6 Last Minute Holiday Sales Tips That Won’t Make You Feel Icky

You want holiday sales tips, but you don’t want to sell.

Listen, I get it. You’re sitting there watching everyone else blast their lists with DEALS! OFFERS! BUY NOW! while you’re wondering if there’s a way to make some extra holiday cash without feeling like you need a shower afterward.

Plus, between wrapping presents, planning family gatherings, and trying to remember where you stashed those holiday decorations, who has time for complicated marketing campaigns?

Take a deep breath. I’m about to share some surprisingly simple holiday sales tips without losing your soul (or your sanity). These aren’t your typical marketing tips – they’re perfect for those of us who break out in hives at the thought of being pushy.

Turn Your Holiday Anxiety into Your Secret Weapon

Here’s something funny – that reluctance you feel about being too “salesy”? It’s actually your superpower. Why? Because your customers are feeling exactly the same way about being sold to. They’re tired of the endless parade of holiday promotions too.

So let’s use that awareness to create something different. These holiday sales tips are designed to come from a place of service rather than sales. After all, you’ve already got clients and customers who know how great you are, your company is and your products are. So make it available to them — and you don’t have to be pushy or promotional.

1. The “Help, Don’t Hustle” Holiday Quiz

This is one of my favorite holiday sales tips for lead generation.

Remember those magazine quizzes we used to love? Create one for your business:

• “Which [your product] matches your gift recipient’s personality?”
• “What kind of holiday shopper are you?”
• “Find your perfect last-minute gift match”

Implementation tip: Use a free tool like Interact to create your quiz in under 30 minutes. Share it on social media with the message “Stumped on gift ideas? This might help!”

Not a holiday theme – but you can see MY quiz right here.

2. The “Oops, You’re Not Behind” Email Campaign

Send an email with this subject line: “Still haven’t finished your holiday shopping? Good!”

Then share how your product or service can actually be the perfect last-minute gift because it doesn’t require shipping. Think digital gift cards, downloadable products, or service certificates.

Implementation tip: Write your email like you’re reassuring a friend who’s panicking about being behind on holiday prep.

Here’s a prompt you can use in ChatGPT or Claude.ai to write the email:

You are tasked with writing a promotional email for a last-minute gift offer. To create an effective and non-pushy email, you’ll need to gather some information first. Once you have the necessary details, you’ll craft an email that highlights the offer’s benefits and urgency without being overly aggressive.

First, I’ll provide you with the following information:

<offer>

{{OFFER}}

</offer>

<desired_outcome>

{{DESIRED_OUTCOME}}

</desired_outcome>

<urgency_reason>

{{URGENCY_REASON}}

</urgency_reason>

Now, follow these guidelines to create the email:

1. Start with a friendly and engaging opening that acknowledges the last-minute nature of gift shopping without being judgmental.

2. Briefly introduce the offer, focusing on how it can solve the recipient’s gift-giving challenge.

3. Highlight the desired outcome for the customer, emphasizing the benefits they or their gift recipient will experience.

4. Mention the urgency reason, but do so in a way that creates a sense of opportunity rather than pressure.

5. Include a clear call-to-action, but phrase it as an invitation rather than a demand.

6. Close the email with a warm and helpful tone, offering assistance if needed.

Throughout the email:

– Keep the tone conversational and friendly.

– Focus on the benefits and value of the offer rather than pushy sales tactics.

– Use “you” and “your” to make the email feel personal and relevant to the reader.

– Keep paragraphs short and easy to read.

– Use bullet points if listing multiple benefits or features.

Craft the email using only the information provided in the offer, desired outcome, and urgency reason. Do not invent or assume any additional details.

Present your email draft within <email_draft> tags. After the draft, provide a brief explanation of your approach within <approach_explanation> tags.

3. The “Secret Santa” Social Media Strategy

Instead of pushing products, share daily tips or resources your audience might need right now. Then casually mention how your offering fits in:

“Holiday Budget Stretched Thin? Here’s a quick tip: [share money-saving advice] P.S. Speaking of savings, we’ve got gift cards starting at [your lowest price point]”

Implementation tip: Create 5-7 helpful posts right now, schedule them to go out over the next week.

4. The “Non-Sale” Sale

Frame your offer as a helpful solution rather than a discount:

• “Last-minute gift certificates – delivered instantly”
• “Skip the mall – give the gift of [your service] instead”
• “No wrapping required – digital delivery”

Implementation tip: Focus on convenience and problem-solving rather than discounts.

5. The “Holiday Helper” Package

Bundle your products or services into ready-made solutions:

• “The ‘Oh no, I forgot someone’ Gift Bundle”
• “The ‘Save Christmas’ Last-Minute Package”
• “The ‘Emergency Gift’ Solution”

Implementation tip: Create 2-3 bundles at different price points, name them something fun that acknowledges the last-minute nature.

6. The “Real Talk” Review Strategy

Share genuine customer stories about how your product or service saved the day: “Last year, Sarah used our [product/service] as a last-minute gift for her mom. Here’s what happened…”

Implementation tip: Reach out to 3-5 past customers today asking for their holiday gift stories.

Why These Approaches Work

These strategies work because they’re built on empathy, not pressure. You’re not trying to convince anyone to buy – you’re offering genuine help to people who are already looking for solutions.

Your Last-Minute Marketing Timeline

Here’s your super simple action plan:

1. Today: Pick two strategies from above
2. Tomorrow morning: Spend 30 minutes implementing the first one
3. Tomorrow afternoon: Set up the second one
4. Rest of the week: Monitor and respond to engagement

Remember, you don’t need to do everything. Pick what feels most natural to you and your business.

The Bottom Line

The best holiday marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. It feels like helping. And isn’t that what the season is really about?

So stop worrying about being pushy. Focus instead on being helpful. Your bank account (and your conscience) will thank you.

Ready for a Holiday Marketing Breakthrough?

Look, I know coming up with holiday sales tips and ideas when you’re already stressed about the holidays feels overwhelming. But what if we spent 90 minutes together turning these ideas into a real plan for your business?

Let’s roll up our sleeves and create your last-minute cash infusion strategy. Schedule a Working Session with me now for only $150. No pushy tactics required – promise!