Securing the 65%: How to Capture Last Minute Holiday Food Gift Business
The time of year when people start feeling the holiday crunch is fast approaching. While some people have their holiday shopping done and gifts safely stowed away, many others haven't even started thinking about gifts yet, much less purchasing them--in fact, over 30% of holiday shopping dollars exchange hands in the ten days before Christmas! What is true for people as individuals is just as true for businesses; while some already have their orders in-house and ready to go, others are still determining their budget. It's not at all uncommon; we have found that 65% of our holiday food gifts orders are placed after November 1st.
So what can you do to secure some of that last minute gift business?
Call every client. Are they considering a food gift program for their customers or employees? If so, make them aware that you are their source for food gifts and ask to schedule an appointment to discuss it further. Can't meet them in person? No problem! Just drop a Maple Ridge Farms catalog in the mail with a cover letter explaining the benefits of ordering their holiday food gifts through you. Don't forget to follow up, repeatedly if necessary for those procrastinators!
Set up a personalized Maple Ridge Farms website and email the link to your clients. We offer free websites personalized with your contact information and logo. (Because they're customizations of our website, they'll be updated automatically whenever we make a change.) It's effortless to send the link to your personalized website every seven to ten days in a friendly email remainder, and your clients are then able to browse the site at their convenience.
Link your personalized Maple Ridge Farms website from your existing website. We send you icons when you set up your personalized website. Feature these prominently so that everyone browsing your website knows that you offer food gifts!
Advise your client of the reasons to buy their holiday food gifts from you. We have an informative PDF for just this purpose, ready to attach to your emails. We even offer a version that is customizable with your contact information and logo. Find this in the Distributors Only section of our website. (Please contact any of our helpful Customer Service Representatives for the passphrase.)
Finally, practice the three-foot marketing plan. Whenever you are within three feet of (or on the phone with) a client, make certain they are aware of why you are their best source for holiday food gifts.
Need a reminder of the reasons you're that best source? Revisit the two part post detailing them! Part one can be found here, while part two is here.
These tips may seem simple, but don't underestimate their impact! Utilizing these tips can help you to secure that last minute holiday food gift business, which can help you to have your best fourth quarter yet.
