New from Gift Basket Review
Target Good Prospects
02/09/10 09:15
Enjoy this sneak peak at the bonus mini-articles included each month for subscribing members of Gift Basket Review Online. Members also have unlimited access to thousands of gift basket design photos, 20,000-plus pages of articles, business and marketing tools, videos, along with 16 years of archived back issues of Gift Basket Review magazine.
Target Good Prospects and Sell More Holiday Gift Baskets
Stumped for leads? Look through this list to give your brain a nudge. All of the following corporate categories are qualified past-year gift basket prospect buyers. Use cold-calling, letters, catalogs, networking, and advertising to target and successfully earn a broader client base.
Home is Where the Hearth Is”, Design by Mindy Lang, New York
Good Prospects for Gift Basket Sales
Chamber of Commerce - Will usually trade baskets for advertising opportunities.
Construction Firms - In an economic downturn, jobs are scarce. These companies may be more open to thank you gifts.
Funeral Homes - Sympathy & Bereavements baskets are more common. Work out a deal with the funeral homes and sell your baskets through their floral departments.
Gas Companies - Companies that specialize in commercial and industrial work are often good prospects for marketing gifts.
Heating/Air Conditioning - Commercial and industrial firms may send appreciation gifts to corporations contracting for year-long maintainance contracts.
Insurance Companies - May purchase client appreciation, and family baskets for employees.
Interior Decorators - Image is all important; thank you, appreciation, and other gifts are a ‘must’ expense.
Mall offices - Baskets are often compiled at Christmas for all the retail tenants. Contract labor for gift basket packing (using gifts from mall tenants) is a strong prospect.
Museum/Art Affiliations - Large contributors often receive enormous thank you baskets. Also, small gifts may be ordered to send with Welcome Member kits.
Real Estate Offices - Every sale is cherished when business is down. Gift baskets to thank investors who buy up larger chunks of real estate may be appealing suggestions.
Spa Resorts - Holidays are prime time for gift baskets packed with spa luxuries. Contract packing services are often available when spas choose to assemble and mail catalogs.
Temporary Services - When businesses are unsure of the economic future, they will hold off on hiring permanent workers, and instead, use temporary services to staff positions. These temporary services may have large corporations under contract for dozens of temporary workers.
Printing Companies - More internet sales and marketing can mean fewer printing contracts. Printers will want to remember precious clients with holiday appreciation baskets.
And the list goes on and on . . . keep adding your own!
Who to Contact:
Management assistants are the first contacts. Marketing departments are a good place to start with larger firms. When placing a cold call, ask the operator which department or person handles gift purchases for the company. In-person visits with a courtesy gift for these gatekeepers often opens the door to the right contact. Make friends with the gatekeepers. For more information on cold calls, and getting past gatekeepers, see the Article Index on the Gift Basket Review Online website (Article Index and articles available only with subscribing member password). For membership information go to: www.gbreview.com.
Target Good Prospects and Sell More Holiday Gift Baskets
Stumped for leads? Look through this list to give your brain a nudge. All of the following corporate categories are qualified past-year gift basket prospect buyers. Use cold-calling, letters, catalogs, networking, and advertising to target and successfully earn a broader client base.
Home is Where the Hearth Is”, Design by Mindy Lang, New York
Good Prospects for Gift Basket Sales
Chamber of Commerce - Will usually trade baskets for advertising opportunities.
Construction Firms - In an economic downturn, jobs are scarce. These companies may be more open to thank you gifts.
Funeral Homes - Sympathy & Bereavements baskets are more common. Work out a deal with the funeral homes and sell your baskets through their floral departments.
Gas Companies - Companies that specialize in commercial and industrial work are often good prospects for marketing gifts.
Heating/Air Conditioning - Commercial and industrial firms may send appreciation gifts to corporations contracting for year-long maintainance contracts.
Insurance Companies - May purchase client appreciation, and family baskets for employees.
Interior Decorators - Image is all important; thank you, appreciation, and other gifts are a ‘must’ expense.
