Why Every Business Won’t Be Your Gift Basket Client
Early in my career, I decided to send either a gift basket or small gift to newly-launched companies listed in my local newspaper.
The premise was to get each company’s attention so that as business grew, my company would be the one they called for employee and customer gifts.
Before pursuing this goal, I drove to each company’s address to view the location. I remember that one automotive firm’s address was a private house, and locations for other businesses that required at least a sign in the front (but had no sign) weren’t what they were reported to be.
Were the newspaper listings accurate?
All the paper did was print a roster of anyone who registered a new business within the county, so while the information may have been correct, the potential for future sales was not. I immediately abandoned my plan.
You know the importance of initial impressions all too well. What I saw on the outside told me not to send anything to any of these businesses. Instead, I stayed with my original plan: contacting corporate clients I already knew and the referrals they provided to me.
Over time, that marketing strategy increased my sales and client list.
Sending welcome gifts to unknown prospects wastes time, energy, and money. In many cases, it’s simply not the way to build your business.
The Pre-Holiday Q&A two-part article will help you find companies to buy your gift baskets right now.
What Not to Do at a Corporate Presentation
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?
Why the Economy Won’t Hurt Your Holiday Orders
I’ve received Emails from some of you, as you’re concerned about sales this holiday due to financial worries of the firms that buy from you.
This concern is valid, but we’ve been here before, and the financial crisis will surely happen again.
What are your options to attract old clients and new prospects?
1. Write a letter of encouragement and send it to current customers. Tell them that during these uncertain times, you’re ready to help them increase their business by delivering gifts and baskets to prospects they now have a chance to pursue.
An example letter was recently added to Top 10 Letters.
2. Make sure that you create multi-sized gift arrangements in your seasonal assortment. Small baskets and large, rectangular tins are two corporate favorites. In addition, you can place a minimum order number on mugs to ensure that you sell multiples rather than singles (minimum of 3, 6, 12, etc.).
There will always been a reason for some people to shout, “The sky is falling!” Make sure you concentrate on where the money is falling.
Which Corporate Sales are on Your Summer List?
While recording chapter 6 of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business, I was reminded of my first big sale of the summer.
It was through a referral at a networking event. The person I met there told me about a big retreat planned by one of the major employers in my area. Luckily, someone who worked at the firm was at the same event.
I spoke with her, found out who was in charge of the retreat, and promptly contacted him the next morning.
It took two calls and two presentations to get the order. 700 gift baskets were delivered to the retreat’s facility about 10 miles from my office. I became overly emotional twice during the project - once when I got the account, and the second time was when I received the final payment on delivery.
I didn’t stop there. Before completing the order, I used that account to promote myself to other companies so that my summer sales would grow and continue to increase through the rest of the year.
What’s your plan for capturing summer sales?
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