#10: Give Them What They Want!
Good service always pays well so try not to say “No!”. Next time a customer wants something different in their gift basket say “Yes!” and let them know there is only a small charge for out-purchasing their desired item. You may also want to set a minimum price for such baskets and let your customers know that you’ll be pleased to add the out-purchased items at their purchase cost plus a margin (i.e. 10%, 20%, 50%). After all, they should understand that you won’t be in business very long if you sell things at cost!
#9: Make Sure It Happens!
How many times have you made up a basket only to call the recipient or, worse yet, have sent it out on delivery, and they’re not home or have just left on a holiday? To avoid such occurrences why not call first, make the basket second, and then, for heaven’s sake, get a signature from the person who receives the basket. Following these steps will prevent you from tearing your fine work apart, or having perishable ingredients spoil. Also, if you are ever challenged on whether it got delivered, you can simply offer up the name of the party who signed for it.
*Keep in mind that leaving a gift basket with a neighbour can backfire if they are smokers and your recipient isn’t – Cello static captures smoke!!
#8: Put Your Business First!
Make sure that what another business charges you doesn’t chase business away from you!
For example, some delivery or courier companies cater to a different market than that of the local floral or gift basket industry and can get away with higher charges. Many deal with the legal or financial community and their unrealistic charges get buried in someone else’s bill often never seen by the customer, but paid for nonetheless! Your delivery charges are usually right up front so the customer is well aware of the cost. Don't forget, potential customers shop around and If your delivery charges are seen to be excessive they may turn and run to a competitor, and you lose the business! Often too, charges will be as much as 50% higher for a Saturday delivery, even double so consider hiring a student to do your Saturday deliveries at your regular rate. They can use the money, and you can use the business! Call your competitors to see what they charge to deliver, and make sure you’re charging less – even if it’s only $1.00 !
In any case, don’t let what someone else charges you to cause you to lose business – Lose them instead!
#7: It’s Not “What” it’s “Which!
Imagine everything
you consumed was the same price – you want
to buy a car, but they’re all $45,000 and you only have $20,000… All
new dresses are $20.00 (and it shows), but you are willing to spend
$45.00…
You get the drift! So why would you have only one price for a gift
basket design? You literally eliminate two-thirds of the marketplace
when all you need to do is offer different variations of the same
basket (price points). This will maximize their appeal and the customer
is
no longer choosing “what” to buy, but rather “which” one!
#6: Increase Your Overall Business By At Least 5%!
Nothing chases a potential customer into the hands of your competitors faster than an answering machine. Go ahead, ask anyone! Contact your telephone company and get “call forwarding” so that after hours your business phone can be forwarded to your residence. Oh, we know, you have a life, but you will be amazed by how many “after hours” orders you take. In fact, some who do this actually pay for their store’s rent with just the money they make from these orders, and it only costs about $4.00 a month! (Set your machine to take calls after 10:00 pm!)
#5: Increase Your Overall Business By At Least 5%!
Call forwarding your business phone to a cellular phone makes you always accessible to receive orders and, when it rings, whether you’re at home, in the car, or out on the town, you’ll know it means business!
Cell phones have also come down in price, and can cost as little as $20 a month. Small (tax deductible!) cost for such a large return!
*Make sure to stress your availability in your advertising!!
#4: Increase Your Overall Business By At Least 5%!
If you haven’t got an internet website – GET
ONE! This can be especially helpful if you run your business from your
home.
Websites work! They’re your “cyber store” and they don’t
cost much either. You will be amazed at how beneficial they are when someone
is seeking out information about your various designs – it “virtually” becomes
your brochure! You don’t have to spend a fortune either. Basic websites
can be designed at a very reasonable cost and their ongoing costs can be
less than what your telephone costs you each month. Don’t delay!
Contact us if you would like some guidance too ! In fact, we may be of service to you through our internet services department. We already produce and host websites for many of our members and prices start at as little as $149.99 for a basic site and an average of only $13.35 per month for hosting on our server. We can usually have you up and running within five days too!
