How to Sell Gift Baskets in the Summer

Are you keeping a watchful eye on your newspaper’s events calendar?

Summer months play host to outdoor and warm weather activities that won’t be offered in the fall and winter, and with it come opportunities to meet potential clients in social settings.

Newspapers contain different events’ sections, such as for fitness, home and garden, business and weekend gatherings.

How do you choose a summer event to attend to yield maximum results? One option is to look for interesting topics that parallel gift baskets. Another idea is to attend functions where a majority of women gather.

Whatever you decide, there are more chances to sell on the outside than if you stay at home wondering when the phone will ring with the next gift basket order.
Here are examples of events I found in my local newspaper and how I plan to heat up my summer sales. Get your pen and paper ready to do your own brainstorming.

1. A natural foods grocer will sponsor a healthy skin seminar. Not only do I expect many women to attend, but the featured speaker is the editor of a health magazine. What a bonus! I will be sure to ask a question during the Q&A session, identifying myself as a gift basket designer so that everyone knows my specialty.

Since the speaker makes decisions about the magazine’s articles, I will speak to her after the event about possibilities for writing an article on gift baskets with natural products.

Before the event, I will review several copies of the health magazine to familiarize myself with its contents. Reviewing the magazine ahead of time is very important to do before speaking with the editor.

If my writing skills weren’t good, I’d still be in luck, because after privately thanking the editor for a great seminar, I’d offer myself as a quotable source for articles on gift baskets. Having my name printed in a magazine raises my expert status, and I’ll be able to say that I was featured in the publication. A handwritten note mailed to the editor is another plus.

2. A women’s club located in an upscale area of my state will hold a tour of floral gardens maintained by socialites who, along with their successful husbands, own lavish homes. The event fee is $25, which I consider a wise investment. I expect to be in the company of ladies who purchase expensive gift baskets.

This six-hour event will give me a chance to mingle with some of the state’s upper-income individuals. The sales potential from them and their husbands is astronomical, but only if I’m ready. I have to:

1. Dress to impress,
2. Practice what I’ll say to explain the link between gift baskets and flowers,
3. Remember the names of notable individuals who’ve purchased from me (the upper class should know that I cater to them), and
4. Bring plenty of business cards and distribute them liberally.

I might not be able to attend this event if it’s held on a weekday when I’m working. In that case, I’d call the organizer to ask if a future gatherings will be held on a weekend and if not, find out if she knows of similar groups which may sponsor weekend events. That way I’ll know if I should consider this or other groups as possible revenue sources.

This is the type of brainstorming that you should do on a weekly basis when scanning the newspaper. When you see an interesting event, ask yourself: "If I attend, how can I turn audience members into clients?"

If you see potential, psyche yourself up and attend! Don’t talk yourself out of it, which is easy to do as time draws near. I can say from experience that 90 percent of the events I almost didn’t attend turned out to be the best times to network.

Attend summer events with an open mind and upbeat attitude. Enthusiasm is contagious, and if you’re excited about your gift baskets, anyone you come in contact with will want to be associated with you, and that means sales. The end result? New clients, more referrals, and substantial profits all summer long. Now open the paper and start sizzling.