Mall offices - Baskets are often compiled at Christmas for all the retail tenants. Contract labor for gift basket packing (using gifts from mall tenants) is a strong prospect.
Museum/Art Affiliations - Large contributors often receive enormous thank you baskets. Also, small gifts may be ordered to send with Welcome Member kits.
Real Estate Offices - Every sale is cherished when business is down. Gift baskets to thank investors who buy up larger chunks of real estate may be appealing suggestions.
Spa Resorts - Holidays are prime time for gift baskets packed with spa luxuries. Contract packing services are often available when spas choose to assemble and mail catalogs.
Temporary Services - When businesses are unsure of the economic future, they will hold off on hiring permanent workers, and instead, use temporary services to staff positions. These temporary services may have large corporations under contract for dozens of temporary workers.
Printing Companies - More internet sales and marketing can mean fewer printing contracts. Printers will want to remember precious clients with holiday appreciation baskets.
And the list goes on and on . . . keep adding your own!
Who to Contact:
Management assistants are the first contacts. Marketing departments are a good place to start with larger firms. When placing a cold call, ask the operator which department or person handles gift purchases for the company. In-person visits with a courtesy gift for these gatekeepers often opens the door to the right contact. Make friends with the gatekeepers. For more information on cold calls, and getting past gatekeepers, see the Article Index on the Gift Basket Review Online website (Article Index and articles available only with subscribing member password). For membership information go to: www.gbreview.com.
14 Tips for Shipping Baskets
01/09/10 13:16
The advertisement is right: membership has its privileges. That’s what subscribing members are discovering with Gift Basket Review Online -- the largest gift basket information site in the world! In addition to 16 years of archived issues of Gift Basket Review magazine, members have access to videos, business and marketing tools, web templates, inventory planning, business planning tools --- and so much more in the 20,000-plus pages than can be explained here.
In addition to the stockpile of information, each month GBR gives members three or more articles for recommended reading. Normally these articles can only be accessed by members, but you can enjoy a peak at this month’s recommended reading. Read these articles and enjoy the teensiest peak at member privileges. To become a subscribing member, go to: www.gbreview.com.
In addition to the stockpile of information, each month GBR gives members three or more articles for recommended reading. Normally these articles can only be accessed by members, but you can enjoy a peak at this month’s recommended reading. Read these articles and enjoy the teensiest peak at member privileges. To become a subscribing member, go to: www.gbreview.com.
“Home is Where the Hearth Is”, Design by Mindy Lang, New York
14 Tips for Shipping Gift Baskets
Break out the shipping tape at the first sign of autumn leaves. Friends, family, and corporations will begin ordering gifts baskets to be shipped across the nation, and sometimes around the world. Take these tips to your workroom and avoid costly mistakes.
1. Select a sturdy container or basket. A basket helps to maintain the shape of the gift and to secure products.
2. Choose standard container shapes. Shapes that are unusual may be more difficult to wrap and ship.
3. Order the right box sizes. Allow a couple of inches on all sides of the gift. Save labor time, damage claims, shipping fees, and packaging expenses by avoiding boxes that are too large.
4. Offer no more than three standard sizes of gift baskets that will be shipped. By keeping all sizes within 3 perimeters, boxes for shipping, shipping fees, and packing procedures can be standardized for cost savings.
5. Consider boxed stacks for shipping instead of gift baskets. Stackable containers are easier to pack and give the gift a high perceived value. Items inside the stacked containers enjoy an extra layer of protection, and that means less damage.
6. Height, width and depth determine your box size, and size and distance determine shipping cost.
7. Select gift basket components for baskets that will be shipped with shipping regions in mind. The interval of time it will take to receive the basket will affect your product selection, method and means of shipment. Choose items that are not perishable. Heavier items cost more to ship, so go light on weighty products.
Products that are packed by the vendor in their own boxes or see-through containers will add protection to the products themselves.
8. Breakables may need extra care. Double pack or bubble wrap fragile items. Heavy bottles tend to tip and break, so be sure to “dig” a nesting spot in your basket’s foundation and tie it to the handle.
