How to Sell Holiday Packages Like a Pro

Oh, what fun the holidays can be.

Friends, family, parties, festive food and drinks.

But there’s also added stress around the holidays — especially for small business owners looking to increase sales to end their year with a bang.

As a service provider, it’s easy to get lost in the frenzy of the holiday season.

On top of your already busy schedule, you’re handling last-minute appointments and product purchases… while also planning your own holiday festivities.

But despite the chaos, this season also marks one of the best times to increase your revenue. Your clients are ready to shop, and they’re on the hunt for holiday deals and discounts.

In fact, on average, consumers spend nearly $1,000 over the holidays — which makes this time of year the perfect opportunity to boost holiday sales and engage with your clients.

One key selling technique? Promotional packages.

To help get you started, we put together our best sales ideas for small business during December— without losing any holiday cheer.

5 Ways to Sell More Packages Over the Holidays:

• Get Prepared
• Create Your Packages
• Bundle Your Products
• Market Your Packages
• Don’t Forget Small Business Saturday

Holiday Sales Tips for Service Providers to Sell More Packages

Get Prepared

If you already sell packages year-round, you know they’re a fantastic way to entice new clients and show some love to your regulars.

To sell promotions right, though, you need to plan in advance — and crunch a few numbers.

When it comes to creating or marketing your holiday packages, the sooner you prepare for the holiday sales rush, the better. 

Start Early

According to the National Retail Federation, about 40% of holiday consumers begin their Christmas shopping before Halloween. A small percentage even start before Labor Day in September.

While October might feel a little too early for eggnog and twinkling lights, it’s exactly the right time to start your promotional sales strategy.

Budget

When considering your budget for holiday package sales, ask yourself the following questions:

• What services, classes, or products can you afford to offer discounts on?
• If you’re selling product packages, what do you have in inventory currently? What do you need to buy?
• What are your sales goals?

Audit Your Website

Before you start selling services or products this holiday season, make sure your website and booking page are up to date.

You need to audit and update details about your location, business hours, prices, and contact info. If you have a Google My Business listing, make sure that’s up to date as well. 

This is also a great place to mention your upcoming holiday sales — to plant that seed with your clients, so they think of your business as the gift-giving approaches.

Create Your Packages

Whether you’re an appointment- or class-based business, there are plenty of ways to get creative with selling packages.

Think about your clients and how your services could work for them this season or serve as a great gift idea for their friends and family.

Keep it Simple

This time of year, most shoppers are in a rush.

Keep your promotions, deals, and discounts easy to understand. It gives you a better chance of making the sale.

You may even want to consider a holiday “micro offer.” 

If you’re a hairstylist, this could a “buy 5, get 1 free” promotion.

Create a package that gives away a free styling session for clients who create five appointments for haircuts. (You can even ask for a deposit, so you don’t lose money!)

Or if you’re a yoga studio, you could create a “New Year, New You” sales package. The client receives a free session for purchasing a bundle of three classes at once.

Stay on Theme

Don’t shy away from coming up with fun holiday-themed packages. (It is the most wonderful time of the year, after all.)

Think “Burn Away the Holidays” for a post-holiday fitness package.

Go with a quirky “Twelve Days of Christmas Package,” where you sell a package of 12 yoga or personal training sessions that the client has to use before Christmas. 

Bundle Different Services

Does your spa offer both massages and facials? Does your studio offer yoga and pilates?

Baking two of your best-selling services together gets you multiple appointments from the same client. It’s a tried-and-true selling technique.

Think Ahead

Everyone goes a little overboard with New Year’s resolutions. They start 2023 with a plan to take better care of themselves.

Target this audience with promotions and packages that help clients:

• Get back in shape or be more active
• Practice self-care
• Live better or healthier
• Prioritize Me Time
• Save money

Bundle Your Products, Too

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with your products this holiday season.

Keep the same products you’ve been selling all year — but with a twist on the best sales technique: Bundles! BOGOs! 2 for 1!

When you bundle products together, think about products that naturally go together. 

• What products have your clients bought together in the past? Go through your sales reports for the past year for clues to what clients are already purchasing as a pair.
• What products do you sell that clients could use for the new year? Target those resolutions!
• If clients always buy a certain product, what’s another product you could bundle with it that would help them? What products work better together?

Cross-Sell Packages

We’re all familiar with upselling products or services, but cross-selling is a little different. Cross-selling for small business is all about promoting adjacent products or services together. 

For example, a gym could create a holiday nutrition package. The client receives a free smoothie or protein shake for purchasing a bundle of three fitness sessions.

Or if you’re a hair salon, you could bundle a special shampoo, conditioner, or styling product with the purchase of two haircuts.

BOGO

We know. The classic “buy one, get one,” or BOGO, offer can seem like a cliché at times. But there’s a reason it’s lasted as a great promotion strategy for small businesses. 

Shoppers love a good discount, especially around the holidays. Keep it simple with a classic BOGO package to get their attention.

Market Your Packages

Coming up with creative holiday-themed packages is a fun (and important) project for businesses looking to boost sales at the end of the year.

But once you have your package ideas ready to go, how do you market them?

To keep it simple: Get the word out to your clients and community.

Social Media 

Let your clients know you’re selling packages exactly when they’re already scrolling aimlessly. They’re wondering what gifts to get for everyone on their list.

Promote your holiday packages on social media platforms, like Instagram or Facebook, by creating posts that lead to your website or booking page offering a deal.

Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing is a great way to get the word out and share your packages with clients. Announce your holiday offers, wish your clients a happy holiday or new year, and share a link that takes them to the package offer.

If you’re already using Schedulicity, send a quick email marketing blast right in your account. There’s even some handy holiday templates to use — so you can be as festive as you want!

In-Person Promotion

It may seem a little old school, but nothing beats word-of-mouth marketing.

So, the next time you have your clients in your gym or studio for their favorite workout class, don’t forget to mention your upcoming holiday promotions.

Don’t Forget Small Business Saturday

The holiday season officially starts after Thanksgiving, and while Black Friday seems to get all the hype, there’s a ton to be gained as a service provider on Small Business Saturday. 

It’s a huge opportunity for small, local businesses.

Whether you’re a hair stylist or a massage therapist, there are plenty of creative ways to boost sales and promote your holiday packages.

Check out how to prep for Small Business Saturday with our quick how-to video.

Local Marketing

Marketing within your community and networking with other local small businesses is one way to get the word out about your business and your holiday offers.

This means putting yourself out there with other like-minded business owners. 

The Thriving Stylist suggests putting together a little gift basket to share.

If you’re a hairstylist, “It might include a full-size shampoo, conditioner, maybe a travel-size styling aid, a little bag of cookies, and definitely a generous gift certificate.”

Let other business owners in your area know how much you appreciate them, and in turn, they’ll be sure to tell people what you did.

Partner Up with a Local Businesses

This is a great idea from Behind The Chair. They suggest finding a local business you love and promoting each other’s businesses — especially any holiday offers you each have going on. 

You and your business partner could also include each other’s deals in your regular newsletters and holiday marketing emails.

Create Special Offers

To get folks in your salon or gym on Small Business Saturday, you need to give them a reason to come in — aka your holiday-themed packages!

But on top of your ongoing holiday package deals, you can also come up with special offers specifically for Small Business Saturday, such as a free yoga class or half-off haircuts that day.

This way, clients are incentivized to come visit you.

Then, once they’re in, your holiday packages will be too good of a deal to pass up!