Mar
30
Containers, Take Clients to Lunch, Overcome Obstacles
Filed Under Containers, Customers, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Leave a Comment
NO-BASKET OPTIONS ADD INTEREST
Umbrellas and rocking chairs are some of the unique containers I selected to grow my business quickly. There’s nothing wrong with baskets; I simply knew my customers and what motivated them to buy. Wednesday’s newsletter provides ideas for non-basket vessels that clients will appreciate.
LUNCH, LEARN, AND SELL
Question: How much will it cost you to treat a client to lunch? The answer: Pennies next to the sales and referrals that come from this almost-unheard of gesture. Read these tips if you’re ready to encourage orders while meeting with clients in a casual atmosphere.
HOW TO JUMP OVER AN OBSTACLE
Some prospects make it difficult for you to start a business relationship. You’ll have no choice but to give up on a few, but for others, it will take just one more step to get their attention and allegiance. Try the Side Door if the Front Door is Closed shares ideas on how to proceed.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets business, how to get more sales, how to overcome obstacles
Mar
26
Are Containers in Your Future?
Filed Under Containers | 2 Comments
Gift basket retailers separate themselves from the competition by placing foods and gifts into alternative containers instead of only using baskets. This kind of “out of the basket” thinking sparks the creativity needed to meet the increasing demands of today’s buyers.
What containers can you turn to when baskets won’t do?
- Wheelbarrows and flower pots add growth to gardening and new home gift sales.
- Toy dump trucks, wagons and plastic grocery carts signal the birth of stylish baby and shower gifts.
- Backpacks, laundry bags and metal trash containers educate college students on back-to-school necessities.
- Tackle boxes, large cups and saucers, and golf buckets are great for men. Learn more in this Father’s Day article.
Another container that’s gained ground on baskets in recent years is the die-cut gift box.
Several manufacturers distribute these attractive vessels, which are designed on all four sides to resemble any imaginable theme. Available in various sizes and shapes, these boxes ship flat, demand little storage space, and are easy to assemble.
Thinking “out of the basket” increases your profit margin, proving that your style of gift basket creation is limited only by your imagination.
The price for 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Cash In on Administrative Professionals Week will increase on April 1. Read all about the CD here, and order today.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets business, gift basket containers, back to school baskets, Father’s Day baskets, Administrative Professionals Week
Mar
19
Boost Your Corporate Sales in April
Filed Under Corporate Baskets, Planning | 2 Comments
No matter how much a company trims its workforce, secretarial support is still the backbone of every firm. This highly-skilled position, whether under the title of receptionist, clerk, secretary, or administrative executive, is prized by executives because the person in charge knows how to balance duties with discretion.
He or she is the one who ultimately runs the office, and in April, that person will be rewarded with a gift that expresses appreciation and gratitude.
Selling gift baskets to large and small companies for Administrative Professionals Week starts with documenting your contacts at each company. It doesn’t matter if you know the janitor or junior vice president; the key is to ask the person for their order and get referrals to contact others in charge of purchasing this year’s gifts.
Your inventory must be filled with a selection of foods and gifts that will reward those who serve in the front office and board room. When you’re ready to show your best baskets, in person and on your Web site, encourage prospects to buy from you to thank their support staff for a job well done.
The CD, 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Cash In on Administrative Professionals Week, provides detailed advice to gain sales that guarantee corporate orders well after April ends. Read, on this page, a full list on what’s included on this popular CD.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets business, Administrative Professionals Week
Mar
16
Creative Gift Tags, Update Your Web Site
Filed Under Customers, Marketing Materials | Leave a Comment
STORIES FROM THE OTHER SIDE
A new client called me, insisting on specific items for her gift basket, items that normally cost $60. She wanted it all for $30. Then she said the words that canceled the sale: “I’ll send you a check.” Wednesday’s newsletter shares three more examples and solutions to situations that don’t happen every day but are important to know to keep your sanity while doing what you love.
CREATIVE WAYS TO CONNECT
Finding attractive gift tags and cards to accompany gifts and baskets is sometimes difficult, but that’s when your ingenuity takes charge. There are retail and wholesale sources, or you might make your own brand of tags. See this photograph showing the types of cards I use, and learn where to find your own.
RENEW YOUR ONLINE APPEARANCE
Is it time to update your Web site? You’re not alone. I’m going over my sites with a fine-toothed comb, and I’ll use the list provided here that outlines changes you may want to make on your site.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets, gift tags, create a web site
Mar
12
Clients Gone Wild (and How to Tame Them)
Filed Under Customers | Leave a Comment
I bet you have lots of stories about working with clients, and with each story comes a lesson learned.
There are many reasons for these lessons, among them 1) the need to succeed in business, and 2) the rule that says “do everything possible to please the client.” However, there’s a line between service and sanity. Clients often test us with the latter.
Here are three problems that are easily tamed by staying within guidelines that keep business on track.
1. “Can You Leave the Baskets Here?”
After a presentation, some clients want to show your gift baskets to co-workers who were not able to attend the meeting. This may seem like a reasonable request, but do not leave that office without your baskets, or you will not see them again.
Your gifts are so gorgeous that they will magically appear in the office of other firms that your clients want to impress. What if there are spoiled items inside of the basket? You not only must explain your client’s mistake, you also may be liable for any illness that occurs due to the spoilage.
2. “Show Them to my Secretary.”
Presentations with people who cannot sign the order form is a waste of time. I keep a sign in front of my desk that says “only make appointments with the decision maker,” because sometimes I can be in such a hurry to open opportunity’s door that I forget to ensure I’m meeting with the right person. Meet with the check signer, and no one else.
3. “We’ll Mail You the Check.”
One designer was told this as she delivered gift baskets. The check never arrived. She called the person in charge, wrote letters, and kept records of everything she did to collect her money. When all efforts were exhausted, she went to the town’s sheriff, who accompanied her to the non-paying firm that was forced to pay her in front of the sheriff.
If payment is due on arrival, get the money before the goods are placed in the client’s hands. If this sounds harsh or strict, then program the sheriff’s number in your speed dial, because you’ll call him often.
You love what you do, and you also make money. Clients can sometimes test your patience, so make them play by your rules, and they won’t go wild.
Visit this page for 10 more steps, the type that explain how to create a wildly-successful business.
Technorati Tags: gift baskets, gift basket business, how to work with corporate clients
