Jan
28
You attended a seminar at a recent trade show, and now you’re ready to take action.
Now comes the hard part — putting the information to work.
Review your notes, browse through the handout, and devise a plan to sell to clients, purge your records, install and manage new software, or master whatever else you learned at the hour-long event.
The bottom line is to turn what you learned into a productive system. That’s what will separate you from other gift basket retailers, making your workload smoother and easier and generating orders that seem to magically appear because you’ve taken care of the small details.
Last month, before the trade show season began, I listened to an online seminar that discussed how to create a success blueprint by placing Post-it notes on a wall to document each of my projects. The idea seemed so simple that I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it on my own.
I now have three projects mapped out in step-by-step format. Seeing this visual blueprint every day in my office has taken these ideas from “wish I could” to “I’m getting it done.” You have the same potential after attending a seminar.
This is not an economy where you can delay working on any part of business. The newspaper is filled with stories about layoffs and business closings. You did not enter the industry to become a casualty. Make your new-found knowledge generate dollars and sense today.
If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels, next week I’ll introduce you to the Golden Basket Club so that you experience giant leaps rather than small or no gains.
Jan
25
How to Increase Sales, Buy Baskets, Drop Shipping
Filed Under Baskets, DROP SHIPPING, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Leave a Comment
CREATE A GARDEN OF GROWTH
I remember when I thought my promotions weren’t helping my business. Nothing was working. All of a sudden, the phone rang off the hook, and sales seemed to be coming from everywhere. Did my clients wake up from a long nap, or were the seeds I planted months ago finally sprouting?
Wednesday’s newsletter plants seeds to inspire you to market every day in whatever method works in your region. I can tell you, from personal experience shared in the newsletter and above, that your efforts will not be in vain.
“B” IS DEFINITELY FOR BASKETS
All week you’ve been reading about baskets, the favored industry vessel that anchors most designs. Articles have centered around where to buy, how to add accents, designing with value in mind, and more.
DROP SHIP SHORT CUTS
Drop shipping is here to stay. There’s lots of pro and con conversation about working with these firms and making sure they deliver what’s promised.
I just answered a question at Ask The Gift Basket Expert on how to choose a drop shipper. Read what I suggest, think about your experience, or consider my advice before selecting a drop ship company.
Jan
21
How to Plant Seeds that Grow Your Sales
Filed Under Marketing Materials, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Leave a Comment
According to media reports, January is the month to resolve to work smarter, achieve goals, and end bad habits.
It’s a media focus that assaults us every year because it’s their agenda. How about your agenda? Have you devised your business strategy, the methods and the tools that will drive your 2009 success?
Gift basket sales will grow when you plant seeds on a daily basis. This is true in any economy. Opportunities to sell and market materialize as you take advantage of the contacts around you and in your database.
There’s no magic formula for achieving success. It takes persistence along with consistent determination to move forward every day.
Of course, there will be unforeseen circumstances that cause setbacks and missteps. But that’s a small part of the picture.
Stay focused on the parts you can control, and your resolutions will come true.
The CD, 99 Sizzling Marketing Ideas to Make More Money, January to June, acts as a business partner, providing you with time-tested and relevant information used by successful designers every day. Learn more about this popular CD here.
Read more New Year success tips:
Postcards – a favorite low-cost marketing vehicle that’s big on business building.
Turning Giveaways into Sales Tools – how holiday products may bring you profits now.
Selling on Consignment – is this the year to expand sales through other retailers?
Jan
18
Cellophane Wrap, Baby Baskets, How to Find Wholesale Supplies
Filed Under Baby, Cellophane, Shrink Wrap, Bags, Wholesale Suppliers | Leave a Comment
CELLO-BRATE YOUR WRAP STYLE
Yesterday, at the Philadelphia Gift Show, attendees watched as I demonstrated how to wrap a small gift with three types of cellophane.
One print was an inside wrap, another enclosed the entire gift, and the third one was a fan topper. None of it clashed, which proves that multiple wraps can work together and look attractive.
Wednesday’s newsletter clears up questions you may have about cellophane and shares tips to ensure that you don’t overspend at trade shows while considering which prints will bring you the highest profits.
NEW LAWS FOR LITTLE ONES
Everyone gets nervous when government starts to intervene with product laws. That’s what’s happening in the U.S., where baby goods are now under strict examination for lead particles.
