INTERNET & CATALOG MARKETING FOR SPECIALTY FOOD COMPANIES

1. Recruit From Last Year’s List - Contact the holiday staffers who worked for you last year and personally invite them back. A personal call sends the message that they are truly valued and is a prime opportunity to build on the investment your organization has already made in their training.
   
   In addition, as you interview new candidates, let them know that you are interested in employees who will come back next year. Find out if interviewees see the position as a one-time-only affair or something that might be longer term. Of course they can say they are interested in a long-term relationship and still not come back. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t hire someone who says they are looking for this season only. But if you don’t ask, you won’t know. And in the case of two equally qualified candidates for a single position, a desire for an ongoing relationship could be a deciding factor.


2. Use Bottom-Line Training - The number one thing that impacts employee job satisfaction is knowing what is expected while on the job. People want to feel productive and like to know that they’re making a contribution. Because holiday staff are only around for a short time, and because the jobs they are assigned are often (but not always) less skilled, many managers don’t take the time to clearly document what is expected.
   
   Taking the time to document expectations up front can save you lots of time later on—when you’re not answering as many questions, correcting as many mistakes and refunding as much money. Think “bottom line” when it comes to expectations for holiday help; what are the processes, procedures and skills that will have the most impact on your product quality, customer service and financial results?
   
   Some of the key expectations that we’ve documented and will be posting prominently around Zingerman’s Mail Order this holiday season include:
   
   

   Documentation of Expectations	Bottom-Line Benefits
   Checklists of items to be included in each gift box/basket	Fewer items left out Fewer customer complaints
   Diagrams of how the items in each gift box/basket are to be arranged	Improved consistency and product quality
   How to properly perform the all-important "shake" test to verify a box’s contents are packed securely	Less breakage during shipping Fewer customer complaints Lower costs
   5 Steps to Handling Complaints	Consistent, effective response to customer complaints Increased customer satisfaction



3. Teach an Orientation Class - Orientation classes for holiday staff are a good bottom-line investment. People like to get the big picture and want to know how they can contribute. In addition to giving staff some background on your organization, share with them the goals for the holiday season. What are you shooting for in terms of sales? Explain clearly how each employee contributes to the overall success of the business. Since temporary staff are likely to have jobs that focus on a rather narrow skill set, they may not get the big picture while on the job. Use the orientation class to explain how the work they do impacts customer satisfaction and product quality overall, so that they can take pride in their contribution and have an incentive to do the job well.


4. Share the Winnings/Successes - Bonus plans for holiday staff should be simple to implement and should be designed to get the results that will help your business meet its bottom line targets. Sales incentives are obvious for staff who are in sales. But don’t forget about incentives for increased accuracy of order entry and order fulfillment.
   
   Several years ago Zingerman’s Mail Order had a problem with production staff calling in sick or quitting just as the season hit its busiest and most hectic days. In response, Mail Order has created a holiday bonus plan that pays out $75, $125 or $200 (based on average hours worked per week) to staff who:
   
   
   • Successfully complete the required training
   
   
   • Work all scheduled shifts, with one or no days absent from work and 2 or fewer late arrivals.
   
   
   • Are available and scheduled to work between the first Monday in December and the last shipping day before Christmas (December 4 and December 22 this year).


5. Reward Referrals - According to Jude Walton, one of the managing partners at Zingerman’s Mail Order, their most effective incentive is a “referral bonus.” If a staff member refers a friend or family member, who is then hired and who successfully qualifies for the holiday bonus plan (above), the original employee gets $50. Some employees have referred (and collected on) several new hires each holiday season. Hiring new staff who already have a personal connection to the business also increases the likelihood that they, too, will return the next season.


6. Learn from Your “Customers” - At Zingerman’s, we think of our staff as customers and believe we need to sell them on our business as a preferred employer. If you were trying to get your retail customers to buy more of your product, you might talk to some of the best retail customers to ask what they like and what you could do better. Likewise, it makes sense to talk to the holiday staff (especially those who’ve returned from prior years) to find out what they like about working for your business during the holidays. Then decide which of those ideas are most compelling and feature them in your “ad campaign” for holiday staff.


7. Celebrate - Have a post-holiday party. At Zingerman’s having fun is one of our guiding principles. A post-holiday get-together gives everyone closure on the season and provides an opportunity to collect information that can be used to improve future performance (see #6 above). In January we invite all Mail Order holiday staff to a celebratory lunch at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. There’s lots of good food and plenty of time to just visit and catch up with friends, but we also share the holiday financial results and take the opportunity to get everyone’s input on what went well and what didn’t so we’ll know what to focus on next year.

Warmest regards,

Tony Cox
President
Catalog Solutions

ABOUT CATALOG SOLUTIONS
Catalog Solutions helps specialty food catalogers and internet marketers grow and make more money by developing, managing and implementing their mail order and online marketing programs. We are the only catalog/internet marketing consulting firm that works exclusively in the specialty food industry. Helping smaller companies or large companies with small mail order or internet divisions is what we do best.

Visit us online at CatalogSolutions.net to download a copy of our free booklet, The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Catalogers, and for information on our fully guaranteed introductory program called JumpStart.