9. Avoid putting breakable items together in one basket. If necessary, wrap them separately to avoid breakage.
10. Securing products well in the container is the key to making sure that a gift basket arrives intact. Shrink wrapping affords extra protection, but baskets wrapped tightly in cellophane (and taped on the sides) can be equally secure.
11. Know what you can ship, and where. Foreign countries have regulations on what they will accept and what won’t make it past the port, and there are regulations in many states governing the shipment of fresh produce and food items.
12. Enhancements, when used, should be of sturdy construction. Do not use enhancements that will crush or fall apart in shipment.
13. Temperature must be considered. Are your products going to melt or freeze? Discuss this with your shipping company.
Be honest with your customers. Advise them of what you can and cannot do. Offer alternatives. Inform them that you won’t have the exact shipping charges until the basket is ready for shipment. But give them estimates and be sure to call back with exact totals as soon as they’re available.
GBR Online Features Fall
02/08/10 22:52
Designed by Elaine Dick
Six Opportunities Turn Fall Sales Prospects Into Gold
With the rush of the holiday season, there’s a tendency to forget that fall offers another set of opportunities for gift and gift basket sales. Just because you’re busy with Christmas orders doesn’t mean you should discard other money-making events. Get six specific ideas to drive sales in the Gift Basket Review Online magazine’s August issue, posted on www.gbreview.com. The online magazine is free to everyone. When you’ve seen this small sampling of marketing and design ideas, you’ll definitely want to become a subscribing member of Gift Basket Review Online so you can take advantage of the 20,000-plus pages of outstanding information.
New! GBR Online Summer Bonus
06/07/10 14:25
Your summer reading list just got longer -- and more exciting! Gift Basket Review Online has posted a Summer Bonus Edition filled with ideas for boosting what can sometimes be sluggish summer sales. Find fun food summer designs, business and marketing tips, and much more. It’s FREE . . . so go to: www.gbreview.com and read, read, read!
GBR Summer Issue Spotlights Sports
29/05/10 11:49
Designed by Brenda Stephenson, AL
Designing for HIM with an eye toward what SHE will buy is a classic retail strategy -- as long as the gift sets are packed with all the things Dad will love. Research from several sources proves what we already know: Dad wants something useful and practical. Take that advice straight to your design room and put it on your sourcing lists. For Father’s Day, sales can hit a home run with designs that play to baseball enthusiasts. Fill the cooler with a variety of snacks and pack on all the team colors. For more ideas on selling Father’s Day, see the 2010 GBR summer issue at: www.gbreview.com.
Recommended Reading
03/02/10 10:38
Two articles have been posted for GBR Online members, along with a motivating letter from the editor. Enjoy these, along with more gift basket designs from James Hartier, Twisted Basket. If you’re not a member, you’re missing a boat load of helpful articles, business tools, and design ideas.
Repetition Helps Us Remember Marketing Message
How many times do people need to hear your marketing message before they even call your company? Experts say about 27 times. But there are ways to maximize the message and shorten the repetition cycle.
Ten Ways To Market Your Business With Gift Certificates
Selling gift certificates is a familiar concept, and one that your business can take full advantage of to make money on -- even without a customer ever walking into your business.
For membership info, go to: www.festivities-pub.com; or www.gbreview.com
Repetition Helps Us Remember Marketing Message
How many times do people need to hear your marketing message before they even call your company? Experts say about 27 times. But there are ways to maximize the message and shorten the repetition cycle.
Ten Ways To Market Your Business With Gift Certificates
Selling gift certificates is a familiar concept, and one that your business can take full advantage of to make money on -- even without a customer ever walking into your business.
For membership info, go to: www.festivities-pub.com; or www.gbreview.com
Recommended Reading
09/01/10 06:27
Recommended Reading This Month:
Gift Basket Review subscribing members will find three great articles in the spotlight (shown below) for reading this month. Join today to get solid information to build sales and drive profits higher. Visit the website for membership information: www.festivities-pub.com or www.gbreview.com.
