Guide Holiday Shoppers

Let’s get into the mind-set of the holiday shopper. People often have several motivations for giving gifts. Sometimes it’s an acknowledgement of appreciation, other times it’s in hopes of acceptance and recognition. The subtext is that the gift represents their insight into the receiver’s personal interests or personality. The more thoughtful the gift, the more points the giver scores. The optimal goal is to find a gift that keeps on giving, bearing a daily utilitarian value that precedes a sense of gratitude for its presence and the person who gave it to them.

So, what’s the secret sauce to a successful retail holiday season? Ensuring your customers are feel- ing confident that they’re giving a gift that will serve a great purpose, and not be one that will be tucked into a closet come January. However, holiday shoppers at your store might be at a disadvantage if they’re not music equipment- savvy. Therefore, they’ll need your help. Desperately.

This is where you can take the reins of the sleigh, be a good elf and strategize an assistance module: gift guides for your non-musician shoppers. Then, train your staff on these guides so they have some go-to options in mind before assisting holiday shoppers.

CREATING GIFT GUIDES 101
Start by preparing a breakdown of your demographic and then offer gift ideas for each “type” of customer your shop usually sees. My home base, Astro AVL, is a DJ shop in Los Angeles, so my end-user categories might look like this:

1. The Beginner DJ. This player is someone whose passions are fresh, leaving them bubbling with excitement. They probably own an entry-level DJ controller, like the DDJ-FLX4.

2. The Intermediate DJ. This is someone who has the essentials but doesn’t know every- thing their journey will require. They’ve got a couple Mackie speakers and maybe even a sub- woofer. Or maybe they go live on TikTok a few times a week and need tools to record content. It’s also possible they’ve never been exposed to the importance of lighting as a compliment to their DJ setup.

3. The Longtime or Performing DJ. This customer has an arsenal of equipment but is a gear junkie at heart and will have an affinity for adding something new to their collection. They’ve probably graduated to the CDJ-3000s or whatever new Pioneer DJ controller is hot so generating gift recommendations for them requires more finesse.

After identifying your main types of customers, generate at least three product suggestions for each, fitting one product into each series of pricing tiers you deem appropriate. Start with the most simple suggestions, generally being on the economical side of the cost spectrum. Then, advance to the more complex product solutions. Get creative. Even the most advanced musicians may overlook the most simple game-changing stuff they never knew they needed. My recommendations for the above customers might look like this:

1. The Beginner DJ Gift Guide. I would suggest some Earos Hearing Protection as these can be stylish and can be a potential concert lifesaver in a pinch. Other potentials? A Gator 10-inch Ring Light Combo to help their social media content look its best; Pioneer DM-50D Desktop Monitors as a low-cost monitor option that will rock their world; or a ProX DJ Controller Hardcase, which will protect their gear for future gigs with a bonus upgraded aesthetic.

2. The Intermediate DJ Gift Guide. For the intermediate user, I would offer shoppers a Mackie Main- stream, which is a multi-functional audio and video interface for livestreaming or recording social media content with room to grow into managing multiple cameras in OBS. Another option would be the DBX Driverack PA2, a processor for live sound DSP to elevate their audio signal quality without replacing their DJ speakers. Bonus points because it suppresses unforeseen problematic feedback. One final option? A Chauvet GigBAR Move ILS as it’s a perfect all-in-one lighting system for a budding mobile DJ.

3. The Longtime or Performing DJ Gift Guide. For the more serious DJ, I would recommend gift-givers consider a Limited Edition Serato Control Vinyl, every turntablist cherishes a limited release pressing. The Headliner Gigastand USB laptop stand with a built-in USB hub and four USB ports is a perfect streamlining product alternative to the traditional stands out there. Finally, an Eliminator Lighting EM20 20-inch Mirror Ball and Motor is not something a musician would generally think to buy for themselves, but if the buyer has a good read on their personality, it can be a fun, quirky gift option that gets lots of use, and attention. A bonus? It’s available at an affordable price-point that shoppers won’t be turned away from.

Hint: If the customer has no idea where to start, have them probe into the personal life of the receiver by looking through their social media for snaps of their audio setup. This will likely shed ample light on what gaps to fill, or at the very least, their preferred color themes and taste in decor.

NEXT STEPS
Now that you’ve got your list, spread it amongst your staff and coach them through the rationale so they can effectively make it make sense to the customer. Your team will appreciate the initiative and having a game plan will boost their confidence when they’re put on the spot.

For the e-commerce wizards, convert this decision tree into an easily digestible click-and-point format that starts on your homepage, so online shoppers can avoid freezing up in vast snowy expanses of your wide product catalog.

Setting up a few new URLs for gift-giving guides can help your conversion rate and lower your bounce rate as people linger on your site.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, GIFT CARDS
Tie things off neatly like a bow on a present by preparing your holiday gift certificates to represent the season with zest. Consider improving the presentation of your gift cards according to the dollar value.

For instance, a $25 certificate might come in a lightly dec- orated or standard store-branded white envelope. However, con- sider elevating the $100 option by putting it into a shiny gold envelope with a store-branded tchotchke like a store-branded coozie or beanie.

Have mock certificates on dis- play to showcase to gift-givers so that when they’re on the fence their inclination will naturally lead them to splurge a little more for the presentable value. It’s the same method credit card companies use to exude status.

Help your store, and your team, fill customers’ stockings this holiday season with gifts they actually want by creating a gift guide. And, in turn, I promise I won’t subject you to any more cliche Christmas metaphors ... until next year, that is. Happy Holidays, retailers! MI