The holiday season is right around
the corner and with one of the biggest shopping days of the year within arm’s
reach, yes we're talking about black Friday already, it is important to highlight
one of the biggest sellers all business owners should have: gift
certificates!
Follow these simple guidelines to
boost your gift certificate sales this season:
One
for you, one for me –
figure out a promotion that will work best for your business. A good
incentive is allowing the gift giver to not only buy something for a
friend/family member, but will get something for themselves in return (i.e. a
$20 gift card for free!).
To
promote sales after the holidays, make the gift certificate for the
purchaser valid starting January 1st.
Online
Gift Certificates – Purchasing gift
certificates online and printing them right from your computer is a great
way to boost sales – especially during last-minute rushing!
Email
Blasts – include a link to the gift certificate page on your website
with every email blast you send out between now and the New Year. The key
to sales is repetition, repetition, repetition…
Market
All OVER the place – especially at reception desks,
product shelves, bathroom doors, all exits to your business, on your staff, on
your website, in your emails…everywhere!
Partner
with local businesses – print postcard stuffers for other businesses to
include with purchases, go to your local chamber of commerce or
welcome wagon, cross-promote with other businesses to increase your potential
clientele base.
Keep
your gift certificate open-ended or an All-You-Need kind of package – too many options confuse the buyer
and will decrease sales.
Make
sure staff is well versed on what to say and how to say it – make sure your voice hold recording
on your phone is filled with gift certificate information as well! Make
sure everyone and everything in your business is on the same page so there is
no confusion.
Reward
Staff – offer gift certificates or cash
incentives for
employees to BOOST SALES (this is another way to cross-promote with other
businesses).
Reception – most important sellers (offer % of
sales or lump sum cash amount to the earners to keep the cash register
ringing!)
Make sure you put together a 12-month promotional
marketing calendar before the New Year starts. This will help you
with future sales goals and will take care of the excess inventory (hopefully
you will have minimal/none left after successful holiday sales…but just in
case).
Remember, you
know what your customers want and how they shop. Customize your gift
certificate sales to what you know will
be a sure seller. You can’t go wrong when there’s something in it for
everyone.
Happy shopping!
Much Love,
Debbie Schade
Much Love,
Debbie Schade
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