50 Ways To Build Valentine Gift Basket Sales
We’ve assembled 50 of your most tried-and-true tips on building business. Short of brewing potions or waving some kind of wish-we-had-one magical wand, you’ve provided us with some interesting and effective ideas for a successful Valentine season.
The 17 Best Lines In Marketing
If your marketing isn’t pulling the punch you need, consider adding your two cents worth . . . of better copy. Just a couple of new lines can make a substantial difference in response.
Disaster Recovery
The unthinkable happens: your business suffers a devastating loss from a disaster. Are you prepared to weather the storm? Simple, yet effective planning can keep your business afloat.
Gift Basket Review subscribing members will find three great articles in the spotlight (shown below) for reading this month. Join today to get solid information to build sales and drive profits higher. Visit the website for membership information: www.festivities-pub.com or www.gbreview.com.
50 Ways To Build Valentine Gift Basket Sales
We’ve assembled 50 of your most tried-and-true tips on building business. Short of brewing potions or waving some kind of wish-we-had-one magical wand, you’ve provided us with some interesting and effective ideas for a successful Valentine season.
The 17 Best Lines In Marketing
If your marketing isn’t pulling the punch you need, consider adding your two cents worth . . . of better copy. Just a couple of new lines can make a substantial difference in response.
Disaster Recovery
The unthinkable happens: your business suffers a devastating loss from a disaster. Are you prepared to weather the storm? Simple, yet effective planning can keep your business afloat.
GBR Online Now Live
09/01/10 06:08
Hello Friends and Readers!
Gift Basket Review greets 2010 with an online Valentine issue just for you! The goals of the issue are set to help you maximize every penny of inventory -- even moving leftover odds and ends from Christmas. You’ll find a cover story featuring crossover designs -- from holidays to Valentine, plus marketing tips to get your Valentine sales moving. Enjoy!
Debra Paulk, editor
Gift Basket Review Online
GBR Online Update
08/11/09 07:35
Bonus 4th Quarter GBR Now Live!
Merry Christmas! Just for you, a bonus 4th quarter GBR Online issue has posted for your enjoyment. You’ll find holiday design ideas and articles to help you grow your business.
During the season, let us know how you’re doing. We’re here to help and encourage you as you work to build a good company. YOU CAN DO IT! Believe and you can achieve your goals.
New GBR Online
06/08/09 11:35
The NEW GBR Online Magazine issue is ready to read! This issue highlights the Asian influence in gifting, with prompts for the upcoming holiday season. An article on Feng Shui gifting, including designs, is also posted.
Shown here, and on the cover of the GBR issue, Chinese calligraphy giftwrap paper is applied to a Boxco gift basket box, creating the illusion of a custom made container. Artful file folders make a great gift, and double as a height backer for the box. A lucky bamboo anchors one half of the gift, with a Chinese-inspired votive candle holder bulking up the opposite side. The famous “red envelope” used by the Chinese to hold cash gifts, can, instead be a container for a gift certificate.
New GBR Online
05/04/09 15:17
It is LIVE.
It is NEW.
It is so improved you’ll do a double take if you’ve been a member for more than a couple of weeks. YES . . . the GBR Online site has been completely overhauled, reorganized, and totally jazzed up for your enjoyment and convenience. Paula Irvin, the web designer, deserves applause, doesn’t she? Most definitely! And give David Paulk -- my hubby -- a round of applause, too. He was the anchor man for the transition.
For years it was a dream of mine to have ALL the back issues of Gift Basket Review scanned in a high resolution and available to everyone. Now you can do what most people have NEVER been able to do, and that is, to search back through every issue for ideas that were so far ahead of their time when originally published, they are still on-trend today.
While we were putting things together, I had the fun of going through each archive issue, page by page. Although I was editor of the magazine through the years and intimately involved in the production, writing, photography, and design, there were so many things I had completely forgotten that had been published. And they are terrific!!
But putting the archives in pdf format is just one of the more enjoyable tools in the new GBR site. More are on the way -- so keep coming back often.
Enjoy all the new reading and browsing. There are so many photographs, instructionals, videos, articles, and seminars, you could read for hours every day and still not be finished for weeks!!!
