Well, I use a VV/VW battery with an RBA now, but that's not how I started. I started with a Cigalike not to quit, but just something to do instead of going outside. I ended up buying three because of the battery life $ 20 each. Went from those, to an EGO starting kit that had two 1100MaH batteries (I swapped one for a 900MaH designer model) and about 5 stardusts... That worked fine for a few months and got me totally cigarette free. Then I realized that the 900MaH battery offered a better vape, then I went with my VV/VW mod and an RBA (I started rebuilding CE5 coils, so I was fairly comfortable switching to an RBA). That is the experience I started with.
Because of my experience, I usually try to get to know the person a little. I still have my 900MaH battery, and occasionally use it. I use it more, however, for suggesting to someone what to get. Cigalikes have a major disadvantage of battery life, and if it's too much of a hastle, people won't switch. I view all smokers as an uphill battle when suggesting E-cigs. Smokers don't realize how much they're addicted to their smoking ritual, so switching to something has to have a similar ritual. For example, going to the store and buying a few packs, packing the tobacco down, opening the pack, finding a lighter and lighting it, flicking the ashes, putting it out and disposing of it. There's a lot if time involved in smoking an analog cigarette that people don't realize, and they're addicted to the routine almost as bad as the nicotine itself. When I was recently switching to cigalikes, I found myself walking out on the back porch occasionally before realizing... I bought these things so I don't have to do this.. then went back inside... it was a habbit I was addicted to.
So, you need to learn what the smoker is looking for. almost %90 of them want something no bigger than a regular cigarette. Since they have no experience in the field, they don't realize how short the battery life is... even if you tell them, they won't understand. For that reason, I recommend something that has a portable charging pack if they absolutely insist on having a cigarette sized pv. BLU e-cigs are a good example, since it allows them to have two batteries, extra cartomizers and a portable charging pack that is no bigger than a pack of cigarettes they are carrying right now. Getting them off of analogs is the main reason I suggest something like this for those that DEMAND cigarette sized batteries. If they're not willing to pay for the entire kit, then suggest at least getting a brand that can be charged without the pack, but have the option for a pack charger for later use.
For those who are open to an alternative size for starters, I get their price range. Remember, most smokers don't pay $40-$50 at a time, so they might stomache the initial startup costs for something they're not sure if it will work. I recommend a fairly inexpensive EGO battery. If they have the money, a good spinner would be perfect, but that can be a turn off for some people. To explain a spinner, I simply tell them they have the option to turn down the vapor if they are in public. Lastly, if you can, take them to a vape store that has samples of their juice. let them try all the different flavors out there, but be sure to explain "would you do this flavor after you eat dinner or breakfast". Usually smokers will be drawn towards a more familiar taste. I don't push tobacco flavors, since vaping does not fully emulate a real cigarette, I don't want to get their expectations to that level. I tell them that those tobacco flavors are vaguely similar, but WILL be different.
There is no clear answer as to what to recommend to a smoker to switch. They're all different. To me, the perfect starter would've been the EGO battery, but I started with Cigalikes. The first $120 dollars were on starter units if you include the cigalikes + Ego batteries. I decided that one of the primary motivators into switching to e-cigarettes is reducing the cost of cigarettes. I have stayed under budget with all my vaping gear/juice compared to what I would've spent with analogs. I have cut down to vaping 6mg juice, and at this level, there is about half the nicotine than what I would be smoking (talking about in the device, not absorbed into the body). However there is NO tar or carbon in my ecig. I plan on reducing it to half soon, but I'll have to mix my own 3mg nic liquid out of a 6 and a 0 nic liquid.
