With the holidays fast approaching you will be asked to make in-person presentations at the offices of potential clients. There are ten steps to giving successful presentations that help ensure that you walk away with the order.

1 Ask questions before you go and use those answers to plan. Be sure you know the budget, occasion and preferences so you can design baskets accordingly.

2. Dress professionally. That first impression will either put your clients at ease or make them uneasy about trusting their gift-giving to you.

3. Take only one to three baskets in the price range requested. Some business owners believe that should take their top-of-the-line showcase baskets in the hope of driving up the sale. But if a client has told you her budget, why step outside of it?

4. Shoot photos of your designs and print them along with descriptions to distribute to the committee.

5. Take charge of the meeting by giving a very brief, but formal introduction to yourself and company background. This is important even if you have personal friends and acquaintances on the committee.

6. Then do your Vanna White thing. Hold each basket up individually, explaining what’s inside and how each item can be used.

7. When you finish showing the baskets, ask for the order. Ask how many they will be needing, the delivery date and contact person for receiving baskets.

8. Get the order prepaid before you begin ordering inventory and creating designs. Have a form ready for them to sign agreeing to the order as discussed, giving their credit card information and the signature of the decision maker. This way your order is prepaid before you leave the office.

If you must make changes to the agreement before they sign, do so as soon as you return to your office. Then fax the agreement back to them for credit card info and signature.

9. If they want the order shipped, request that they provide an emailed or faxed list of addresses. This will help avoid spelling and other errors.Thank them for their time and leave with your order.

10. Don’t leave baskets behind unless the client buys them. Potential clients who love your work but don’t want to pay your price will often try to recreate the design or ask an employee to copy it. You can’t stop them from copying it, but there’s no need in making it easier for them.

The holiday season can be an exciting and profitable time for your business. Your success depends on how well you conduct and conclude during your presentation.