2006 Holiday G/C Sales

[Tyrone Biggums]

hi! i'm wondering if any of you have begun seeing holiday g/c sales yet, and how you're doing.

have you set a goal for this year?

last year, i had just started online sales and only had a few in-office sales for a little less than $1000 in g/c sales by jan 1. (i'd been in business for 4 or 5 mos). my goal is to double that (although i'd like to do much more!).

but i've only sold one so far... trying not to get discouraged, and would love to hear some encouraging stories of your booming businesses! maybe we can keep track as we go along?

amanda

 

[gizmo]

my GC sales have not started as of yet. They usually kick in not long after Turkey day, though. My sales did more than double when I got a credit card machine last Christmas season. I get several phone orders from out of town clientell to send GC to local family members. I dont think I have ever set GC goals, just hoping theyre good! Im not working the day after Thanksgiving, but I am open for gc sales, questions, etc...Im up late making chocolate truffles for Friday!

 

[PRELUDE]

i haven't set any goals for sales either. guess i should get around to doing that eh? i have sold a couple of gift cards for the christmas holiday (about $220 worth). in the last couple of days i have started to get everything ready for the sales. ie-decorative boxes/gift bags/unique wrapping, stamps & ink(to decorate envelope of gift card), to/from eforum.xxxs, bows, bells & ribbon etc... i have a display window in my office and i plan to decorate it over the weekend to try and pull in sales from people walking by from other businesses. one really cute idea i saw one time which i am doing this year is hanging my gift cards on a christmas tree along with some ornaments. it looks really cute and reminds people that gift cards for massage make a perfect gift for just about anyone!

 

[The orginal Stay with me]

I haven't started with any Christmas promotion yet (Christmas promotion involves a red Christmassy gift certificate page on the website) I'll probably wait until December to do it. Regardless of that, I have had 3 enquiries this week for Christmas gift certificates, one of them has already purchased a $450 series of massages for his pregnant wife! Fingers crossed it continues like this

I've not set any goals. Last year I sold most of them over the couple of days before Christmas as last minute gifts, one was even done Christmas morning via email.

 

[joshrocks1089]

I haven't sold any for the holidays yet, but last year was my first christmas in business, and I didn't promote much but sold A TON! so this year, I'm hoping to sell more since I'm really promoting it.
I had just started accepting credit cards last year about this time, and that made a big difference! I also had just started SpaBoom on my website about this time. Those 2 things really helped. Another thing I did was hang mini christmas stockings in my massage room with gift certificates sticking out. I put names on the stockings, like MOM and DAD, to remind people that massage makes a great gift for everyone.
I also like the gift card on the tree idea, Terab think I will try that too!

 

[einreb]

wow, you all have great ideas! thanks! since i'm moving in the next two weeks i wasn't going to decorate until i'm in the new space. now i'm rethinking that, and have new ideas for the new office! yay!

glad to know the buying spree just hasn't started yet - and like you i'm looking forward to when it does!

amanda

 

[raypay2003]

I have already started selling gc! I also send every client a xmas email that plays music too. I include a link to my web site to purchase gc online or remind them they can call me directly too. I think gc sales will go up this year since I have begun to take cc. So far so good!!

 

[Mesperanto]

my sales started today! i've gotta say - it's so cool to check your email have a couple hundred bucks waiting!!
:woohoo:

 

[Gwillam]

I really haven't been selling too much in the way of g/c. One of my old clients just came in last week because of a back spasm and he walked out with 3 1-hour gift certificates for his wife I actually just sent out an e-mail flyer to most of my clients (both old and current) advertising massage packages for 10% off for the month of December. I don't really like selling the packages because they are already discounted, but anything to get business coming in!

 

[barry g.]

Well it's 1st December down here, and I planned to update the website with a red & white Chistmas gift certificate page, BUT I've not had a chance!!!!!! I've sold almost $800 worth of Christmas gift certificates today to 4 different people, all from the website, all paid online and delivered the certificate online! This was what I managed the day before Christmas last year with the last minute gift purchasers, so it looks like this year is going well so far, less than 24hr into December

 

[DUCKY {lovesyouu}]

Sales have started to trickle in for me as well. Starting Monday, I will be at my office on my normal day off to sell gift certificates only. My special is buy over $100 get a free 15 min chair massage coupon and purchase over $150 and get two free chair massage coupons. While I am stuck at my office, I will also work on a letter to clients who havent been in for a while and offer them a christmas package offer that is only good until December 23rd.

 

[DavoJo]

gift certificate sales are starting for me, too. one thing i have done to increase gift certificate sales, is to print up samples and hang them in my office. i use spaboom, and when you hit preview, you can copy the image. i print up various designs on matte finish postcard paper, so clients know there are many options available. this has helped tremendously in promoting gift certificates, especially since spaboom has such wonderful designs!

i am also considering offering holiday freebies with each gift certificate sale... salt scrubs, custom blended massage oils, bath oils, bath fizzies... etc.

 

[Guyanese Student]

hey - here's something i'm doing to go along with that freebie idea..

candy cane bath salts http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com/recipes/viewrec.asp?id=502&cat=salts

 

[adeu_love-2009]

that's a really cute idea... though, i wouldn't use food coloring. maybe annatto seed? add a small amount, stir it around in the salts until you reach the desired color? of course, i'd test out both to ensure the bath tub and the bather don't become red!