Christmas Sales Ideas

by Tash Hughes

Christmas is coming very, very quickly.

Everybody is conscious of buying and giving Christmas presents, so it is a busy, busy time of year for sales people. How can you maximise your share of the Christmas market this year?

Following are some tips to help you make more sales and book more parties/demonstrations.

Make the parties festive - add tinsel to the display, wear a Santa hat or earrings, use Xmas colours for table cloths, decorate paperwork with Xmas icons, etc

Have a Christmas theme to all games.

Add a wrapped gift or two and a Xmas card to your display as reminders of Christmas gifts to be bought.

Offer a wrapping service for products purchased as gifts so they are delivered ready to give.

Have Santa lists available for all guests - let them list everybody they need to get presents for and see which of your products would suit.

Have Christmas rush parties - promise to keep the party to an hour for busy people. This could even be done within lunch hour at some offices.

Offer Christmas hampers of your products. Have some sample ones to show, but let clients select specific items to make personalised gift baskets.

Encourage the purchase of gift certificates as gifts - this makes life easier for your busy clients and introduces you to new clients in January!

Emphasise that you can reduce their time effort by providing them with gifts for many of their friends and family.

Include male appropriate products in your flyers and talks more than normal as many clients will appreciate ideas for men who are “impossible to buy for.

Consider selling your products at community functions such as markets and church bazaars, if appropriate.

Explain refund policies - if gifts can be exchanged through you later, make sure your clients know this.

Have smaller items visible as potential gifts for teachers, coaches, babysitters, hairdressers, and so on.

Add little Christmas bonuses when you deliver orders - a Christmas lolly or decoration perhaps. This makes everyone feel good and increases the chance of repeat business and referrals.

Include a hand written Christmas card to each order.

Advertise some Christmas specials.

Offer a Christmas wish list service (like a gift registry) for clients' family to use

Have an open house in November so many clients can access your products ready for Christmas gifts. Include Christmassy door prizes and a mystery hostess prize, too.

Invite regular clients to a Christmas party to thank them for their patronage all year.

Preparing For Christmas Sales

by Tash Hughes

If you haven't already started, now is the time to prepare for the Christmas lead up. Christmas is the biggest sales period of the year, but it will take some effort if you want a decent share of that market to come through your business!

Planning

Being organised and planning ahead will make the whole season much easier top deal with, so allocate at least an hour a day for the next week to getting organised and planned.

Spend that time doing tasks such as

Tidying your desk

Collecting tinsel and other Xmas decorations to use on your display

Producing letters, flyers, price lists, etc for upcoming specials and seasonal products

Order supplies needed - include bags, ribbons & wrapping paper and extra stock

Update hostess lists for potential parties/demonstrations

Check demonstration products are clean and in good order

Make sure you have plenty of invitations, order forms and other paperwork available

Get your Xmas shopping done and out of the way asap


Booking

Start booking in parties and demonstrations. Call up every potential hostess on your lists and make bookings.

Book in more parties than you usually do �?this will build momentum and allow for cancellations.

Try organising parties at different times (eg morning tea parties or lunch demonstrations) so you can suit different clients and maybe get more than one party each day.

Ensure your diary is ready to take bookings. Perhaps use colours to block out times very visibly so you can see at a glance when a party can be slotted in. Use one colour for parties, another for family commitments and one for anything else.

Find out now when the school Christmas concert and the Play group's party will be held so that they are in the diary first. Working around important events for your children will keep them secure in the knowledge that the business doesn't come before them.


Make life easier

To cope with the busy times ahead and the extra parties and sales, set in motion some strategies to simplify family life.

It is best to explain to your family that it is a busy time and that you would appreciate their support. Explain why you run your business and the benefits of it. With their understanding and support, your business will flow much better.

Have cooking sessions where you make multiple meals and large quantities of healthy foods that can be frozen. This will allow you to heat meals quickly after an afternoon party or as you head off to an evening one. Thus way, the family is still fed and you are not so stressed each evening.

Encourage older children and partners to have regular turns at cooking tasks, too.

The ease of pre-prepared meals also extends to school lunches. Have foods on hand so that packing Lunch boxes is quick and easy.

Developing routines will help, too. Set out clothes each night to save time in the morning, restock your party kit immediately after each party, fill the tank with petrol before you have to, and so on.


Enjoy the season!

The lead up to Christmas is a busy time, even without running a sales business, and this can be overwhelming.

Remember that it is the fun and silly season and take time to enjoy it. Add a Santa hat and a tape of carols to your party bag, play some Christmas games and keep it festive for everyone.

Take some time to relax as well, as burning out will not help you, your business or your family. Ask for help before you need it and things will stay in control.

Be thankful of the busy period as it will increase your sales and business profile �?it is much nicer to appreciate the sales than to whinge about the work involved!

Celebrate each successful sale or party �?acknowledge your work and be proud of what you are achieving.

And plan something special to do in January when it will be much quieter!