Holiday GC sales...

[jenny_lynn_23]

How well do you typically do selling GC's for the holidays?  How have you advertised/promoted your GC's?  What do you plan to do this year?  What have you found that works, and what doesn't?I have never sold a lot of GC's for Christmas...  In fact, I only sold a few last year.  I had a sign in my office, one out on the street, and paid extra for space in the paper I advertise in, and it made no difference.  So, I have found that these things are just not enough, and I HAVE to do better this year!

 

[Day-nuh]

Holiday GC sales...

My office has very strong gift cert sales, and each year it gets better.  (last year was over $3000) It helps if you sell blocks of gift certs for a discount to your existing clients...They are already sold on you, and they will want their friends and family to get hooked too.  On average 25% of gift certs are never redeemed...so no t much is lost on the discount.  However I always look at GC's as free advertising...always a new chance to hook another client.  Send postcards to your clients letting them know about the discount package.  Use nice certificates...people always love opening a pretty gift, almost as much as people love giving a pretty gift.  Presentation is very important.  Add a wrapped bag of Chamomile tea or a sample of Biofreeze, or a small bag of bath salts.  Think about what you would be impressed by.  I put an ad in the local paper with the rates and say "Stress Free Holidays are just around the corner"  I also mention they are available in every denomination to fit anyone's budget.  If someone want's a $5 gift cert, they got it.Good luck!

 

[michael c]

Kneadfulhands,I am curious how do you do the "blocks of gift certificates" , how do you discount the blocks...so many sold , a certain cash value?  It sounds like an excellent idea, but would you please share some of the specifics as how it is set up.  You also stated you offered the gift certificates as low as $5.00...would this apply to products as well as services?  Any additional insight would be appreciated,  it sounds as though you have put a lot of thought into this...I hate trying to reinvent the wheel...when you may have all ready done so.ThanksGeorge

 

[Sea]

George,Thanks for the recognition...sometimes I do feel like I am reinventing the wheel...however it is part creativity, part observation, and part borrowing of someone else's ideas.  As far as blocks of GC's...if they buy 5, I give 10% off, 10 I give 25%.  My rates are very affordable (for my area) and we pride ourselves on giving an incredible value...the experience as a whole.  That is the main reason why we sell so many GC's.Yes, if I sell a GC for $5, it may be used for product also.  The money was paid, regardless of what it was intended to be spent on.  And since I mark up my product 75-80%, it works out great.A friend of mine buys really pretty paper and prints out her GC's using "Edwardian Script" font on her PC.  THen she takes cardboard paper towel rolls and wraps them in really pretty wrapping paper.  She rolls the GC and puts it inside, and then folds the ends of the cardboard roll.  She then ties a pretty ribbon around it for the final touch.  The presentation is wonderful, and I would highly reccommed it.  We have not done that for our office for a couple of reasons...it is time consuming, takes up a bit too much space (we would need A LOT of cardboard rolls!) and we have a very high perceneforum.xxxe of male clients, so we try to keep most things neutral.I also have GC's available after hours in a box outside, with a lock box for them to leave payment.  The GC is not honored until it has been paid for.  So far, they have all been honored.  We have sold over $600 in GC's this way, this year alone.I could go on and on, but I have to get back to work.  I hope some of this helps.

 

[not important]

Holiday GC sales...

Kneadful,What a great idea on the presentation of gift certificates. I'll have to try that, as I'm always wishing I could "dress up" my gift certificates a little more than what I generally do.Be well,Jen

 

[Leahs mommy]

As much as I learn from this board, the least I could do is pass some of what I have learned on to those of you interested!  I wish you prosperity!

 

[K_M]

Holiday GC sales...

We put a lot of $$ into website pay-per-click for the holidays.We are also giving away an aromatherapy travel candle with every GC purchaseThis year we are going a direct mail campaign, but that is pricey20,000 postcardsMailing List RentalPoseforum.xxxe for 20,000 cards (even bulk rate is almost 20 cents each!)Designer cost for creating the piece... runs over $6KWe figure we have to sell about 80 to break even on the campaign, which is about 1/3 of what your average direct mail campaign yields, so we are pretty optimistic.But the cashflow benefits of having someone else's money for at least 4 - 6 month and the 25% never-redeemed rate make it well worth the risk.