#3: Increase Your Overall Business by at least 10%!
No one likes turning away business, but including alcohol can sometimes be a real challenge for many operators. You either must be licensed, which is costly and hardly worth the volume, or cheat your jurisdiction’s liquor laws and run the risk of possible prosecution. (You can see the headlines now: “Acme Gift Baskets Charged with Bootlegging” YIKES!!)
Here’s a great alternative solution with several great benefits:
First, go to a local restaurant and offer to buy (for 10 to 25 cents each) their empty wine bottles. Then, go to one of the most centrally located liquor vendors and arrange with them to accept gift certificates for alcohol of various values, that you will be issuing and which can only be redeemed at their store. When they are presented with one of your certificates, they can take payment by your credit card (which could be kept on file, or just a phone call away). You can create the gift certificates yourself (on your own or a friend’s home computer), and for different denominations ($10, $15, $20, etc).
*Note: Make sure that the certificate reads “not redeemable for cash”.
Then the next time your customer asks if they can order a basket containing alcohol you can say “For Sure!”. You then prepare the basket containing one of the empty wine bottles (you've cleaned it out and removed the label), and attached to it the gift certificate in the denomination of their choice! Periodically you can drop by the liquor vendor to pick up the used bottles, and the gift certificates that were attached, so that you can verify the numbers and amounts of charges to your credit card accordingly. This system works for everyone, and allows you to legitimately offer alcohol in your baskets so the customer is thrilled, the recipient gets to choose their preference, your liquor vender loves you for bringing them the business (maybe they'll start offering wine & cheese gift baskets that you can make up for them!), and you aren’t breaking any laws because you aren’t actually selling, handling, or delivering alcohol! Lastly, you are providing a genuine service for which you are able to charge a small fee (if only to cover your bottle and certificate printing costs) and all while saving the environment by recycling the bottles!
*Any concerns about the recipient being of legal drinking age will become the responsibility of the liquor vendor, as it usually is at the time of purchase. If you have any doubts about the legality of this system, please check first with your liquor authority.
#2: Increase Your Overall Business By 25%!
Fruit baskets have almost become the sole domain of florists and they do a lot of them. No, you don’t need to stock fresh fruit either (florists rarely do!), but rather, hand pick it the morning of the delivery day by simply stopping at the grocery store on the way to the shop and choosing fruit both fresh and of the best quality. In fact, advertise that you do hand pick the fruit on the morning of delivery to assure both freshness and high quality because . . . it's a good thing! (Thanks, Martha).
It’s your choice whether you charge a little extra, or allow some room in the price of the basket you prepare, for your time and effort to obtain the fruit and provide such exceptional service. But, make no mistake about, offering fruit baskets will be a big boost to your business!
#1: Expand Their Minds and Your Markets!
Make absolutely certain that your customers and clients are aware of everything you do and are reminded often! Advertising professionals are constantly pursuing what is called “top of the mind awareness”. Simply put, that means whenever an occasion that is suitable for gift baskets arises, so too does your business!
Remind your clientele often that you are their “one stop shop” for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, get wells, etc. Make it easier for them by letting them know you are conveniently just a phone call away! Associate these events in their minds with you, not just gift baskets, so much that when the occasion arises – so do you! If you do this, you have achieved “top of the mind awareness”.
Always remember, that your clientele need to be reminded that you are always there for them in town as well as out of town. For years florists have promoted wire services, now you too, can promote a wire service through OGB (Online Gift Baskets)! Stress that you can “deliver around the corner and around the world”, that if they need it next week, you can ship it, but if they need it next day or sometimes even same day, you have your own “wire service” available for them. This works great for short notice events such as new babies, sudden illnesses or hospitalizations, funerals, or those occasions which slip our minds from time to time, such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Members tell us the more they promote OGB, the more they ship… It’s that “awareness” thing again!