Are the products currently in your inventory destined for the trash? This article uncovers the new rules for your baby baskets, including links to explanations so that you find yourself on the right side of the law.
BASKETS IN YOUR BACKYARD
The closest wholesale supplier to my shop is just five minutes away, but that’s not true for everyone. Or is it?
A designer recently asked how to find products in her state. You’ll find my suggestions to locate sources at Ask The Gift Basket Expert. It may provide clues to help you uncover a source you didn’t know is steps away from your workshop.
Jan
14
The wrap chosen for each gift basket design determines how quickly it will sell. Isn’t that why you stock dozens of rolls in your workshop?
From pansies to paw prints, there’s a perfect pattern for every gift, and it has the ability to increase sales for such a small price.
I added flower-printed cello around saucers and tea cups filled with hard candies. That small gift sold out within days when those same cups and saucers wouldn’t sell on clearance.
Consider these three ideas before reaching for cellophane.
1. Take inventory. You’ll be encouraged at upcoming trade shows to buy more rolls, so it’s wise to know what you have, which patterns needs replenishing, and which ones are similar to current stock.
2. Create a backdrop. Photographs and in-store displays accented with fan toppers add height and elegance to designs, which for customers translates into higher perceived value.
3. Choose various widths. Many designers select 20- and 30-inch width cellophane rolls. However, veteran designers go for the 40-inch widths to promote their larger gift baskets, which is why they sell grand designs more often than petite sizes.
You’ll find photos, videos, and examples on the new Cellophane Wrap Tips site as well as 10 more design tips.
Jan
11
Designer Tips, Overseas Baskets, Courier Help
Filed Under Sales-Increasing Strategies, Shipping and Delivery | Leave a Comment
HOW WILL YOU SUCCEED IN 2009?
In 1995, after lackluster holiday sales, I vowed to turn my business around and decided to promote gift baskets on cable television in front of millions of viewers. That goal led me to numerous airings on The Food Network and New York morning shows. The result – thousands more dollars in sales over the previous year.
Wednesday’s newsletter encourages you to also dream big, revealing five tips from gift basket designers who share how they plan to increase sales in 2009 in hopes that their ideas will help you to develop a success strategy. You’ll also find a link to the first five tips, doubling your options.
ELEGANT EASTERN DESIGNS
Gift baskets made in the United States dominate worldwide attention, so it’s always terrific to see designs made in other countries. These beautiful gifts extend our collective creativity and provide new ways to construct masterpieces, usually without investing in additional products or supplies.
Click here for a link to a gift basket made in Seoul, Korea, and my thoughts on it and where you can buy supplies.
TIME TO CALL A COURIER
Businesses in all industries are re-grouping, looking at ways to increase sales or at least keep sales at last year’s pace. This is good news for you if you’ve been unable to find a dependable and affordable delivery service.
Use this article, written early last year, as a guide to locate a courier that’s ready to work with you, ending long delivery trips so you can concentrate on business.
Jan
7
5 More Designers Share Tips for 2009
Filed Under Planning | Leave a Comment
Last week, five designers shared their views on how to proceed with business in the first half of 2009. Some are moving forward with caution, while others will continue doing what’s always worked for them.
Here are the final five visions for success. I believe that within the 10 tips, you’ll carve a path to higher profits.
“I bought some merchandise before the holidays because of suggestions from prospects. They didn’t buy my baskets, so that was a big mistake. This year I’ll concentrate on satisfying current buyers instead of buying on speculation.”
Not sure what to buy? It can be a tough choice in the first years. Start with the basics, as suggested on this frequently-asked questions page.
*If it weren’t for my computerized inventory system, I would have overlooked selling products that were sitting in a big box (and should not have been in that box). My suggestion to everyone is use an inventory system for higher profits during the holidays and every day.”
“Don’t spend every dime you have on products. You are going to need some of your money every month for marketing, attending meetings, going to trade shows, and investing in conferences. That’s what I’ll concentrate on this year.”
You’ll find a list of U.S. trade shows at WebSitesForRetailers.com and at GiftBasketClass.com a listing of gift basket seminars I’ll conduct.
“Actually, I did pretty well this holiday because I get lots of referral business, but it doesn’t just come to me. I ask for it every time someone buys from me. I’ll keep doing that.”
“I started to call it quits early in 2008. Then I started doing things I considered tough like talking about my business to everyone. That got me lots of sales, so I’ll continue doing that this year. If you’re not your best cheerleader, who is?”
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