 

[nadia ? ...xx]

I have created my GC presentation bag. I bought small gift bags in holiday, birthday, and different colors and fill them with the "Post Massage Care Kit" (OK, mainly aimed at women  ): Travel size bottles of a bath salt or bubble bath, body lotion, chamomile tea bag, a votive aromatherapy candle and a milk and dark chocolate (the Ghiradelli individualy wrapped ones). I put tissue in the bag, the goodies and a brochure and the nice GC's that I get from Information 4 People. I love their products.

 

[Ana]

Holiday GC sales...

911gal, do they have a website? I tried to Google the name Information 4 People and came up empty.

 

[justwatchin]

the website for information for people is: http://www.info4people.com.  I just got my gift certificates from them and love them!

 

[Home treasure]

Holiday GC sales...

I've also bought brochures from them. They are very nice people and helpful without ever being "pushy". Fast shipping too!

 

[answer2yourpromblems]

911...I would love to receive a gift certificate like the one you have put together!  Think of how special the recipient is going to feel when *she* gets it.  How fun...she gets to go through the bag to find all of those "goodies"!  Kudos to you!As for Info 4 the People...I have been ordering from them for several years now, and I am extremly happy with both their products and their customer service!

 

[LETS GET FAWKED UP!!]

Holiday GC sales...

911gal ~ that's a really nice extra touch to gift cert's that people truly appreciate.  i do something along those lines too!  it makes it really fun and gets you just as excited as your clients.

i purchased my gift cards from gift certificate central.  they are really, really nice and people love them.  i really like the tracking system they have...totally different than anyone else! here is their website...

http://www.giftcentral.com/

 

[Ellen]

Holiday GC sales...

terab... love that tracking system!  Those are so nice!   I have bookmarked that site for my next order!

If you are looking for an inexpensive, yet attractive gift certificate, you can try

http://www.bmlbasic.com/giftcerts.htm

They are generic to the spa industry, but they cost about .30 each.  

You have to track them yourself, and there are less to choose from compared to Gift Cert Central.  I love having options, which is why I am passing it along to you all.

 

[Renee Z]

Holiday GC sales...

I get my gift certificates from Information for People.  Great people and good deals.

http://www.info4people.com

I number my gift certificates then put them in my database which shows me those redeemed and not redeemed.

 

[RaZzor]

Holiday GC sales...

terab... love that tracking system!  Those are so nice!   I have bookmarked that site for my next order!

I really like those, too.  I have been looking into a gift card, myself, but most are cost prohibitive.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, yet attractive gift certificate, you can try

http://www.bmlbasic.com/giftcerts.htm

They are generic to the spa industry, but they cost about .30 each.  

You have to track them yourself, and there are less to choose from compared to Gift Cert Central.  I love having options, which is why I am passing it along to you all.

I love these!  Very nice to look at, and a good deal.  I ordered 4 designs...I'll let you know what the quality is like when I get them.

Their prices on other things are great, too.  

 

[I demand a recount]

I think I will send postcards to my existing clients promoting my GC's, but I want to attract other business as well.  What can I do to sell more GC's this year?

 

[Pompal 09.]

Last Saturday I spent the day at a Craft Fair thinking that I might be able to sell some holiday gift certificates.  There were lots of people there.  As the people were all walking by me and stopping to see what I had, it occured to me that most of them were just the kind of  clients that I would want to see in my office but where I needed to be directing my marketing  was their significant other.  Most of them were women and I bet they would love a massage as a gift from their husband, boyfriend, etc.  Does anybody have a good idea how to speak to the men more directly?  I'd like to figure this out because I really want to be able to market GC's for Valentines Day too.

 

[bryanhughjr]

The only thing that I could really come up with would be something like...Get the addresses of these women.  During the holidays, send them a "wish list" that states that they would like a massage.  Have your info on how to purchase the gift card (name, number, address etc.) so that they could post it on their fridge or desk where the significant other would see it.  You could really make it super cute and kind of funny really.  (what I envision would be a small slip that looks something like a memo...on top it would say "Mary's Wish List"  and under that you could put a box with a check mark and then put massage next to it...of course you could get really creative with this part... Honestly, men could really use the "push" and all the "hints" of what women are looking for and how to purchase it don't you think?

 

[Ary Jan]

Any post-holiday gift certificate thoughts?  I am always looking for ways to learn from each year to enhance my sales for the next year.