Fruit sellers have long understood that sampling is the way to go to convince potential customers that their products are worth the purchase, a practice commonly known as “taste and buy”. Angela Chin Hing of Pretti Slippery may not be hawking guineps or apples but she can attest to the effectiveness of sampling in her own line of business. Pretti Slippery produces a line of skin care products including soaps, facial cleansers and moisturizers.

“All of the soaps, and 90 per cent of the products we initially made, were given away as testers up until the end of December 2009,” she reveals, “We were not able to afford advertisements so we decided that the product must sell itself. With this concept we gave away hundreds of soaps and as persons used them they came back for more. Our policy was that if you gave us an honest detailed feedback we would give you products.”

And enough persons have come back for more to not only keep this nurse-turned entrepreneur’s Montego Bay business afloat, but to also land her in the second “batch” of National Baking Company’s “Bold Ones”. Pretti Slippery is one of eight Jamaican companies being nurtured and mentored under this innovative programme.

“As a nurse I have always had a strong interest in skin care, and helping patients with skin ailments,” Chin Hing explains, “We started making our soaps in 2002 in our kitchen in New York. The original soaps were made for our children, who had sensitive skin and allergic dermatitis. After some of my nursing colleagues heard about the soaps they asked to sample them.”

The positive word-of-mouth encouraged further progress and Angela resumed making soaps even after returning home to Jamaica in 2003. Since then, she says, the business has been built “brick by brick”, with absolute minimal indulgences and all available returns being reinvested in production and development.

“We have monthly meetings and keep a very small but dedicated staff,” she continues, “We try to empower our employees to take control and question what they do not understand.” That cadre also includes a few sales persons, but Ching Hing notes that the promotions are product-driven, with an emphasis on interaction. “We call it the ‘wow’ factor,” she explains, “If the client tries the product they should ‘feel’ the difference. They should ‘smell” the difference. We strive to make the absolute best product possible so as to remove any disincentive from potential customers.

“We recently computerized our accounting, which took some time,” she notes, adding, “there are some tools which would help to boost our manufacturing output, and during this year, our goal is to employ that technology so the business can achieve its maximum potential.”

The quest also continues in respect of marketing information, with a customer database and production tables also in the early stages.

Nevertheless, Chin Hing is convinced that her business has a very solid future in the ‘second city’ and beyond: “The skin is the body’s largest organ on your body; more persons are realizing that it should be treated with tender love and care. Our business outlook is very optimistic. We have a dedicated staff, an excellent product that stands alongside the best anywhere. We keep our production process to the highest possible standard. If we continue to achieve these goals, word will spread and we’ll reach the four corners of the world.”