by Jamie McNaughton
Co-Founder, McNaughton Incorporated
Copyright 2011

Whenever there is a theme-based holiday around the corner, especially ones like Valentine's Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, make it easy! Create the gift for your customer.  “Make it Easy for Your Customers to Buy from You” just maybe one of the most overlooked sales rules we see.  One of the best ways to make it easy and also generate an even bigger sale is to srt up a display that creates “The Perfect Gift” – so your customer doesn’t have to do the work!
 

It’s as easy as 1,2,3!

1.    Create a display featuring an item that makes a great gift.   
 

2.    Display a small inventory of accessorial products along with the featured item.  Be creative, what else goes with the featured product? Think across different categories. The display makes it easy for them to “see” the gift and even easier for them to buy it!  Play with the inventory of each item (too little inventory or too much inventory at the display can effect sales)
 

3.    Also display and sell some sort of a container; (basket, bag, bucket or bow) to wrap and tie the gift together.
Here are two great examples of creating “The Perfect Gift”:
 

The Spa Experience 

1.    McNaughton Inc manufactures a product called Elite Soapy Soles.  It is a wonderful shower/bath product that suctions to the floor of your tub or shower.  It allows you to clean and massage your feet without all the bending or balancing to reach your feet in the shower.  It offers 2 built in surfaces and one interchangeable surface.   Display:
a.    The Elite Soapy Soles
b.    The other interchangeable surfaces: pumice stone, bar soap, liquid soap dispenser     
c.    Back Spa back brush
d.    Liquid bath soap
e.    Bath or shower gel
f.    A shower basket
g.    Foot or body lotion
h.    Bath towel
i.    A candle
This display offers several variations of “The Perfect Gift”.  Customers can pick & pack what they like into the basket. Now add a card and a bow….taa-daa!

Bird Feeding Habitat 

2.    Another example is from our line of Soda Bottle Bird Feeders.  In the spring, Hummingbird feeders are popular.  For a gift that creates a bird habitat -- Display:
a.    A Hummingbird Feeder or a Seed Feeder
b.    A Watering Well or small bird bath
c.    Nectar mix or bird seed
d.    A cute basket or bucket,
e.    Seed packets of flowers that attract hummingbirds, or other birds
f.    Soda in bottles (if you sell that sort of thing),
g.    A Sprinkle Spout for watering the flowers and so on.  
h.    A bird book
i.    A bird whistle

Customers choose what they like, put it in the bucket; add a card and a bow! 
(See Bow Stickers on a roll for cool, inexpensive bows you can sell or give away.)

You get the idea!  Be creative; think what you would like to receive as a gift!  Remember to display enough items so that customers can buy just the featured product or they can keep adding on! Get your employees involved; we all have different ideas on what “The Perfect Gift” is.  The more your sales staff know about the display, the more helpful they can be.  The more ‘Perfect Gifts” you display, the more you will sell -- Talk about Happy Customers too!  It’s a win/win for all.

Special Note:  If you have created a “Perfect Gift” display, please take a photo and share it with the McIncDirect Community!  We will post it on our facebook page and website with a link to your store or site.  Be a part of the McIncDirect Community sharing successful retail ideas and growing business together!

Questions or comments? 

email: Jamiem@gadjits.com