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You may have read my recent post about the NASFT Fancy Food Show being held in San Francisco, January 16 -1 8, 2011. If you’re planning to attend the show, you may want to go to the NASFT web site and take advantage of the resources that are available to help you prepare for the show.
On the NASFT homepage, you will see a green bar across the top. Click on” My Specialty Food” and register for a free account. At the left corner of that page, you’ll see a link called “My Show Planner”. Once you register for an account, you can review the Food Show Exhibitor List and create your own list of booths to visit while at the show.
In your “My Specialty Food” account, you can also bookmark your favorite articles from “New & Trends”. The Knowledge Center provides a wide array of offerings for ongoing education for both new and established businesses. You can also participate in an online community by creating your own profile and share ideas with others through blogging.
Even if you’re not planning to attend the Fancy Food Show, The NASFT web site is a tremendous resource for all year round.
December 19th, 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
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
Author Ari Weinzweig offers low cost tips for giving great customer service in the June issue of Specialty Food Magazine. As Mr. Weinzweig points out, “great service is about getting the big and small things right—and in this economy, keeping customers happy has even greater significance”.
Read the full article to learn how you can help your staff give your customers the service they want and deserve. One of my favorite tips that he offers is to “be welcoming on the phone”. Too often, we answer the phone while we’re working on other projects. Possibly, we’re working on something that has been frustrating. Or maybe, we just finished dealing with a difficult situation. What we might not realize is that the caller can “hear” our distraction and moods.
Weinzweig suggests that we answer the phone as we would open the door to welcome a customer. “No one would say to a customer walking in the front door: Hurry up and get in here!” Nor should we answer the phone with that tone, but rather should welcome the caller into our business. Instead of just declaring our business name when answering the phone, we can say our name, and ask how we can of service. Instead of just transfering callers to someone they’ve asked to speak with, we can assure them that we’ll check back to make sure they’re not hanging “on hold”.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that leave the best impression on our customers. What other phone techniques have you tried to welcome your customers to your business?
June 30th, 2009
As we try to regain our share of the market and keep our customers coming back, we often turn to strategies for advertising and marketing. And many of these approaches cost money which we might not have in our budgets during these tough economic times.
In the May issue of Specialty Food Magazine, author Ari Weinzweig offers some “no cost” ideas for attracting and keeping customers. Here’s some ideas that you can easily implement.
- Make Your Customers Feel Welcome. Whether you have a “brick and mortar” store, or you do most of your business by phone, it’s critical that we make our customers “feel good” as soon as they contact us. If you have a store, this can be easily accomplished by greeting each customer with a smile and a big “hello”. Make sure that your employees don’t assume that someone else is taking care of the customer. Every employee should stop what they’re doing for a moment to say hello and inquire as to whether the customer needs some help. Likewise, your employees need to be attentive when they answer the phone. I’ve had many experiences when I’ve called a business and the person answering the phone sounds harried or bored or generally, less than enthusiastic. Frankly, that type of greeting makes me cranky (not a good attitude for a customer)! Ask your employees to stop what they’re doing when they answer the phone and act as if the person is right in front of them. In other words, smile and say hello with warmth…and mean it!
- Actively Engage the Customer. Whether the customer is in your store or on the phone, your employees should spend as much time with them as possible (instead of trying to finish up the sale quickly). Taking some time to “chat”, and using good questioning techniques coupled with good listening, an employee can learn a lot. While the customer might be purchasing a gift for her mother, she might remark while chatting that her husband’s birthday is around the corner or a friend just had a baby. These could be two more opportunities to sell a gourmet basket.
- Make Time for Employee “Tune-ups”. While we might do an excellent job with orientation and training with our new employees, we sometimes forget that our long-term employees could also use a refresher course in customer service. In addition to traditional training opportunities such as workshops, have your older employees help train the new recruits. Ask them to tell the “newbies” how they treat new customers: what they do to keep the customers happy and coming back. This might be just the reminder they need to “perk up” when they are greeting and waiting on your customers.
Read the full article and take advantage of these “no cost” ways that you can increase customer loyalty and satisfaction AND see the results in your bottom line. Please share your ideas on “no cost” ways to make your business grow.
May 16th, 2009
Just a quick post to wish all my readers a very happy holiday season.
I will be on vacation through the end of December, but will start posting again in January, 2009.
Best wishes for a healthy and joyous New Year full of laughter and good will.
December 22nd, 2008
Are your email campaigns successful? Do you get orders? Are you attracting new customers? Are established customers responding to your emails? Periodically, we need to ask ourselves these questions and think about what we can do better.
Here are some simple, yet helpful tips from Target Marketing, May, 2008.
- Do you know what your email looks like when received by your customer? Before you send an email to your customers, send it to yourself. Is the format attractive? Is the font readable? Are the graphics or photos that you included clear and sharp? Are the colors used appealing? You might also send it to some friends to give you some feedback about these questions. They don’t need to understand your business or have in depth knowledge about your products to be able to tell you whether your email piece is appealing.
- Do your recipients immediately know who the email is from? Your name should be right at the top of the email with contact information easily found. Have you ever scrolled up and down an email to find a phone number or other way to contact the company? Frustrating to say the least! If you have a logo, you might want to incorporate this at the top of every email so that your customers recognize your brand.
- Is your offer clear? Have you offered solutions to problems relevant to your customers? Talk to your best customers and find out what “problems” they experience most often? Are prices too high? Are they looking for products that will save them time when designing? Are they looking for products that appeal to a certain audience? Your marketing campaign can then explain how your products or services will address these particular needs.
May 3rd, 2008
This year, the Jewish holiday of Passover will be celebrated April 19th – 27th. Passover is a holiday that commemorates the time in history when the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt.
If you are planning to promote gourmet baskets for this holiday, now is time to learn more about the holiday traditions and guides about kosher foods that are permissible for the celebration.
To give you some backround about the holiday, check out these links:
For a line of kosher, gourmet treats, go to Apex Gift Foods.
March 17th, 2008
Thinking about starting your own gift basket business? Then think about franchising!
Franchise Development Services describes franchising as a “business marriage” between an existing business (the franchisor) and a newcomer (the franchisee). It provides an opportunity for a new business owner to start a new business and take advantage of “tried and true” methods that have already been worked through by the franchisor.
I recently came across a company called The Original Basket Boutique that offers franchising opportunities in the gift basket industry. Check out their web site to get more information about the details of franchising: your commitments, their commitments, benefits, training and support, costs and a thorough description of how their franchising process works. On the web site, you can also email the company to request information from current franchisees who have been willing to share their stories and experiences with franchising.
Today one new franchise outlet opens every eight minutes of each business day, according to the International Franchise Association. Franchising directly, or indirectly generates $1.53 trillion per year, and creates 18.1 million jobs.
There is also a lot of information about franchising on the internet. Following are some great resources to help you understand how franchising works and decide if it’s right for you.
Wikipedia
Franchise Development Services
International Franchise Association
June 2nd, 2006
