Shanu Singh Guliani

Gifting: An Easy Way to Bring in the Customers
August 23, 2007

The holidays are right around the corner…not only do you need to keep your store stocked with this years hottest sellers, but more importantly, you need your customers to feel special. There are many small businesses that hand their “special” customers gifts as they come in to buy for the holidays or hand everyone of their customers something little, instead is there something you can do to ensure they will definitely make the trip to your store?

Do customers appreciate it when you hand them a holiday CD or box of chocolates? Of course, but does that really say, “Come in and spend with us?”

Here are three steps to bringing in the sales:

1.      Focus: Who are your top 10 customers?

2.      Get their attention: Mail them a gift don’t hand it to them.

3.      Give them a call to action: A personal note that speaks to their personal tastes, encouraging them to visit.

Want to dig deeper? Send another ten customers gifts that have only made one big purchase from you, ones you haven’t seen in awhile. 

At the age of sixteen, my brother said something to me that I will never forget. It was Valentines Day, and he and his friends bought a couple dozen roses to give out to girls at their school. I asked him “I thought you only found two or three girls really attractive, and those are the only girls you are giving flowers to. So why do you need so many roses?” His answer, “No, it’s not the good looking girls you give roses to during Valentines Day. It’s the other girls who are likely to end up hot, and will look back and remember me.” 

Okay, so how do we apply my sixteen year-old brothers’ logic? I know we’ve all had customers who’ve come in and spent a minimal amount only once. They may not have returned because money was tight. These are the customers that your gift could mean the most to, to remind them of you.   

My favorite gifts for my customer’s are Shari’s Berries. They are huge strawberries dipped in any type of chocolate you want. The presentation is unbelievable and they taste better than anything I have ever had. They also have corporate discounts. 

You can use them year-round…for anniversaries, birthdays, mother’s day and any time you want to surprise you customers with kindness. Because they are corporate friendly, you can place the bulk of your orders at one time while having them sent throughout the year. 

In my experience, this thoughtful gesture will make your customers feel special and will give them a great story to tell friends. Okay so tis the season for giving...who would have thought to send your business card out in a form of a gift itself!

Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on August 23, 2007 | Comments (0)