Jan
23
The Cure for Slow Sales
Filed Under Money, Publicity/Media Attention, Valentine's Day | Leave a Comment
It’s the start of a new year, and you may be experiencing a dry spell while clients recover from holiday spending. How do you convert their mood into profits?
1. Who purchased all-occasion baskets last January? Birthdays, anniversaries, and everyday events are the No. 1 reason for gift giving. Look in your files and dig out the money.
Did you follow these tips when selecting Valentine’s Day merchandise?
2. Which local firms need employee birthday or employee-of-the-month gifts and baskets to increase productivity and retention?
Individuals on your client list have connections to introduce you, by phone or in person, to human resources and sales executives. Explain to them how your business serves to keep their employees happy. Also consider treating the new contact to lunch (a low-cost marketing tactic). It’s a simple technique that increases your corporate client list and resulting sales.
3. Contact the media with tips on new, exciting, and exotic items available for Valentine’s Day. You’re a gift expert, so this article is perfect for your participation. The success article, Getting Your Name in the News, shows how to structure a media release.
Don’t wait for business to come to you. Be proactive. Put your gift baskets in the hands of people who appreciate your design style and act as cheerleaders to tell others about your great service.
That’s the cure. Are you prepared to try a dose to keep your business healthy?
Technorati Tags: gift baskets, slow sales, press releases, media relations, Valentine’s Day
Dec
23
Money, Ribbon, and Fame
Filed Under Publicity/Media Attention, Ribbon and Bows, Sales-Increasing Strategies | Leave a Comment
INCREASE PROFIT WITH EACH SALE
Everyone has a budget in mind when ordering a gift basket, but you’ll find that each customer will spend an extra $5 to add balloons or additional treat that the receiver will appreciate. When you suggest these extras, that’s called upselling. Wednesday’s newsletter encourages you to upsell every order, putting more dollars in your bank account and broader smiles on client’s faces.
THE RULES OF RIBBON OWNERSHIP
Are you mad about ribbon? You’re not alone. There’s not one designer who has less than 20 rolls in stock, and if the spools aren’t organized, you’ll have a tangled mess on your hands. This article helps you treat ribbon right, and click on the link to see a photograph of how one designer organizes her ribbon.
READY FOR YOUR CLOSEUP?
If you didn’t pursue media attention before Christmas, now’s a great time to go after newspaper promotion. This tutorial will provide you with a blueprint for local fame.
Technorati Tags: what is upsell, how to upsell, organize ribbon, gift basket ribbon, bows, press releases, news releases, how to get media attention
Nov
14
Gift baskets are an industry where experience truly is the best teacher. I can count on both hands how many times I’ve tried to make a sale where there was no sale, where I spent too much time working with a person who wasn’t going to buy in the first place.
The same is true for many designers I’ve met and who’ve consulted with me on building their businesses.
Here are three warning signs that say, “You’re not getting the sale.”
1. The client cannot make a decision. After appearing on a television show, one of the workers asked me to create a gift basket for her relative. We spoke five times by phone, and she still didn’t know what she wanted. I ended my pursuit by recommending that she buy from a local retailer.
How to Get Holiday Media Coverage provides insight on getting selling without spending money.
2. The client wants too much product for too little money. This is self explanatory, and if you haven’t experienced this situation, you will this holiday season. I guarantee you that by breaking even or losing money on this type of sale, you will not make it up the next time you work with this client.
3. You’re not ready to handle a large order. What a rush of excitement you feel when hearing that the client wants 100 or more gift baskets, but do you have room and staff to turn the order around quickly? Is accepting the order and then failing to deliver worth ruining your reputation?
Evaluate the sales process as it develops. If you find yourself going in circles, question the client to uncover the solution. Your gut will tell you when to stop and move on to working with people who are ready and willing to buy.
Learn more about making your cash register ring in part 2 of the Pre-Holiday Q&A report.
