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- Make The Most of Every Holiday
by Larry Gerber
Word of mouth referral business--you can't buy it. This valuable commodity only comes from happy and satisfied customers. In order to make it in business, whether you are a giant company or a one&endash;man&endash;gang, your customers have to be aware that you are fair, honest and willing to help them in whatever way necessary to buy and use your products, and this is particularly true prior to the holidays, from Valentine's Day to Father's Day to Halloween and Christmas. Sure, pricing is important, but it ain't the only concern--great service and a good variety can make all the difference to the ever-growing ranks of customers who are looking for unique personalized gifts, but don't have a lot of time to shop for them.
As a gift-giver, I am never ready for any holiday. I usually wait until a few days prior to the event and then rush all over town trying to find "that perfect gift"--if it's still on the shelf. As a gift recipient, however, I'm always ready to tell friends, family and colleagues what I most desire (besides some time off of work): I want something that has to do with what I love, which of course is barbecue, no holds barred! Sauces, spice rubs, woods, vines, marinades, cookbooks, etc. Think of it and I want it.
In fact, it's passionate people like me who are great for holiday sales, and two or three months prior to the "big day" is the time for retailers to get their things together in order to attract the business. While anybody can effectively sell and market their products to a "standing room only" captive audience that is fighting over the last few items on the shelf December 23rd and 24th, for instance, remember that a great many consumers have already found their gifts weeks or even months prior. These are the people who like to shop, purchase and wrap their Christmas gifts before Halloween or a few days after Turkey Day, and it takes the "holiday ready" merchant to cash in on these early-bird consumers throughout the year.
As an owner of a business that, among other things, markets and designs tie dye apparel, I am constantly looking for avenues to sell my wares during all the holiday gift giving seasons--and the earlier I start, the better. Right now, as Christmas approaches, business is booming--I don't know about you, but my phone and e&endash;mail have been going nuts since the first week of September, and we have placed so many orders I am thinking of adding my Sheltie dog Mickey to our staff. But we try not to get too stressed out. In order to grab the jack from the holiday shopper it is important to remain happy, friendly and concerned, because the people buying our products and services are under a lot of stress too. We have to make the buying experience as easy as possible for our customers so they don't get frustrated and turn to the competition.
Make It Easy, Yet Personal
One way to do this is by accepting orders via the Internet. Many people don't want to leave their homes or offices to shop for gifts, so this is the perfect way to expose your company, products or services to a whole new customer base. In fact, it is the savvy and sophisticated business merchant who has the vision to generate more business at this time of year. How about adding a gift wrapping option or a personalized holiday emblem to the gift box? I regularly purchase gifts of wine and non&endash;alcoholic beverages from Von Stiel, a micro&endash;winery in Wisconsin. They will add a personalized message to every bottle with a one case minimum order, which lends a special something to each gift.
I asked Karen Adler of Pig Out Publications, which has one of the largest barbecue and grilling cookbook inventories in the country, if there was something special her company was promoting this holiday season. She says that they have a package for $24.95 that includes the customer's choice of two cookbook titles, Hooked on Fish on the Grill or Que Queens, plus a grilling accessory item called the Wok Topper. The Wok Topper is a one&endash;piece wok grill basket coated with black porcelain that is perfect for stir&endash;fry grilling, and grilling items that normally fall through the grid of larger grills. While this item carries a slightly higher price tag, Karen says that most of her titles cost under $20. "That price point is perfect for grab bag items," she says.
Ann O'Meara of the BBQ Sauce of the Month Club always keeps an inventory of at least one hundred different barbecue sauces which are represented geographically. Her gift ideas include memberships to receive a different barbecue sauce each month, and gift boxes. A three month membership is $30; a six month membership is $55; and a year-long membership is $95. The gift boxes include the National Sauces Gift Box for $40, which is comprised of five different sauces from all around the country; and the KC Sauces Gift Box for $35, which allows the gift giver to choose five different BBQ sauces from the Kansas City area. These are excellent corporate gifts that include a personalized holiday greeting.
When it comes to barbecue gift items I couldn't leave out the guru of woods, herb woods, vines and charcoal. Don Hysko of People's Woods and Natures Own has a few ideas that might work effectively for your holiday sales efforts. The Smoke&endash;n&endash;Grill Sampler is a combo of five bags of assorted wood chips together with an 8.8-lb. bag of hardwood lump charcoal. Hysko has twelve types of chips on a regular basis, and six additional types on a seasonal basis. Grapevine is a popular grill flavoring, and so are the herb woods that People's have in inventory at all times of the year. Not only that, many of the wood chips are available in chunk or mini&endash;chunk form for those who like to slow&endash;cook their barbecue vittles. Don informs me that they also carry all types of barbecue sauce, hot sauce, salsa, marinades and grilling accessories. Their Smoke&endash;n&endash;Grill Sampler retails at $29.95 and includes shipping. Chips, vines and herb woods list at $2.95 a bag. Chunks retail at $12 for a 20-lb. bag.
For those customers who don't know what to buy, Don says that his sales people can suggest many combinations of different and unusual gift items to custom make a gift box that is perfect for any occasion. "As merchants we have to be flexible," he says.
