Red, white and green are colors that come to mind when we create holiday gift baskets.

However, clients may request other colors to be included or as an alternative when you create designs for the holidays.

This request is due to recipient preferences.

Keep these choices and options in mind as you speak with clients by phone or connect with them by email.

I’ve created holiday gift baskets with colors of blue and brown, black and white, and green and pink for customers ordering for everyone from children to seniors.

Suggest non-holiday color choices when speaking with your clients. They will be pleasantly surprised with this option, and it may well get you many referrals and repeat business.

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. The Big Gift Basket Order – Are You Ready for It?
2. Make Sure that Networking is Part of Your Gift Basket Business Plan

My first request for a back-to-school gift basket arrived because I planned it.

This is a theme that I knew my customers weren’t thinking about, but I was, so I decided to let them know, by mail and through general conversations, that going to college for the first time would be easier for freshman because of the baskets I created and delivered.

The plan worked. Each time I spoke with customers and prospects, I asked them about students in their families and how they were progressing in school. This opened the door for me to describe the available school baskets and its contents.

I made 45 back-to-school gifts in one month for a total of $5,200, all because I encouraged customers through casual conversation.

What’s your plan for selling back-to-school gift baskets between now and August?

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. Ideas to Promote Your Father’s Day Gift Baskets

Of all the gift basket themes made every day for all occasions, there are three that your business can thrive on throughout the year.

• Baby – No matter what the economy woman worldwide give birth, and friends and families celebrate with lavish baskets for the newborn and mom.
• Thank You - Appreciation for good deeds and favors are acknowledged in style with designs packaged in everything from mugs to trunks depending on the helper’s age and budget.
• Happy Birthday – As you read this, someone’s special day is being celebrated today. That someone is in your local area, and part of their celebration requires a friend or family member to order a birthday basket from you.

There is a runner-up theme that’s just as popular as the three mentioned above. Take a guess — which one is it?

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. Why Inventory Purchased this Year is Perfect for Mother’s Day Gift Baskets
2. Ideas to Promote Your Father’s Day Gift Baskets

Here’s a collection of links from previous articles to help you focus on last-minute opportunities to connect with customers who haven’t yet decided what to order for dads, uncles, brothers, and sons on their special day.

Crafting a Plan to Profit

Father’s Day Gift Baskets Special Edition

Two Ways to Boost Father’s Day Sales

What type of promotional planning has been most effective for you to increase your Father’s Day gift basket Sales?

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. Why Inventory Purchased this Year is Perfect for Mother’s Day Gift Baskets
2. Plan for Past Gift-Giving Events Now
3. How to Get Your Gift Baskets in the Media

What items in your inventory will you select for Mother’s Day gift baskets?

This isn’t a difficult choice for me, and I hope that the same is true for you.

When I purchase Valentine’s Day and Administrative Professionals Day merchandise, I do so with Mother’s Day in mind.

Anything that doesn’t sell for those two events are prime candidates for Mother’s Day giving. The products are still new, and ladies in most age ranges enjoy and appreciate these items to celebrate their special family role.

This Baskets for Mom article will provide you with more ideas to satisfy all of your customers.

How do you plan to upsell Mother’s Day with gift baskets for aunts, grandmothers, stepmoms, and sisters?

Shirley George Frazier

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Every house I visited this past Thanksgiving was home to a family that also included a pet.

Whether dog, cat, bird, or fish, something outside of the traditional two-legged people we greet when arriving also clamored for attention (yes, fish do notice that new people are in the house).

Whether an order comes by phone or shopping cart, you have time to ask the customer about the inclusion of pet treats before the gift basket is created.

A frequent question that is asked by my designer clients is, “Where’s the best place to buy pet treats?” I often remind designers that the best place is a place that’s local to them where pet products are found, which means the product is often rotated because of customer loyalty.

One place I do not recommend for pet treats is a discount store with merchandise at super-low prices. These stores have fantastic buys in many categories, but it may not be the ideal place to buy products that will be ingested by a family pet.

My husband once purchased a rawhide bone from one such place for our dog, and the dog had a terrible reaction to the product, one that put the whole family into turmoil. The dog became ill, and we cried while doing everything possible to bring him through the pain.

The situation finally concluded with the dog feeling better, me punching my husband in the arm, and the family passing out on the couch due to the stress.

What do you remember a customer saying to you about the pet treats added to a gift basket delivered to the customer’s door?

Shirley George Frazier

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“Rep. Mike Doyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, often uses his campaign funds to pay for funeral baskets. Mr. Doyle’s report shows he bought 21 funeral baskets for a total of about $3,000 in the last two years.”

The above paragraph was part of an article in the Wall Street Journal on October 29th entitled, Spending on Trail Often Gets Personal.

The story reveals how politicians spend campaign money while “telling voters that Congress needs to tighten its belt and cut wasteful government spending.”

While this post isn’t about whether or not politicians’ spending habits are right or wrong, what got my attention is how one politician paid an average $143 for 21 gift baskets sent to grieving families. That brings up the question:

Have you made politicians in your area aware of your gift basket service?

I practiced this many years ago and received regular orders from one politician who, at the time, was the mayor of my town.

It wasn’t difficult to get the account. No over-the-top marketing was necessary. I simply let him my about my business, and he called each week to place orders.

Which of the politicians in your area will you contact first to introduce your gifts and baskets?

Shirley George Frazier

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A good friend recently ordered a gift basket for a charity event to be held later this month.

She requested that the gift include spa items.

Lotions, creams, powders, and sponges were selected from my inventory along with herbal teas and a rose petal-covered tea cup and saucer.

Then I began looking for a container to arrange this large selection.

I checked my baskets and then searched for a miniature bathtub to accentuate the theme, but there was one container that stood above all others – a mahogany treasure chest with leather straps on the front.

This chest is deeper than the one displayed in The Gift Basket Design Book, and similar to that chest, this one turned an ordinary gift into a luxurious presentation.

You can see the finished results (before the bow and shrink wrap were added) in the above picture.

How often do you choose a gift basket container that’s not an exact match for the theme but does match the elegance of the overall arrangement?

Shirley George Frazier

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