Have a great time on the new site. And send me an e-mail when you have the time. Love to hear from you!
Debra
It is NEW.
It is so improved you’ll do a double take if you’ve been a member for more than a couple of weeks. YES . . . the GBR Online site has been completely overhauled, reorganized, and totally jazzed up for your enjoyment and convenience. Paula Irvin, the web designer, deserves applause, doesn’t she? Most definitely! And give David Paulk -- my hubby -- a round of applause, too. He was the anchor man for the transition.
For years it was a dream of mine to have ALL the back issues of Gift Basket Review scanned in a high resolution and available to everyone. Now you can do what most people have NEVER been able to do, and that is, to search back through every issue for ideas that were so far ahead of their time when originally published, they are still on-trend today.
While we were putting things together, I had the fun of going through each archive issue, page by page. Although I was editor of the magazine through the years and intimately involved in the production, writing, photography, and design, there were so many things I had completely forgotten that had been published. And they are terrific!!
But putting the archives in pdf format is just one of the more enjoyable tools in the new GBR site. More are on the way -- so keep coming back often.
Enjoy all the new reading and browsing. There are so many photographs, instructionals, videos, articles, and seminars, you could read for hours every day and still not be finished for weeks!!!
Have a great time on the new site. And send me an e-mail when you have the time. Love to hear from you!
Debra
GBR Website New Design
19/02/09 14:16
Hello new and better!! The GBR Online website is being redesigned to serve you better. And, oh WOW -- are you ever going to LOVE IT!
The newly designed site is set to debut in about three weeks. Here is a sneak peek at the exciting new elements:
- User-friendly article links
- Categorized article groupings
- Fun new layout to mini online magazine
- Seamless integration of member areas (No more multiple prompts for passwords. Enter it once and enjoy browsing around all over the thousand-plus page site. From photo galleries, archives, video downloads and articles, type your password one time and you can go anywhere!!)
And there is more, of course, but you’ll have to check back later to discover more!
The newly designed site is set to debut in about three weeks. Here is a sneak peek at the exciting new elements:
- User-friendly article links
- Categorized article groupings
- Fun new layout to mini online magazine
- Seamless integration of member areas (No more multiple prompts for passwords. Enter it once and enjoy browsing around all over the thousand-plus page site. From photo galleries, archives, video downloads and articles, type your password one time and you can go anywhere!!)
And there is more, of course, but you’ll have to check back later to discover more!
Ribbon Tie-On Video
08/01/09 11:37
Bow and Plush Tie-On Technique
Gift wrapping services can provide a great new revenue stream. Plus, it can coax customers into extra add-on sales. Use the quick tip in this new video lesson from Gift Basket Review Online to perk up sales with add-on gifts, and create a memorable presentation.
The soon-to-be-posted video is free to members of Gift Basket Review Online, the world’s largest gift basket resource site. If you’re not already a member, check out the free videos on the site -- available for viewing to guests. You will not be asked for a credit card for free videos, so ignore the pop-up message -- (it freaks out some guests to the site). Enjoy the free videos and subscribe for the BEST ones!
Stretching Your Dollars Video
08/01/09 11:31
Wine On The Side
Stretching Your Dollars
Wine, chocolate and roses are the most popular Valentine gifts. But putting them together in a gift basket can be expensive. This new video lesson from Gift Basket Review Online (hosted by Debra Paulk) demonstrates a method for stretching the inventory by placing the wine bottle horizontally, and propping it up for more design interest.
The video will be available in download format, free to subscribing members of Gift Basket Review Online, the world’s largest gift basket resource site. Annual membership is $39.95 and provides access to thousands of gift basket design photos, dozens of gift basket videos, hundreds of articles, and access to Gift Basket Review magazine archives. The site is updated seasonally with new videos, articles, design ideas and more.
Stretch Your Inventory Video
08/01/09 11:17
Season to Season Gift Design
Classic Stack Saves Time and Money
Keep inventory tight with gift designs that move seamlessly from one season to the next. This new video lesson from Gift Basket Review Online, hosted by Debra Paulk, shows how to change accent gifts and ribbon to take a gourmet stack from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day.
