Is a taste testing of gift basket products still part of your corporate presentations?

Some designers have crossed this off their list for several reasons, as told to me by numerous designers, include the top reason:

Prospects make a meal of products and never order.

We once arrived at corporate offices armed with cakes and chocolates to whet their appetites. Now, for some of us, it’s all about the getting the sale.

Is that the right attitude, or is it the position you’re forced to take?

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. Plan for Past Gift-Giving Events Now
2. The One Thing to Do Before You Ship that Gift Basket
3. Why You May Be Overthinking the Corporate Sales Process

It takes five steps to solve the “I want more corporate accounts” dilemma.

1. Make a list of corporate accounts you want whether or not you have a way to get them.

2. Find contacts in your circle of friends and family with access to a decision maker (someone works there, knows someone who works there, a connection’s child goes to your child’s school, etc.).

3. Get that corporate person’s name and telephone number.

4. Decide how to approach the person, starting with a 30-second introduction of who you are and how your company makes their job easier, increases the firm’s income, etc.

5. Call to make an appointment with the corporate person, and deliver your marketing approach.

These steps may be lengthened or shortened depending on the information you have now, but this is the basic blueprint for increasing your corporate accounts.

Last year I shared more ideas in the article, Four Ways to Woo Corporate Clients, which will help to boost your confidence as you move forward.

Instead of driving by the corporate office that you want to call a client, start with No. 1 above and set a one-month deadline for the No. 5 goal. Step up your game now to achieve the ultimate dream of running a successful gift basket business.

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. Let’s Talk About Corporate Gift Baskets
2. The One Way to Increase Your Corporate Gift Basket Accounts
3. How Do You Prepare for April’s Corporate Gift Basket Sales?

Last year I shared with you three ways to increase corporate customer interest in your gift baskets.

What were the results when you put those actions into your marketing plan?

Each day you’re in business it’s clear, especially when first starting a gift basket business, that corporate clients will not miraculously appear.

You must go after them by being in the places where they are and talking with them in a manner that lets them know what you offer and how your product generates more business for them.

This is the main reason why summer networking events is mentioned as one way to get more business from corporations.

Using old (but not stale) merchandise also helps to generate interest. I’ve created gift baskets with golf items and presented it to a radio executive who, in turn, ordered dozens of gifts for prospects and clients just months later.

My recommendation under No. 2 proves that items you thought would be popular but weren’t can still get you noticed.

Getting people to talk about who you are and what you do cannot be taken lightly. Once customers introduce your business to others, the potential for an avalanche of business is possible, so encourage customers to refer you to others, and do so in a way that lets them know they will be rewarded.

How to get more corporate orders is explained fully on the CD, Low-Cost Secrets for Landing Corporate Accounts. You can read about the corporate accounts CD here.

What’s your biggest dilemma about getting more corporate gift basket orders?

Shirley George Frazier

Related articles:

1. The One Way to Increase Your Corporate Gift Basket Accounts
2. How Do You Prepare for April’s Corporate Gift Basket Sales?

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.

Shirley George Frazier

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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?

Shirley George Frazier

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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?

Shirley George Frazier

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Preparing to sell gift baskets to the corporate market makes your heart pound with excitement.

If you’re preparing for your first time speaking with a corporate representative, the pounding is lined with fear.

That feeling will always be with you because of all the variables between asking for the order and actually getting the sale.

Here’s the first step I take to exit the meeting victoriously.

Ask the client three questions:

The answers provide a foundation to create designs best suited for the client.

Designers in the coaching program receive a full role-play scenario that ensures they’re ready for anything that comes between them and the sale.

At corporate presentations, how do you make sure that you walk out with orders?

Shirley George Frazier

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Early in my career, I thought it would be a good idea to start getting clients by delivering either a gift basket or small gift to new companies listed in my local newspaper.

I wanted to get each companies’ attention so that as their businesses grew, I’d become their “go-to person” for employee retention and customer appreciation gifts.

Before moving forward, I decided to do some research. I drove to each company’s address to see the location. One place listed as an automotive firm was located in a house, and locations for other businesses that required at least a sign in the front (but had no sign) were just as strange. Were the newspaper listings accurate?

What 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 sales was not. I immediately abandoned that plan.

We all know the importance of initial impressions. What I saw at each location told me not to send anything to these businesses. Instead, I stayed with my original plan: contact corporate clients I already knew as well as referrals they passed on to me.

That marketing strategy worked like a charm to increase my sales and client list every year.

Sending welcome gifts to unknown prospects wastes time, energy, and money. In many cases, it’s simply not the way to build your business.

What’s your secret to increasing your corporate sales?

Shirley George Frazier

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