Gift cards are a great way to generate quick revenue and expand your consumer base or reward current consumers, if you know how to sell them properly. Selling for a specific dollar amount is standard in gift card sales, however there are plenty of service-based pet businesses—groomer, walker, sitter, day care, photographer, or any mobile business—where it becomes tricky for a consumer to know what dollar amount to purchase.
Consumers often want to make sure the amount of the gift card fully covers the cost of the service, but if the cost of service is dependent on different variables such as location or animal size, then what’s the best way for the business to market gift card sales?
1. Consider the ease of purchase for your consumer.
The easier it is for someone to understand your service, trust you, get a quote and purchase, the more you’ll see gift card sales happen.
If you’re a service business and you’re basing estimates on location…consider the simplest way for people to understand what this means.
Do you charge by distance from your business location? Or is there some way to provide a flat-fee for services possibly based on issue or breed/size of dog and then add a travel fee?
Any way you can break your pricing model down in a way that’s scannable will help a lot with any sales metric or tactic, including gift cards.
Creating a very simple chart would be a great way to showcase your variable pricing model and allow potential consumers to quickly see the cost. Something similar to a panty-hose sizing chart would be easy for a consumer to navigate and understand: the bigger the dog, the greater the distance, the higher the price.
For gift cards, offering a percentage off is often an effective incentive to purchase and makes it easy for a consumer to know exactly the amount they need to get a gift card for.
If you do a flat rate for all dogs and change price depending on location, that becomes even easier to understand.
By providing something like a scannable chart, consumers can instantly understand what their purchase price may be and get a gift card for that much.
This alleviates the fear that they’ll purchase a flat amount and then the service will be too expensive.
I’m including an example chart here to get those creative juices going.
2. Take a peek at the no-brainer deals information on Working with Dog.
While the method of how you offer any deal differs, the psychology behind a purchase is the same, including purchasing a gift card.
Understanding the motivations for buying to get an easy yes and the hidden fears that hinder a purchase can help you become an effective seller.
Bundling products or services and pricing them strategically will also effectively market your business offerings, including gift cards. Selling is about maximizing value for the consumer while maximizing results for your business. The relationship is reciprocal. These no-brainer deal ideas will help you utilize the hidden psychology of buying to help you serve more people.
3. Get clear on what you want the gift cards TO DO.
- Are they there to bring in new clients?
- Increase the average purchase of existing clients?
- Reward loyalty and encourage repeat business or referrals?
Each of these has a different use. Deciding what you want the gift card to do will impact what the actual offer is— and the percentage discount offered.
Likewise, the way you deliver and tell people about it will be different depending on your motive and target buying audience for the gift card.
4. Create an exclusive, premium experience.
You can transform the everyday gift card into a premium product with a few considerations.
Brainstorm the presentation of the gift card—think of how you want the recipient of the gift card to feel when they receive it. The colors, the material you use, if it’s a card or a box or something unique to your business, could make this a super high-value gift that feels more meaningful than “just a gift card.”
Receiving a gift card is an experience and it can feel as wonderful and meaningful as receiving an all-inclusive vacation or the perfect pair of shoes. Pairing it with a premium bundle may be a nice selling point for consumers.
For some inspiration, look at Real Simple’s suggested packaging these various gift cards for the holidays or explore these more eclectic wrapping-paper-replacements.
In the end, the more you simplify and make the purchasing decision easy, the more likely you are to make the sale. Head over to Working with Dog for more ways to keep your pet business profitable, fulfilling and freeing.
