You want corporate clients to associate your gift baskets with a great experience, but that won’t happen if you commit the following missteps.
1. Bring 10 designs to the meeting.
Are gift baskets on top of your head and under your arms as you enter the building? If so, that’s a sure sign you’re overloaded.
No matter what the client requests, bring no more than three designs. More than three will confuse the client, and the multi-gift basket balancing act will make you too uncomfortable to concentrate on the presentation.
2. Over-promise and under-deliver. Know your limitations before agreeing to design additions, modifications or price changes. If you’re not sure, don’t answer until you’ve calculated the profit margin.
3. Get too chummy. Let your personality shine, but don’t go overboard by laughing too loudly, talking obsessively or going off-topic before the deal is done. Focus on the business at hand, which includes pairing your value with their requirements.
4. Bring messy tasting samples. Finger foods such as cookies or chocolates are acceptable, including items lightly coated with sugar. Foods and snacks that require utensils are off limits. The same is true for edibles that melt quickly and anything with a liquid center.
5. Add balloons as part of the display. Being present in an office when a balloon bursts is not a fun experience. It can cause staff to spill coffee, drop papers or retain headaches. Do you want to be associated with that?
I committed No. 1 early in my career and walked out without a sale. Which one of these missteps has happened to you?
No related posts.
{ 1 trackback }