In Hollywood, a movie franchise that realizes it needs a stronger foundation to the story can create a prequel. Being able to go back and forward in time gives them more story-telling flexibility and money-making potential.
A local gift certificate program does not have that flexibility. You have to build a strong foundation from the start.
The Basis of the Foundation for a Local Gift Certificate Program
The first place to begin is not in selecting a bank or a vendor to partner with to bring your gift certificate program to fruition. That can happen later. It’s also not in designing out the checks or deciding if you’ll sell them in-house or online. Push that to the side; although you definitely want to sell them online. Selling them in the office is an added bonus.
Merchant Relationships
The first thing you need to do for a successful local gift certificate program is to work on your merchant relationships. For communities with a downtown association or other business collaboration, this may be one easy call to set up a meeting, for others, it may take a little footwork.
Getting your local merchants in on the idea is critical to its success. If you involve them early, listen to their concerns, find out what they’re looking for in a gift certificate, they are more likely to get involved in the program once it becomes a reality, than if you merely select it and announce it to them.
Some things to talk about when you meet with them are:
- Do they currently have a gift card program?
- Are they looking for a way to reach a larger audience?
- What are their expectations in a gift card program?
Take the time to build those relationships. You may even want to create a merchant group if one doesn’t already exist.
Reaching out to your local merchants before selecting a gift card program is an excellent opportunity to bring them on early and make them feel like they are a part of it. Our most successful clients, the ones whose success has vastly outpaced their expectations, have taken the time to include the merchants from the start. You’ll be glad you did.
Image via: morgueFile
