Get Designs and Marketing in Gear Now
The summer season is a vibrant time for your business, but only if you believe that it is and treat this as a time for planting, building, and succeeding in the coming months.
Here are three things that veteran gift basket retailers are doing right now to guarantee higher profits.
1. Reviewing old design photographs to remind themselves of techniques that have worked in the past and can be revived in fall and winter.
2. Contacting customers by postcard and through other direct marketing methods,
telling them what they’re finding at trade shows that will wow their customers.
3. Sending small tokens of thanks and appreciation for past purchases, whether it’s items found in inventory or specialized packages of M&M’s with their gift basket logo on the candies.
My marketing campaigns are underway now, especially since many people I’ve met at recent events are interested in distributing gift baskets to their customers.
These people include presidents and directors of agencies, public relations officers at non-profit organizations, and sales vice presidents of pharmaceutical firms.
This is the time to get your business ready now for big sales ahead.
Which designs are you creating, and what marketing products will you mail?
How Do You Dress for Deliveries?
To make local gift basket deliveries, some designers have been fortunate to find couriers and other transportation services that will take gifts and baskets directly to the recipient’s home or office. But some of us must make the deliveries on our own.
In either case, the person who greets the receiver must look clean and professional. It will give the customer or recipient the right impression about your products and services.
Deliveries are very important, but so is attire. If you use a courier, review the company’s dress policy as well as their service record.
Also, consider your own appearance when delivering.
You create beautifully-designed gift baskets that everyone wants to receive. Be sure to not ruin your reputation with an untidy appearance during the delivery.
Getting Help Before the Holidays
One of the long-time dilemmas with our businesses is the ability to hire help, especially when working in a home office or home-based workspace.
Because of the location, it may seem that one of the only sources for help is within our own families because we’re most comfortable with them in our homes versus someone we don’t know.
That’s true in some cases, and in others, family members can be negative about our businesses or more untrustworthy than a stranger. That’s a subject for a different blog post, so I’ll stop here talking that way about family.
My recent article on the Small Business Trends blog uncovers how two entrepreneurs found assistance so that their businesses blossomed (you’ll instantly know one of their names).
Although both examples aren’t gift basket specific, the article focuses on why finding help is critical to your success.
I’m considering hosting a teleseminar on this topic, but before I do, I’d like your help. If finding help is a problem that you’d like to solve before the year-end holidays, tell me your situation here so that I can reveal solutions in the upcoming seminar.
It’s easy for me to talk by phone, but unless the discussion allows you to finally remove this burden from your list, the call won’t be worth anything for you.
What’s your biggest problem or fear when it comes to hiring help?
Do You Market Gift Baskets While Driving?
I was in my car on Saturday when I noticed a gift basket business delivery van in front of me.
The writing on the back of the van said, “Follow me to The Gift Basket Kase,” and included the company’s telephone number.
I smiled broadly because I’d never seen the van in the past, but then I realized what was missing from the information. There was no Web site address.
The van began exiting the highway, and I was able to see its side panel. No Web site address was shown there either.
Several marketing methods that works consistently for gift basket designers worldwide are included in 101 Ways to Market Gift Baskets.
Does your delivery vehicle, whether a personalized van or car, include all of the methods customers can contact you so they can choose how to order?
While driving, your Web site address may be easier to remember than the phone number. The more options you give prospects to contact you, the better.
How do you advertise your gift baskets to people driving next to you?
-
Gift Basket Biz Plan
-
Gift Basket Books
-
-
Welcome, from Shirley George Frazier
-
Visit Our Sponsors
