How to Step into Sales Opportunities

May 1, 2008 · Filed Under Products and Supplies · 6 Comments 

While running errands last weekend, I saw the cutest baby and toddler shoes selling at deep discounts. Shoes are one of many specialty containers I talk about in this article.

They’re not only a great reminder of how small my daughter once was, I also immediately thought about how these petite shoes create wonderful “foot in the door” and appreciation gifts.

At four dollars for each pair, it was difficult to not buy several dozen. Do you also find yourself applying brakes before overbuying?

It’s smart to take a deep breath and consider a sales plan before spending your hard-earned cash on products and services. That’s how I curbed my spending before buying the decorative shoe you see above which I filled with bath beads. It’s a great item that sold well, but I was careful not to purchase too many even though they were six dollars a pair.

Overspending not only extended my budget, it also exhausted my storage space, a problem mentioned in Buying and Storing Products.

Here are three ideas that worked to sell my shoe-based gifts:

  • An insurance agent requested an apology gift, and the shoe was a symbol of “putting his foot in his mouth.”
  • A podiatrist asked me to create several gifts to send to prospects whose employees were on their feet all day.
  • A food manufacturer ordered 75 gifts to congratulate employees who participated in a charity race.

    • What do you think about shoe-based gifts? Do you currently offer them to clients, or do you believe that they’re an item that clients will walk by?

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