Aug

13

R is for Relationships

Filed Under Corporate Selling, Customers | Comments Off

One of my gift basket clients just received a holiday order to create and deliver 2,500 baskets. Another one is currently preparing 500 for one client and 300 for another, and she’s sure that other clients will soon place large orders.

Last week’s newsletter shared big order tips, and a previous newsletter gave pointers on finding hands-on help for big sales.

How do these designers get orders when so many firms are cutting back due to budget constraints? Both designers admitted me that their plans to develop better relationships with clients are the secret for their individuals success.

For example, if a client’s child bruised a knee during a sports activity, a small gift was sent as a get well gesture. When another client’s company was up against a competitor, the designer called to recommend a course of action (sending a gift basket to the prospect) to get the sale.

Working with their clients as a partner rather than simply taking a role as a gift provider is what’s made the difference. And the rewards don’t stop there. Referrals are up, and so are the number of client’s employees who receive gifts and baskets to encourage productivity.

Do you contact clients only when it’s time to give gifts, or are you someone who makes contact in good and bad times whether for personal or professional reasons? Great relationships are a major component in securing orders all year long.

Start building better relationships with your customers now and throughout 2009. The rewards are huge, and so are the profits.

Aug

10

Big Order Tips, Questions and Answers, Price Increases

Filed Under Customers, Planning | Comments Off

BIG ORDER, SMALL STEPS
My first mega sale was ordered by my insurance agent. She was clear on what she wanted for her 300 clients, and I was clear on how I’d make life easy for her while encouraging follow-up sales from recipients on her gift list. Wednesday’s newsletter breaks down some of the steps required to make the mega sale a smooth experience. You’ll be happy to have read these tips when your big sale arrives.

LOTS OF ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
What’s the burning question about gift baskets that you want to know? Perhaps it’s one of these three questions that I hear most often, and if not, you’ll find links in this post to a section at GiftBasketBusiness.com to learn more. You’re also welcomed to submit questions at Ask The Gift Basket Expert.

IT’S OKAY TO INCREASE PRICES
Are you still trying to keep your gift basket prices intact even though inventory and administrative costs have risen? There’s another option: increase the value of your service so that customers will continue buying. Review this post, which will help you determine how to maintain customer satisfaction and stay successfully in business.

Aug

6

Mega Tips for the Mega Sale

Filed Under Organize Your Workspace, Sales-Increasing Strategies | 4 Comments

This morning you enter your office and find a mega order waiting for you. A new client wants 500 gift baskets made and delivered to a local conference center. How can you complete this order on time, satisfy and client, and ensure that you’re ready for the next big sale?

Many designers turn to high school juniors and seniors or college students for help. They are full of energy and eager to get the job done.

Contact a high school or college counselor. Tell him how many students are needed, time length for the project, and per hour salary for the task. Salaries, on average, range from $7 to $10 per hour, depending on duties.

Set up your workspace in a well ventilated area with lots of room for busy hands. Determine which duties can be completed by the students and which tasks are suited for you.

You’re delivering the gift baskets, so it may be best to rent a small truck since most cars and personal vans are incapable of handling the load. You’ll only need the truck for several hours, which will keep the cost to a minimum.

Be sure to collect a minimum 50 percent deposit to cover the cost for products, salaries, trash disposal, and truck rental.

Keep meticulous notes about the project, including what worked and what didn’t.

Also list the names of the best students, keeping the information in a file to contact them again through the school’s counselor, and get their home telephone numbers in case the next mega order arrives during the Christmas break or the following summer.

This plan is crucial to grow your business. Get ready – Christmas is coming, and so are the mega orders.

How to Find Holiday Help provides more insight to prepare you for the big event.

Aug

3

Gift Basket Sales Tips, Where to Find Baskets, Corporate Sales

Filed Under Baskets, Corporate Selling, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Comments Off

SAVVY SALES TIPS
Before you buy that package of cocktail forks, ask yourself: How many of my designs are appropriate to sell this item quickly? Wednesday’s newsletter focuses on what to think before you buy and gives examples of outlandish items I may have bought before making better decisions. Also read the newsletter for three sales tips.

THREE WAYS TO FIND BASKETS
A Louisiana-based designer wants to know where to find baskets in her area. Wholesale suppliers are probably closer to her location than she realizes. On Ask The Gift Basket Expert, I provide her with three ideas to start her search. Join the conversation, and submit your own question.

OUT-OF-TOWNER OPPORTUNITIES
Meeting planners and other conference coordinators welcome attendees with basket and non-basket gifts. Are you ready to meet this lucrative demand? Here’s a number of ideas that make planners and guests happy while keeping your bank deposits high.

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