Nov

5

Six Commandments for Holiday Success

Filed Under SITE UPDATES 

We pull out all the stops to satisfy our customers, and we fill as many orders as possible, even when they arrive late. However, we’re learning to scale back on orders that shorten our own holiday fun.

Consider these six commandments to stay stress free during the holidays.

The successful designer shall:

*Make early contact with every business professional that she/he has contacted during the year.

This includes everyone that provides a service, whether private or public, as these individuals order gifts for family, friends and staff. Your gift baskets must be foremost in their minds, and early contact is critical to getting orders.

*Upsell every basket. This means that when a person calls to order, you will mention a better, higher-priced basket for purchase or offer additional enhancements that add value and a higher profit percentage.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised how many times customers agrees to your recommendations. Check out these gift basket forms, which includes one for upselling.

*Ask for referrals. This will dramatically increase your customer base. In appreciation, send a small, complimentary gift to customers who provide referrals. People love to be recognized for their support, and a small gift works to keep the referrals coming.

The successful designer shall not:

*Buy products with the words “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” written on the packaging. Instead, buy products with red, gold or green-colored packaging so that it can be used to complete New Year and Valentine’s Day orders.

See these three quick tips to increase holiday sales.

*Accept large orders that arrive after December 15. Although what constitutes a large order depends on the size of a business, it is generally viewed at holiday time as 25 baskets or more.

We encourage early orders, and to that end, decide on and stick to a large order amount and cut-off date.

You’ll find more about this in the two-part, pre-holiday Q&A.

*Do any personal shopping unless absolutely necessary and totally profitable.

Your inventory generally contains enough stock to design hundreds of gifts and baskets. Since most customers are unwilling to cover the costs associated with the time and mileage required to find specialty items, your time is best spent fulfilling the needs of individuals and corporations who want the items already in stock.

By following these commandments, you’ll not only be profitable at season’s end, you’ll also be rested and ready to spend time with loved ones. It’s the ultimate accomplishment you’ve worked so hard to enjoy.

Read these related articles:

  1. Holiday Sales, Success Tips, Brand-Name Baskets
  2. Get More Sales with These Three Tips
  3. Your Blueprint for Big Holiday Sales
  4. R is for Relationships
  5. Why Financial Worries Won’t Hurt Your Holiday Sales

Comments

2 Responses to “Six Commandments for Holiday Success”

  1. Terri on November 7th, 2008 11:10 am

    Shirley: I am so impressed with your blog. I am just getting going with my business, and find your information extremely helpful. You have given me lots of ideas on how I can market my business a lot better.
    Thanks.

  2. Shirley George Frazier on November 8th, 2008 4:27 pm

    Hi Terri,

    I’m so glad that the information benefits you and your success goals.

    Be sure to visit the main Gift Basket Blog at http://www.giftbasketbusiness.com/blog and the Ask The Gift Basket Expert Blog at http://www.askthegiftbasketexpert.com/blog.

Leave a Reply