Tools for Tomorrow: Holiday Surprises

 In Be Calendar Relevant, Create Community, Create Loyalty, Marketing Plan, Planning

With all of the extra traffic your location is bound to see between Black Friday and New Years Day, you owe it to yourself to find ways to surprise and delight your holiday guests!

For starters, how would you describe your holiday customers? We’re sure some are brimming with holiday cheer, but the majority might be in a bit of a rush, stressed out, or frazzled. They likely have a long to-do list, and limited time to get those things done.

That’s where you come in!

You might say, “But…I just own a retail shop/restaurant/small business – how can I help my customers reduce their holiday stress?” By surprising and delighting them, that’s how! Provide them with something unexpectedly delightful, and you might just make their day! Plus, an unexpected (positive) surprise usually generates great word of mouth marketing for your business (i.e. they will tell all their friends and family members about the nice thing you did), so it’s a win-win!

Here are a few ideas to surprise and delight your holiday guests:

  • Give away full-sized samples of your products or menu items to a select group of customers (say, early morning or late night shoppers) just because!
  • Work with your community parking enforcement to pre-pay for parking in a few key areas around your location. Put up signage to make sure your customers know you’re looking out for them!
  • Thank your customers by creating a promotion or special offer that’s valid after the 1st of the year. So, when they do their holiday shopping with you, they get a little kick back in the new year!
  • Have complimentary holiday treats (hot cider, coffee and cookies) at the register to comfort (and perk up!) your customers.
  • Make it easy for your customers to give back by partnering with a local charity in need. Invite them to set up a donation drop off at your location or host a shopping/dining night to benefit their organization.

How do you plan to surprise and delight your customers this holiday season?

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