This one-minute download is expected to posted by next week, along with three other new titles. The video will be available to members of GBR Online, the largest gift basket resource site in the world. Members have access to thousands of gift basket design photos, hundreds of articles, archives of Gift Basket Review magazine, and dozens of videos. www.gbreview.com.
Twisted Ribbon Video
08/01/09 11:13
Easy Technique Adds Design Interest
Versatile, time-saving gift towers and stacks are always in fashion. Fill the containers with whatever the recipient likes. In this NEW video lesson from Gift Basket Review Online, you’ll pick up a little ribbon design twist that can add a lot of interest to your stacks and towers.
The soon-to-be-posted video is available in download format and is free to subscribing members of GBR Online. To subscribe, go to www.gbreview.com. Annual subscriptions are $39.95 and provide members access to the largest gift basket resource center in the world. Over 2,000 photos, hundreds of articles, and dozens of videos. The site is updated seasonally with fresh information and new articles.
Tall Plumes Add Value
23/08/08 13:13
Tall Plumes Add Value . . . and Detailing WOW!
Your eyes will be wowed! This beautiful new design is just one of the styles shown in GBR Online’s new article: “Coming Into Focus .” What a difference the plume makes, transforming a great basket into an extraordinary gift presentation. The basket, featuring Godiva chocolates and Gaviña coffee also illustrates one of the primary changes in theme development over the past few years: brand gift baskets. Themes often feature the well-known brand of a focal point gift. Instead of a “Giving Thanks” theme, a designer may name the basket after the brands in it, like, “Giving Thanks Godiva Chocolate Basket”, or “Giving Thanks Gaviña Coffee Basket”.
Gift box, cellophane, ribbons, fabric and cello bags, and ribbon were supplied by Nashville Wraps; Giving Thanks book by Red Wheel; coffee by Gaviña.
New Article on GBR Online
23/08/08 12:56
Coming into Focus . . .
What is coming into focus? Holidays! And Gift Basket Review Online has a beautiful article that brings a few fine points of design detail into sharp discovery. Details make the difference.Whether it is planning, buying, designing, marketing, or customer service, focusing on the miniscule details can transform the ordinary business into an extraodinary success. In the new article, you’ll find a delightful array of holiday ideas, money saving tips, repackaging tricks to heighten perceived vaue and camouflage mismatched inventory items, and more. Watch for the article to be posted in the next few days.
Fall Blessing Gift Basket
28/07/08 00:28
Sharing a blessing with a gift doesn’t have to bust your budget. Shop smart, and buy off-season for amazing deals on containers, ribbons, florals, and other supplies! This beautiful basket was put together with less than $12 of merchandise, ribbon and florals. Inside the beautiful basket are: three boxes of yummy gourmet sweets, and a single serve pack of great coffee. (The foods are all fresh -- never purchased off-season!)
What makes this basket so beautiful are the copper florals -- purchased for only $1.25 at a local salvage store.
A video download will be available soon -- free for subscribing members -- at www.gbreview.com. When it is posted, watch and learn how to pack a round container with a small opening.
New Video Downloads Available
22/07/08 07:39
Hot off the production line are 5 new video downloads hosted by Debra Paulk, editor of Gift Basket Review Online Magazine. The newest additions feature styles and themes for the holidays, from fall to Christmas, with themes focused on saving money, stretching resources, and using inexpensive enhancements for better perceived value. In response to member request for quicker downloads, most of the videos are 2 to 5 minutes in length.
GBR editor and video host, Debra Paulk, says this set of videos addresses retailer concerns for presenting stylish gift designs, but on tighter budgets. “Early indications for the holidays are that consumers may opt to spend less on individual gifts,” says Paulk. To offset what could become a drop in revenues, retailers will want to adapt strategies for INCREASING PROFIT MARGINS. And that is exactly the focus of this new set of videos.”
Watch for the video release date, expected to go live by late July.