Stocking Fillers

Christmas Collaborations maybe over, however we are still in the lead up to Christmas and we didn’t want to miss out sharing a few gems before it’s all over. We will also be keeping you warm throughout December with our weekend fillers, in which we share special recipes that have kept us going throughout the cold winter months for years.

I know there are lots of posts out there giving you plenty of food for thought in terms of filling those stockings.  And I didn’t want to feel left out. So here goes…

A few years ago, before my career took off, I used work as a ‘promotion’s assistant’. It was a way to keep the money coming in whilst waiting for my agent to call. I’d worked as a Box Office and Front of House assistant, and I’d also worked as a barmaid in theatres and clubs. So public facing roles were never a problem – let’s face it, they could not be, I work in theatre and the creative industry.

Spec Savers, Tesco and Boots are just a few of the shops I worked for as a sales assistant for over a year. Some of the roles were simply handing out leaflets, goodie bags and ushering people towards the products I was promoting. Other roles were more target led and driven by sales.  This was tough! I found being in sales inauthentic, ruthless and intrusive. Some of my colleagues were lying or even bullying the more vulnerable customers just so that they could make a sale.  

If you have been keeping up with T.B.C’s posts, you will understand that we have a holistic approach to life. Everything is manifested organically. With that in mind you may be thinking “why sales” and how I lasted a year longer than I thought I would. Well, the truth is I honed in a more holistic approach to sales. I made getting to know someone my priority, like I was having a chat with them. I wanted them to leave the store feeling like they had been listened to and cared for, even if they left empty handed. I was dedicated to creating a pitch that was unique for each customer. We are all different with our own needs, wants and desires, and because of that, I was lucky enough to never have the same conversation twice.

When I forgot about the targets, I smashed pretty much every target set for the day, and felt really happy that I had genuinely helped someone.

Perfumed Gift Sets and their Extras

Where does stocking fillers come in – well one of my pitches included “stocking fillers”. Around Christmas time perfume gift sets were high on the list of sales. 10 of those sold in the day would get you to target and some. They were also a better deal; you would get a 50mil bottle of perfume plus a couple of extras. However, people always used to dislike buying the gift sets because of the extras. (Yet the perfume would be too expensive to buy alone). They expressed they “had no use for them”. But a little chat with me would see them taking away 3,4 even 5 different gift sets. Why??? Well, all the extras could be used as stocking fillers cutting the stress of buying extra fillers. You got more for your money, in more ways than one.  There are lots of other gifts sets this could work with; skin and hair care, beauty boxes, stationary sets, packs of knickers (wrap individual pairs in tissue paper), socks…the list is actually endless.

Hotel Toiletries and Unwanted Smellies

Another handy filler is if you you find yourself in a hotel and you manage to get a few extra toiletries; shower gels, shampoo & conditioners, body lotions – they can also be used as fillers. I know I for one would love to receive something like that, because I am always traveling. It would be a useful filler for me!

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a perfume gift set this year and have “no use for the extras” save them. They have a huge shelf life which means they will be absolutely fine to use for someone else’s stocking next year. It is the same with any smellies that you might receive. A great way to cut cost and recycle unwanted items.

Happy Holidays

T.B.C…