Apr
22
Two-Step Your Way to Corporate Sales
Filed Under Corporate Baskets | 2 Comments
Getting corporate sales takes more steps than simply making a presentation and writing the order. The dance is a bit deeper.
Here are three more parts to consider during this waltz.
1. What does the client think they want? This is the first piece of information to collect when making contact, and what they think they want may not, in most cases, mirror what they actually buy.
2. Which inventoried products will match their preferences, and what will you have to buy? There’s also a chance that the client will ask you to include some personalized items from their own inventory.
3. How much is the client willing to spend? “What’s your
budget?” is the question you’ll ask during the presentation, and prepare to show the client items within that range and at least one above it.
Do your meetings with clients, whether by phone or in person, include these considerations? There’s more, but by starting with this, you create a good foundation that moves you closer to getting clients to say “yes” when the waltz ends.
Apr
15
A designer who I’ve known for just 2 years recently hit what she calls the “gift basket jackpot.”
Visiting her town’s city hall one day, she saw a calendar highlighting all of the city’s upcoming events. Every week
included a celebration, visiting dignitaries’ schedule, and other events sponsored by city departments.
She compared the calendar with gift baskets that fit each occasion and began a letter and postcard mailing to each
department, weaving her words in a way that would convince every department head about the relevance of her gift baskets for each event.
The town’s purchasing department recently contacted her by phone to set up weekly orders of gift baskets for the next 8 months.
I was thrilled to hear her news but even happier with what sparked her promotion. She said in an Email to me, “The marketing CDs you and Flora Brown created gave me the idea, and when I saw the calendar, what you two said about marketing made total sense.”
This designer decided to give her marketing idea a try, and the initiative will increase sales in the coming 32 weeks.
No matter where you ideas come from, move forward confidently with your plan, and just like for this designer, your sales problems will also diminish.
Apr
8
A big problem you sometimes face is receiving an order you think is too small. How many times have you heard a client say, I can’t spend more than $10,” or “My budget’s real tight, and I can’t spend too much.”
Is the amount the problem, or is it that you’re focused on getting big design orders that come occasionally, especially in these economic times?
I wholeheartedly believe that offering designs of $200 and more is crucial to your success. If you don’t promote the availability of designs in that category, you cannot sell them.
But the same individual client or corporate client who buys a $200 gift basket will require small gifts, too, and that’s when your diverse inventory and creativity come together to make petite arrangements that sell fast.
One of my clients requested 50 $8 gifts as a takeaway after a luncheon. At first I said to myself, “No way,” but then I reviewed my products and supplies, calling her back and accepting the order. My two requirements was to add my business card within the container and promote my business name on a wall banner during the event. She agreed.
If you can make a $200 gift basket, you can also create an $8 gift, especially when you accept a minimum order of 10 or more.
Apr
1
A designer called me last week in tears because two of her customers decided to move their long-time accounts to another gift basket business that recently opened in the area.
“I didn’t know they existed. I figured that the economy was hurting everyone, and this company caught me by surprise.”
I told her that the best way to start the healing process was to begin contacting her customers by telephone, assuring them that she’d work with each of them to keep their businesses strong and healthy during the downturn.
As expected, three customers ordered just because she made contact.
Maintaining silence with clients and expecting business to come to you is not the best way to profit, and as you read, silence can cause you to lose customers.
Connecting with people who buy helps them realize that you’re not just a gift basket designer, you’re also a partner in their success, saving them time and satisfying recipients who receives gift baskets from you.
Start making contact today, whether by postcard, letter, or telephone. You may be pleasantly surprised by who, all of a sudden, orders a gift basket.
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