Black Friday is coming at the end of next week. For those of you that wonder why we would call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday, it’s because this is the day retailers are hoping to push themselves into the “black” or into profits. The problem I see right now is that because of the mood our economy has put people into, this Black Friday might turn out to be red for many businesses.

Now the question is, how can you make this holiday season “Black” for you? A simple solution would be to offer gift certificates to your present database of clients.

Why gift certificates? Well, if you’re like me on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or even Christmas you want to buy the people in your life something special. What I’ve found is that, especially as the holiday season rolls around, it can be very difficult trying to find the perfect present and we are always faced with the problem of buying just the right gift. Also, since I run a small business I find it extremely hard to get away for the hours it would take to find the right one.

That’s the reason why most retailers, both big and small offer gift certificates. They know that we have these challenges and are trying to make our lives easier. That’s why you should offer gift certificates too. You want to help out your clients by making life easier for them.

Now what kind of things should you offer? Start by taking a look at what your customers buy most. If you’re a hair salon you might offer a special on hair care products. If you have a spa you could offer a reduced rate on a microderm and wax. A chiropractor might offer an adjustment and then a massage for a reduced rate. A massage therapist might offer a package of 10 massages where the client pays for eight massages and then relieves two complimentary massages.

You can also offer gift certificates that don’t cost your customers anything. For example I’m sending out an e-mail offering a complimentary hypnosis session for any of my client’s friends or family. Any current or past clients can also use this certificate. In fact, anybody reading this blog can also schedule a complimentary session just call (800) 989-6570 to set yours up. Why am I doing this? It’s because it’s a lot easier to sell someone who is in front of me a program that fits them than to try to convince them to purchase it over the phone. Once a client has experienced what I have to offer about 80% of the time they will want more. By the way, that’s why I have thought out what I’m going to offer them, if they need it, and how I will present it to them. If you decide to do a complimentary offer you should so this too.

So there you have it an easy way to sell more over the holiday season without getting one new customer. Now don’t just read this, go out and do something with it!

Until next time…

Wishing you only success…