I recently read an article on how to build a gift basket business on referrals alone. It also stated that one referral is equal to seven cold calls. I agree that word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. But when done alone it can be detrimental to any business.

One reason cold calling is disliked is because of the fear of being told "no." You need a "no" in order to know. What does that mean? It means that you assume the same technique will work for everybody and that you are always right. No one is always right and everything doesn’t work on every body. Be willing to be corrected.

Another reason cold calling is disliked is because of the lack of leads. We are fortunate in the gift basket business that there are many ways to find leads without paying for them. Check the library for your local Business Journal. In Georgia, it is called the Business Chronicles or Book of List. This book has the top businesses in your state along with the decision maker's name and contact information. Visit local business's websites for contact information. Call them up, explain how your product will make their company more profitable and then ask for an appointment. You won't get an appointment if you don't ask for it!

Ask yourself- Can one form of advertising reach the market I'm seeking? Build a business by incorporating more than one form of marketing. Referrals plus cold calling is the better way to build a successful business.

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Labels: advice, gift basket business

                     

Everybody wants to know how to increase their sales and make more money. Sales is sales no matter what product it is. You have to define your niche and know how the customer will benefit from buying what you are selling.

Just because everybody buys gift baskets, does not mean I will be able to sell to all of them. That's a battle I will definitely loose.

If you define your niche, then you can tailor a presentation just for that market. Only you know the image you want for your company and the type of customers you want to serve.

Now that the niche is out of the way, it is time to list how the product will benefit the customer. Customers don't know how the product will help them. If they knew, they would have called you instead of you contacting them. It's your job to convince them to buy.

At The Gourmet Gift Shop you will find gift ideas that companies have used to increase sales. Our gift baskets are used to open the doors to new business, express appreciation, and sending condolences.

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Labels: advice, gift baskets, sales

                     

This weekend, I received an order for 5 teacher appreciation gift baskets. The client stated she had seen some gift baskets from other companies that were not well put together and were priced outrageously. She said she was so impressed with my work and the prices associated with it.

All too often many companies don't have a method for pricing their products and services and most over charge for an inferior product. Your profit and credibility depends on pricing your product or service accurately.

Sometimes the products I normally use for a $40 order won't fill that certain basket or container. Do you think I give my customers a half filled basket? Of course not!

Always practice exceeding your customer’s expectations. Consider their needs first. By giving just a little you will be rewarded a lot.

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Labels: advice, gift basket pricing, news

                     

You never have to worry about whether or not a gift that you purchased from us was delivered.

When you place an order, we practice getting at least two contact numbers for the recipient. This allows us to check the accuracy of their address and schedule a date and time that someone will be available to accept the gift basket.

In the event that all arrangements are made, and the recipient is still not home, we try to leave the basket at the door or somewhere safe near the house. Sometimes neighbors accept the gift on the recipient's behalf. The neighbor simply signs a confirmation of delivery and we leave a Sorry We Missed You note for the recipient with the exact location of where the basket was left.

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Customers sometimes ask for alcohol or wine in a gift basket. Our company does not possess a liquor license. Because of this and to avoid legal trouble, we do not supply alcohol of any type in our baskets.

Bottled water and sparkling cider are great alternatives to alcohol. For a special look, we include champagne flutes or other cocktail glasses.

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The first step in gift basket design is the filler for the baskets. Most baskets or containers will need filler in the bottom to support the products.

Although, newsprint, brown paper bags, and newspaper have been the most commonly used in the gift basket industry, they are a bad choice for filler. Not only will they not support a basket full of products, they make an unprofessional appearance for the recipient when the basket is opened.

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There are a few days left before those Easter Baskets will be flying off the shelves. Those who planned ahead should have most of your Easter orders filled.

For those of you, who are considering Easter baskets for children, don't let me discourage you. However, next year I would advise you to mustard up the courage to try new things by thinking outside the box.

Choose containers or baskets in bright spring colors, fill it with a colored coffee mug, goodies in coordinating pale colors, maybe throw in a picture frame, add some greenery then accent with a bow.

I know children will not appreciate a basket with a coffee mug, but adults that are children at heart definitely will.

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Giving a gift basket is perhaps the most convenient form of gift giving.

Since most people have a tight budget, they end up choosing the most cost effective method for acknowledging those special occasions and holidays.

The average price of a gift basket is $45 not including state taxes, local delivery or shipping charges. The Gourmet Gift Shop allows customers to set the price in an effort to appeal to all budgets.

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The Gourmet Gift Shop is now offering gift basket workshops. Our workshops are an opportunity for you to tap into your own creativity while learning your craft from the most talented gift basket professionals in the industry.

The classes are structured to accommodate most schedules and budgets. Choose from group or private classes at your location or ours. We've designed each hands-on workshop to have a limited number of students so that our instructors can provide you with the one-on-one guidance you desire.

You can expect to learn new designs, refine your talent, and boost your confidence enough to become experimental, challenge, strengthen, and evolve your creativity. Call or email us to enroll. $100 reserves your space.

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Enclosure cards are also known as gift cards. They are used to display a personalized note from the sender to the recipient and then attached to the gift basket.

Instead of including one card in the envelope, we enclose a second one. Both cards are placed inside the envelope always with your message displayed first.

Now, the recipient has the gift card to keep and a referral card to keep or pass on to friends and family.

As a token of our appreciation, complimentary upgrades are given to referrals and new customers.

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The use of dropshippers offers another option for starting a gift basket business. With this option, there is no inventory to purchase. The dropshipper fills the orders and ships it to you.

Because the only items that would be available to you would be what the dropshipper offers, I decided against this method. You can trust that I employ the most creative gift basket designers who enjoy putting baskets together.

By not using a dropshipper, there are no limits to what I offer. You now have conveniences like…

Same day delivery, customized gift baskets, and product guarantees.

Running a gift basket business using a dropshipper can be an alternative for some people. However, The Gourmet Gift Shop enjoys offering a service to customers that they won't find anywhere else.

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Many home-based gift basket businesses assume their business is covered under their homeowner's policy. A homeowner's policy insures a residence and property related to normal residential living. Although the business is home-based, the policy coverage does not extend to the business.

Insurance policies exclusively for businesses cover property loss and liability. Property loss is any damage that occurs to the structure where the business is located. Liability insures you against the public and people coming to your home for business related reasons.

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Labels: gift basket business

                     

Whether a business should invest in color brochures depends on the budget and financial situation.

Before electing color brochures, some companies don't examine the quality of their photos. Low resolution pictures are inappropriate for professional printed material. Some gift basket companies use templates found through the web that can be downloaded to the computer as an alternative to commercial printing.

Our success at The Gourmet Gift Shop cames from our credibilty. You can trust that the pictures and descriptions of baskets used in our brochures are from work that we have done.

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