The owners of Penzeys Ltd., have also learned this lesson. As merchants of quality spices, herbs and seasonings, they have devised a variety of gift boxes to cover a spectrum of culinary adventures. Targeted audiences include: grilling and BBQ fanatics, hot heads, curry lovers, chili lovers, salad folks, bakers, and salt&endash;free health concerned individuals. Penzeys also offers gift boxes á la thème. The ethnic Milwaukee box features items like Old World Seasoning, Fox Point Seasoning, Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle, and Galena Street Rib Rub. The International Salt&endash;Free box contains Sunny Spain Seasoning, Sunny Paris Seasoning, Singapore Seasoning and the Adobo Seasoning. The Cocoa Lovers selection is perfect for the chocolate addict. In fact, there are so many combinations of gift boxes that the customer will have a difficult time deciding what not to purchase for their holiday gift giving.
Another unique thing about Penzeys gift packs is that the packing material consists of whole spices that can also be used for cooking. For example, pieces of cinnamon stick are used as fillers to make the box secure for shipping; hand picked Turkish bay leaves are placed between jars so they don't clink; and two whole nutmegs are included to grind fresh for baking. A brochure explaining how to use each item and a gift card aged in their cinnamon grinding room are included as a nice finishing touch. "Imagine the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and bay leaves that drifts through the air when the lucky gift getter opens their present," says Pam. "It says to us satisfied customer and word of mouth business."
And from a retailer's point of view it is a good thing to have your company's name at the top of consumer's shopping lists. "People use these types of products everyday when cooking so it is only natural that their supply runs out and needs to be replenished," says Pam. "What better way than to give a gift of spices and seasonings?"
The prices for Penzey's products begin at ten bucks for a four jar Blended Herbs gift box, and goes up to $160 for the Home Chef Set, packed in a handsome wooden gift box with 20 jars, and two different sized pepper mills.
Finally.... I have been on the Mo Hotta Mo Betta mailing list for years and so I decided to ask Tim Eidson what hot ideas they had for the upcoming holiday season. Tim in his candor says, "We have pages of 'Gifts of Fire' in our catalog and we will even give the customer three different packaging options." Mo's got a split&endash;wood basket, stuffed with items such as hot sauces, BBQ sauces, snacks, etc., nestled in a bed of fine, curled&endash;wood shavings. Another packaging option is the handmade wooden box with the Mo logo branded on the top. Again packed in fine, curled&endash;wood shavings. The third festive option is having the gift box wrapped in designer Chile Gift Wrap in a variety of colors complete with ribbons and garnished with three small ornamental chiles. Pretty cool.
Another cool item is the wooden six&endash;pack with the Mo chile sun logo stenciled in color on each end. It retails at $15 and has a handle for e&endash;z toting of the jars or bottles. The Gifts of Fire combo items start at $27. They will allow the customer to substitute certain items with others in order to customize a gift set, which are aimed at many different tastes. Hot, hotter, hottest, Burnin' BBQ, Salsas, Tamale Kits, Totally Thai set&endash;ups, Snack Attack kits, Sushi&endash;Making kits, and even the Chip n' Dip thang. For the cocktail lover Mo's features a Bar Kit that has everything from Bloody Mary Fixin's to Habanero Beer Nuts, Jalapeño Stuffed Olives and Onions for Martinis, and Coco Lopez for Pina Coladas.
"We make the time to assist the gift giver in making the correct purchase. We want the recipient to enjoy the gift and hopefully they will tell their friends and colleagues about us. That way we can keep the business chain of events happening and grab the word of mouth business as well. We also have our Web site so the customer can shop from home or work. It helps to bring in more business," says Tim.
All of the gift ideas from the retailers and merchants in this article are creative, priced perfectly for grab bags, corporate gifts or stocking stuffers and say to the recipient, "I took the time to pick out a gift especially for you." As merchants and retailers, wouldn't we all like for our customers to feel that they can find those types of gifts through our establishments? You know we would! That is part of the rush we all feel, not only at Christmas time, but any time we purchase a gift for someone special. Another good feeling is when customers say they will be shopping with us again next year because their gift recipients were so happy.
Have a great start to '98 and a prosperous holiday business season all year long.
Columnist Larry Gerber has been featured in the Chicago Tribune Good Eating food section, the Daily Herald food section, the Copley Courier Newspaper Your Life section, is a food writer for the Chicago area Northwest Herald Newspaper, and writes two columns for the magazine USA Smoke. He is president and founder of Barbeque Man, Inc., an Illinois-based business that covers barbecue-related issues and performs barbecue and grilling cooking demonstrations tailored toward the print and broadcast media. His barbecue and grilling demonstrations were recently aired on the James Beard Award-winning food series, CLTV Good Eating and on the Chicago area variety show, Jeff's Place.
Larry can also be heard on many local Chicago radio stations during the spring and summer seasons, discussing the art of barbecue and grilling, and he actively participates in competition barbecue cook-offs. He is perfecting his craft and seeks the prestigious Pitmaster Certification by currently attending the Culinary Institute of Smoke Cooking. To reach Larry call (847) 289-4477, or e-mail him through (http://novaplaza.com/bbqman/ ) and clicking on "Barbecue Man."
Sources
BBQ Sauce of the Month Club Pig Out Publications
Ann & Scott O'Meara Karen Adler
(800) 873&endash;0710 (800) 270&endash;8041
People's Woods Penzeys Ltd.
Don Hysko Pam Penzey
(800) 729&endash;5800 (414) 574&endash;0277
