Website promotions that offer daily deals are hot, but can you implement them in your call center? Absolutely, according to Chris Hansen, vice president of horticultural products merchant GreatGardenPlants.com.
Speaking at the MCM Live conference in New York on May 4, Hansen explained that GreatGardenPlants.com typically has three different deals of the day on its website. About 15% of the site’s business comes in over the phone; the four-year old company has about five people who only answer the phones.
So how does it get the reps to promote the deals of the day over the phone?
GreatGardenPlants.com recently started a deal of the day contest that awards phone reps cash prizes for their success at promoting the deals. There is a weekly winner who gets $25, a monthly winner who receives $100 and a grand-prize winner for the season who is awarded $250.
The merchant also offers an instant bonus to reps who move four or more deal-of-the-day units in an order. Prizes are based on quantities sold, not dollar value, Hansen noted.
Was it easy to get reps on board with the program? Not right away, Hansen admitted. “It took two to three weeks for them to warm up to the idea,” he said. But now the reps are very competitive about the contests, “and they’re brining in significant cash flow this spring,” Hansen said.
The deal-of-the-day contest has been a winner all around for GreatGardenPlants.com, Hansen said. “It gets the reps excited, it increases average order value, and it helps us move through large volumes of merchandise.”
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