Q.
How can I streamline my holiday order preparation?
A. Do
the simplest tasks at a time when it does not impact on the more
important tasks. For example, create your handmade bows in the evening
while watching television.
Check your existing inventory either before
the end of the day or early in the morning before you start working.
Also, be sure to tidy your workspace at day’s end. That is one task you
don’t have time to do at sunrise.
Q.
How can I create a sense of urgency that will make people buy?
A.
Offer a free gift or small discount with purchase if an order is placed
by a certain date. Tell them to order early for best selection. Tell
them that by ordering early, they will be added to a membership list
that will qualify them to receive free gifts and discounts next year.
Offer them whatever you can afford to get the sale. Then deliver on your
promise. Get other ideas from the so-called junk mail that you receive
in your own mailbox.
Q.
Last year, I received orders on December 23 and 24. I don’t want that to
happen this year. How can I stop it?
A.
Clients will order when they’re ready, but there is one thing
you don’t have to do, and that's fulfill an order received the night
before Christmas. Long-term designers have
decided that they will recommend other companies to fill orders after
their own pre-determined cut-off date has passed. You have the right to
unwind and enjoy the holidays without last-minute orders impacting on
your personal life.
Q.
I’m finding a lot of products in retail stores that I put in my holiday
baskets. How can I keep my baskets from looking like I went to a local
store for every item?
A.
Your ability to create a personalized, one-of-a-kind basket makes your
custom creation stand out from any one product found on a store shelf.
Don’t assume that your customers see the same package of chocolates or
chips in every store that’s included in your baskets. Customers don’t
look at products the same way we do.
Q.
What do I do if a person asks me to make a gift basket with their own
products?
A.
Charge a design fee, unless this is the type of work you don’t want to
do. If you do charge a fee, base it on a one hour minimum charge plus
extra for the size of the basket. You might charge $40 per hour plus $15
to make a large basket and $25 per hour plus $7 to make a small one.
This price does not include any enhancements or supplies that you add.
