Is Buy Appeal.
Give a lot of thought to using sight and sight-lines to sell your baked goods. Eye appeal is definitely buy appeal. Take time to think about your table placement. Try grouping items at the table according to distinct categories. This is going to make it easy for your shopper to find what she's looking for and easy for you to sell.

Is the table attractive? Has the theme been carried out through the use of color or other items? Most importantly, does your table and your sale area look clean, neat, and uncluttered?

Smell: The Nose Knows.
Selling baked goods by using the sense of smell is a natural. Walk into any bakery and suddenly you can almost taste the donut in the showcase. It's nearly impossible to pass up the smell of a freshly baked cookie. The nose just doesn't want to leave. Try to think of how you can create that mouth watering smell experience to your bake sale.

Bake some cookies. The smell of a chocolate chip cookie coming out of the oven creates a homey and comfortable feeling. If you're presenting your bake sale in a location that has an oven, or toaster oven, pop something in it and let that fresh baked aroma sell for you.

Fry some donuts. People will wait in line to buy a simple cake donut made in a small electric skillet at a bake sale table. Of course, while they were waiting, they grabbed a cup of coffee and were shopping the rest of the table for treats to take home.

Pop some popcorn. Popcorn is an impulse item that few people resist. Children young and old will probably all leave with a bag of popcorn. Popping corn also attracts attention...pop...pop...pop.

Brew some coffee. Coffee is a high profit item that is a natural fit for a bake sale. Even dedicated dieters can succumb to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. It's quick and easy to serve and it makes people happy.

Taste & Touch and Maybe Buy.
Gourmet shops do it all the time: give out samples. When people have the opportunity to sample something they are more likely to buy something.

Like the local deli or bakeshop, provide a sample dish. Take a few cookies or tea breads and cut into individual portions to create mini-samples.

Place a note identifying the samples. Let the samplers know who made them, how much are they, and where are they located on your table. Vary the food textures for sampling. Offer a crisp cookie alongside a sponge cake sample. If someone has made homemade jam, serve samples on crackers. Place your samples out periodically so that you create interest without attracting a samples only crowd.

Hearing Sound All Around.
It's impossible to walk into your supermarket today without hearing pleasant music being piped over the sound system. Sound can relax people and it can add to your sale theme. You can do the same.

Consider having pleasant background music during your sale. A short, live performance might add to you event. Do you have a school singing group that might perform during your peak hours? This could delight your customers. There are many ways to appeal to the gratification of the five senses. These possibilities rarely demand any great financial expense yet they allow everyone to indulge in satisfying natural tendencies. You don't need to reinvent the wheel here, just put it in motion.

Elaine S. Rexdale earned a BA in Elementary Education from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL and an MA in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College at Columbia University in NY. She has been an early childhood educator and administrator for the past 30 years and has served in public and private schools in IL, LA, and NY. Her website is http://www.ElaineRexdale.com.