Posts filed under 'Customer Service'
Now is the right time to prepare for the holidays. Yes, it’s not even Labor Day, but the holidays will be here before you know it. And by preparing now, you can be ready for any surprises that may come up during the hectic days in November and December.
I just read a good article that offers six suggestions for holiday prep work that you can do right now. Read the full article for all the suggestions….and consider some of these:
- Think about the customers who you want to attract. Who bought your gift baskets last holiday season? Were most of your holiday sales made to women? to men? what age group? Use this information to design advertising materials and promotions that will appeal to those customers.
- Start looking through industry magazines and web sites to get an idea of the gourmet products that are “hot” this year. Specialty Food News is a great resource to learn about trends in our industry.
- Browse the internet and look at holiday products that are being shown by large retailers. Are you seeing certain design styles or colors?
- Confirm with your vendors that you’ll be able the items that you want to use in gift baskets will be available.
- Check with your usual shipping company to find out if rates will be increasing. Take the time to check other shippers to find out about their current rates.
August 27th, 2010
There are many ways that you can get the word out about your business. Yes, we should all be learning about social media and how we can make it work for us in our marketing efforts. But don’t forget about the “old fashioned” ways of letting people know about your business.For some inexpensive, simple ways to do some marketing, read the from Vertical Response, a company that specializes in email marketing for small businesses. Here are some ideas I like:
Ask your loyal customers to spread the word. Offer them a discount or gift for new customer they refer.
Consider offering free samples of your products. A small sample of one of your favorite gourmet treats may do the trick. Most people love free food! Make it something that they’ll remember and will help them remember you.
Make your network work for you. Other businesses can help you by putting your business card or flier in with their purchases. Offer to do the same for them.
Sometimes, the simplest connections that we make with our customers will be the most effective promotion we can do! The techniques presented in this article rely on personal contacts to make connections to customers. Remember the lemonade stand that you set up with your friends? Your neighbors stopped by because they knew you and your family and bought a glass of lemonade because of that connection. Maybe we need to think about this when we think about marketing strategies for our businesses.
July 11th, 2010
Mark your calendars and make your travel plans: The Ultimate Gift Show National Gift Basket Professional Convention will be held in Canton, Ohio, July 23 – 25. Don’t miss this opportunity for 13 hours of seminars, 10 hours of trade show, unlimited networking and hands-on workshops.
Check out the fantastic selection of educational seminars and workshops. Top leaders in the gift basket industry will be sharing their best ideas! You’ll learn how to organize your design room for maximum efficiency and your displays for maximum impact. Debbie Quintana, from the Gift Basket Association, will tell you how to promote yourself and your business. Learn how to expand bridal events with Mary Anne Jacobs. Get tips on managing your inventory, handling your customer service phones and much much more.
You still have time to take advantage of special registration and hotel rates. Don’t miss this premier industry event!
June 26th, 2010
We hear and read so much about Facebook and Twitter. We are advised that we should be using social media marketing techniques in our businesses. Many business owners are scrambling to get online and post, post, post! But does all this networking really matter?
Read John Jantach’s post on Duct Tape Marketing: “Why Social Media Doesn’t Matter Anymore”. To put it simply, John’s take on the issue is this: “Everything that we called social media is irrelevant and mislabed – there’s a new way of doing business and marketing for sure, but it’s a behavior and focus on customer involvement that’s become a new norm – and that’s all there is to it”.
I find this to be a very refreshing and interesting way to look at this issue. We can get so tied up in setting up our web sites, our Facebook and Twitter pages, that we may be forgetting the most important thing to do to market our businesses: find ways to create connections between our businesses and our customers….and this is often accomplished through the “personal touch”. Connecting on a personal level with our customers may still be the most important way we can acquire their loyalty.
Read the full article and weigh in with your opinion….What are you doing to make “real” connections with your customers? Maybe we should all be spending more time on “face to face” meetings with our customers instead of Facebook connections!
June 22nd, 2010
Are you ready for a challenge? Enter the Gift Basket Association Design Contest! Winners will be chosen in four categories and those designs will be featured on the Gift Basket Association web site as well as in Trends and Tips magazine.
Don’t know about the Gift Basket Association? GBA is a “community of gift basket professionals that work together to uplift the gift basket industry”. Debbie Quintina launched this membership organization one year ago, and it has quickly become an essential resource for gift basket retailers. The GBA web site offers opportunities for networking, advertising, and learning. You will learn about the latest design trends, business strategies, the newest technology for marketing and promotions, and much, much more. And GBA Talk will connect you to other professionals from whom you can learn.
Get involved and join other gift basket professionals in the “spirit of support and collaboration”.
June 15th, 2010
I just got back from a conference where I was facilitating the creation of a new organization for people who work in alumni relations. What struck me most about the meeting was the power of the group as we shared information about the work we do and brainstormed ideas for promoting our new organization. It occurred to me that if we use the power of the “group” in our gift basket businesses, and help our employees feel comfortable working as a team, we can probably be more successful than when we try to carry the burden alone.
In order to encourage teamwork in the workplace, it is critical that as business owners, we recognize and value the people who work in our companies. Each employee brings a unique set of skills and a special perspective to the workplace, based upon his/her past experiences. Author Ken Blanchard says it best: “None of us is as smart as all of us”.
