Ask Questions Before You Begin Designing
Asking your client questions about each recipient is crucial during the presentation.
As soon as the client says “yes” to your suggestions, it’s time to begin learning all about the person who will receive the gift basket.
One customer who ordered from me last year is the director of a day care program. She purchased 25 gifts housed in red drums, one each for members of her staff.
I asked her about each person’s age, marital status, favorite colors, and allergies. She knows their preferences and was able to provide me with answers in order to customize each gift perfectly.
The containers were similar, but each design was unique. Everyone shouted with joy when they saw their special gift.
When you get the order, ask as many questions as possible about the recipient so that you not only fulfill the first order but continue to be the client’s gift provider.
Ten Steps to Become a Successful Gift Basket Designer shares more helpful hints to satisfy every customer.
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How to Learn More About Local Competition
Are you located in the Buffalo, New York area? Then news about a Canadian-based gift basket company that’s coming to Lockport is news to know. A short article about the lease signing appeared in The Buffalo News.
“Community Development Director William J. Evert said the tenant will be assembling gift baskets there. It will begin with 3,564 square feet, with the option to increase that area to about 10,000 square feet.”
Information about competitors doesn’t always appear in the newspaper, but when it does, it’s vital for you to read it.
You can find this news the same way I do - by subscribing to Yahoo! alerts. Here’s how.
1. Learn how to set up your alerts through this Yahoo! link, which will take you to their frequently-asked questions area, a section I encourage you to create for your site in this post.
2. Look for the question, “How do I create an alert?” and click on the link.
3. Create your own alerts on gift baskets and other topics that relate to business in your region. For example, if I want alerts about gift baskets in Butte, Montana, I’d set up alerts for:
Use the symbols suggested by Yahoo!, whether it’s quote marks around words or the plus sign between words, to receive Email alerts to your exact specifications.
A similar alert system is available through Google. Subscribe to that one as well, as each search engine uncovers different stories.
How would you proceed if you received an alert similar to the one about the gift basket company that just signed a lease agreement? I’d:
1. Visit the facility to learn if it’s a retail or commercial space (will they sell gift baskets there in a retail environment, or is it a space where they’ll make gift baskets and ship them worldwide?).
2. Research the company online to learn more about them (you can do that because you have the company’s name and Canadian headquarters’ information).
3. Set up a meeting with the community development director or designated assistant to learn more about the company.
Does the last step make you nervous? Consider what might happen if you don’t learn more about this company. In other words, are you ready to go back to working for someone else, because that’s what may happen without this research.
Create a reason for the meeting.
Do what’s necessary (within the law) to learn about the competition.
The bottom line is that you deserve to know what’s happening in your community, especially if it will impact on your profitability.
When you set up Email alerts, you’ll have access to competitive information when it makes the news. Arm yourself today with this free resource.
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How to Compete and Keep Your Customers
While working as a temporary employee, I was assigned to work at the headquarters of a supermarket chain.
The executives talked about their stores, but they also discussed how to compete against new supermarket chains entering their regions. They were determined to guard their territories.
How do you protect your turf against competitors? Do you sit in silence while they set up camp? Most of all, do you know who they are, where they’re located, and how they try to make your customers defect?
If you invested in the How To book, you read about this topic in Chapter 10 and hopefully completed the competitive intelligence form. But what about the rest of you — how do you guard your territory against other gift basket sellers? Two methods are:
1. Match their grand opening incentive. Competitors add coupons offers to their advertisements. Tell your customers to cut out those coupons, and bring it to you for a free gift with purchase. Select an attractive item from your inventory as the gift.
2. Reward customers for snitching. Let clients know that they’ll receive a valuable gift each time they inform you about new area sellers who contact them by mail or other means.
It’s also important to understand who your competitors are and who they are not, a subject explained in this article.
Hiding or sulking when competitors come to town won’t sell one gift basket. Act like the supermarket chain executives. Prepare to protect your turf and serve your customers.
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