Being Creative With Your Job

I know many people don't have to think twice about how to be creative, unique, and absolutely personal in everything they do, but I'm a slow learner ha ha! So I'm going to share my insight with you just in case you are a slow learner like me!

My full-time job is in the construction industry. My clients or rather my company's clients range from the small business owner to the Fortune 500. My job is to go out and sell our product, maintain customer relationships, and develop new customer relationships. Yes, that makes me a salesperson. For those who think "Ewww... sales" I promise its not bad, it is actually a lot of fun. For those of you that think "Oh... the easy life" I promise you, I do more paperwork than the office manager! Here is what I've been pondering on here lately though.

I go out and visit clients and get to take them to lunch, dinner, social events, drop by their offices, and sometimes bring them little tokens to remind them that they like doing business with me. Some company calls these marketing tools. I know you've seen them and you've got several around your home and office. Pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, sticky pads, koozies, coffee cups... all bearing said company's logo. Well, I get to buy these wonderful items too. Only I can't handle being the "average" salesperson, so I'm taking it a step further. Here is what I want to do:

1) Gift baskets - Yes, put the all important pens and paper in there, but also make chocolate chip cookies, or muffins, or brownies. Add a bow, and a personal handmade card.

I know many of you maybe thinking.. um, I can buy these and don't need to spend time making them. Well, there are two reasons for me wanting to do this instead of just buying them.

1) My clients are personal to me. I want them to know I consider them important enough to spend my time on them.

2) You never know where your talents of client relations will lead you. Who might see this basket?

3) I just find it great to make people smile, and I've never had anyone say... oh... wonderful... she brought cookies....

4) I'm saving my company money. Yep I will. I am a smart shopper and put the ingredients together of a beautiful basket that would cost over $100 for a fraction of the cost!

*I tested this theory out by the way: I went to a local "snazzy" gift basket establishment and bought some baskets for clients. The baskets were $40, $30, and $20 respectively. This is what I found.

I could have bought baskets like those at the dollar store.

The most expensive basket contained about $2 worth of goodies in it (if you were to make them up and divide the pieces up the way they did)

Great for that company for making such a tidy profit. Great for me for figuring out, I could save my company $38 per basket. And since I have 100's of clients and 100's of more potential clients, that's A LOT of dough!

So boss man, if you should happen upon this blog one day.... recognize you have an awesome employee!

Now I'm off to make a batch of Thank you cards. Nothing says customer appreciation like a THANK YOU! How often do you hear it while you are out shopping?

Have a great day!