Jun

15

Inventory Buying Tips, How to Create a Club

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BUY, BUY BETTER
How fast are you selling your inventory? If sales are going slow, it may be because you’ve chosen items you like and not the items customers prefer. Wednesday’s newsletter tells the story of where I went wrong with buying and how you can get on the fast track by learning from my mistakes.

OFFER CUSTOMERS CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Book sellers increase sales with a book-of-the-month club. Why can’t gift basket designers do the same? Here’s an article explaining how to start your own gift basket of the month club. Remember, if you don’t offer it, clients can’t buy it.

FACIALS ARE FOR THE BIRDS
There’s a new trend in facials. Shops are adding bird poop to the mix. Before you turn up your nose, read how spas are capitalizing on this trend and marketing it so skillfully that men and women are lining up for treatments.

Jun

8

Father’s Day, Sales Planning, Gift Basket Wrapping

Filed Under Cellophane, Shrink Wrap, Bags, Father's Day, Planning | Leave a Comment

WHAT’S YOUR SALES PLAN?
How can you ensure that your gift basket sales exceed what you’d make working for someone else? Wednesday’s newsletter provides a simple mathematical breakdown to determine your sales goals and achieve a rewarding career in this field.

RAPPING ABOUT WRAP
Cellophane is a popular first choice as a gift basket wrap, but a shrink wrap machine is also a great long-term investment. Here’s a quick look at your wrapping options and how to view competitors during your decision making.

DADS WILL LOVE THIS BOX
Father’s Day is just around the corner. Looking for a unique way to wrap a gift box instead of or to accompany a gift basket? This Retail Wraps tutorial explains how to create a box resembling a vest, shirt, and tie. He’ll love it, and so will your customers.

Jun

4

What’s Your Yearly Sales Goal?

Filed Under Money, Planning | Leave a Comment

How do you determine how many gift baskets you can sell in a year? That’s what a designer asked me during a recent mentoring session. She works alone, and she also works full time for someone else.

I suggested that she work backwards to determine the sales number, and perhaps this method will work for you, too.

  • How much gross income do you want to achieve this year? Think realistically, then break that number down into a monthly amount.

  • Use $40 or $50 per basket as the average price you can sell (or use the per-basket price that has sold best for you).

  • Determine, from the monthly income number, how many gift baskets you’ll have to sell to achieve your goal.

    • Example:
    You want to gross $100,000 in 2008.
    $100,000 divided by 12 is $8,334 per month.
    $8,334 divided by 4 weeks is $2,084 per week.
    At $40 per basket, you must sell 52 baskets per week.
    At $50 per basket, you must sell 42 baskets per week.

    This is a basic method to set your sales goal. Adjust the gross figure as needed. Working full time for another company may also impact on sales. If you will have difficulty selling a certain number of baskets due to time constraints, perhaps it’s time to find more high-end corporate accounts. Use your networking skills to find these lucrative clients.

    Breaking down your sales goal into smaller parts will bring you closer to a realistic strategy for success.

    Apr

    23

    Prepare Now for Summer Sales

    Filed Under Corporate Baskets, Planning | Leave a Comment

    Certain questions are asked frequently at my trade show seminars, one of which is, “How do you keep sales up during the summer?”

    I recall a few things before responding to this, keeping in mind that my answer doesn’t work for everyone, but at the least it provides fuel for other methods to maintain a healthy business during summer months.

    First, I think about how much I needed a break versus working on designs. It’s certainly a balancing act when beautiful weather seems to call your name. Also, I remember the preparations I made in the spring to encourage sales and what other designers tell me they’ve done to keep revenues high.

    Here are the five top methods that encourage summer sales.

    1. Mention your collection of summertime baskets to customers as you deliver Administrative Professionals Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day baskets.

    Here are ideas for Dad’s Day before you start buying.

    2. Remind clients that summer baskets brighten the day for relatives whom you cannot visit during the season. Emotion is a big part of our sales message.

    3. Create postcards showing a photograph of your children’s summer fun baskets, and send them to clients who have children and grandchildren. The convenience of quick delivery takes one more task off their list.

    Learn more about postcard marketing.

    4. Ask area colleges how you can include your back-to-school basket information in materials sent to students’ homes.

    Here’s what’s popular in many back-to-school baskets.

    5. Tell clients about your corporate baskets that express mid-year appreciation to independent offices or single departments within large corporations. Saying “thanks” before the December holidays stands out as a big gesture, and you’ll win loyalty.

    One of these five ideas has the potential to create huge sales during the summer while you fit extended-weekend vacations into your plans.

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    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.

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