Check out this article on Buzzle.com for many links to articles about teamwork in the workplace, why it’s important, and how we can cultivate a workplace that emphasizes it’s importance. Our employees will thrive if we ask them to share their perspective and utilize some of their ideas. In turn, they are likely to work harder if they’ve had input about the products and services you offer. Customers will be more satisfied and your business will profit. It’s a win/win for everyone!
June 6th, 2010
“Consumers are becoming confident about the economic recovery and their finances are on the mend, according to a new survey of consumer retail spending and trends”. Yet even with this increased confidence, consumers are still cautious about what they’re buying and where they’re shopping and they’re changing their buying habits. Full story.
According to this survey, consumers reported increased use of the internet to investigate products and prices before making a purchase. With easy access to the internet through our mobile phones, people are increasing comparing prices. So what does this mean for our gift basket businesses? If you were offering special pricing or products during the worst part of the recession, you may need to continue to do this. But take some time to analyze which gift baskets your customers bought, and what price points were popular for which occasions. It is unlikely that you will need to always offer a “sale”, but you may need to do that at certain times of year or on certain product.
Researchers also found that consumers are relying more on social media for reviews of products and to find out abut special pricing and promotions. If more shoppers are checking out the web before they make purchases, this might be the time to “spruce up” your web site and make sure that it is appealing and easy to navigate. Consumers won’t stick around too long on a web site where it is difficult to find information.
Although consumer purchasing may be on the upswing, be sure to continue to monitor your business practices and be responsive to your customers’ buying patterns and habits.
May 21st, 2010
A newsletter can help you create a distinctive identity for your business. It’s a way to communicate regularly with your customers; let them know about special promotions, new products, and share other interesting information with them that will make them want to visit your web site or store.
I recently read an informative blog post about the importance of choosing a name for your newsletter. The writer suggested quite a few great tips for making this determination:
- Determine your focus. What do you want your customers to think about your business? What image do you want to portray?
- Think about a name that’s friendly and inviting. Keep it short, but concise so that it’s easy to remember and if emailing, so that it will fit into the subject line.
- Set your expectations for delivery. How often will you publish your newsletter.
While you’re thinking about your newsletter, check out this publication from SCORE. Author Roger Parker lists 12 steps for a successful newsletter and makes several suggestions about stylist things such as layout, spacing, columns, color and more.
May 14th, 2010
Many of us believe that email is the only way to communicate with our customer. Pick up any marketing magazine or go online to check your email and you’ll see articles about email marketing, and using social media to promote our products. There’s no doubt that we need to use new technology in our advertising and marketing efforts, but maybe we shouldn’t forget about direct mail so quickly. According to Denny Hatch, a marketing consultant who writes for Target Marketing Magazine, “direct mail is alive and well”. Full Story.
Market research conducted in 2009 indicates that approximately “75% of 18 – 34 year olds have made at least one purchase resulting from direct mail”. Author Hatch postulates that the overwhelming number of emails that we receive, including lots of spam, is actually decreasing the effectiveness of many email campaigns. And, if you ask someone over 62 years old, you’ll probably hear that they too prefer the old days: newspapers, magazines and direct mail!
I did a quick google search on “using direct mail” and found an article in INC. that while written in 2000, still conveys some good advice.
- Make sure you have a “good list”. Double check addresses and try to make sure that your mailings are going to customers who will be attracted to your products and services. “There are many ways to compile a qualified list, as simple as putting it together yourself from all your contacts and prospects. You can also buy lists from a mail house or list broker, your local chamber of commerce, and other professional groups.”
- Craft a good message. Make sure you have a strong offer (10% off is not usually enough incentive to attract new customers). Make sure your presentation matches your message (if you’re selling upscale gift baskets, a plain post card probably won’t send the right message about the quality of your products). Don’t forget to list your hours, contact information, and address.
Read the full article for more suggestions about your next direct mail campaign.
May 10th, 2010
“Lean Start-Up”. It’s a new term being bantered about Silicon Valley and it applies to any new business venture. “If it works, it will reduce failure rates for entrepreneurial ventures and boost innovation”. Full Story…
The concept of “lean start-ups” was taken from Japanese business ventures and “focused on eliminating any work or investment that doesn’t produce value for customers”. It emphasizes an early and constant focus on customers. It assumes that the product being offered is something consumers really want. It requires regular feedback regarding customer satisfaction and constant tweaking of the product. Then, more analysis of customers’ responses to product alterations. In other words, it is a dynamic, organic, process.
So how does this concept apply to your gift basket business? First, you need to make sure that the product you’re offering is something that your customer base really wants. Have you surveyed your customers recently to learn for what occasions do they buy gift baskets, and what they to hope to convey when they send a gift? Have you asked your customers about their favorite products? Then, take a look at your basket designs. Does your product offering match what they want? Use social media such as Facebook or Twitter to send mini “surveys” to your customer base and get answers to these questions.
Next, once a gift basket is purchased, do you follow up with your customer and the recipient? This is a perfect opportunity to use social media technology. Did the recipient like how it looked and enjoy the products that were included? Was your customer satisfied with the delivery time and overall service? Based upon this feedback, what could you do differently? Take the time to personally call your customer and the recipient, use text messaging, or email the recipient to get this feedback. Then make the changes you need to make to “do it better” next time!
In this competitive market, where consumers have hundreds of options for their purchases, it is critical that we run our businesses in the most cost effective and efficient manner. We can do this by making sure we are selling the products that consumers want, then making adjustments necessary to keep the customers satisified.
April 25th, 2010
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