Taking Back Our Sympathy Orders From Legacy.Com

I’m usually Mr. Optimistic when it comes to the floral industry but quite honestly, I don’t know where the sales are going to come from for the next several months - other than birthdays, anniversaries, and unfortunately, funerals and sympathy.

However, a lot of that business has been taken by a company called Legacy - who has partnered with the Sympathy Store (which is owned by FTD). It works like this: most online obituaries also include a link that allows you to purchase flowers and other gifts with the click of a button.

It’s incredibly convenient for the person viewing the obituary but it comes at the expense of the local florist. Once the customer clicks on the link and chooses the flowers they wish to send, Legacy takes commissions out of the order and sends it on to a local florist to fulfill. The local florist has little choice but to fill the order, but by doing so, they’re losing out on a percentage of the sale. 

I hate to say it, but going forward, there’s going to be a retraction in our industry. Those who are looking ahead and are thinking about ways to better their business are going to survive and they’re going to have a different business model when this is all over.

On the other hand, those with a ‘woe-is-me’ attitude who are content with sitting back and letting other people do all the work are going to be in trouble because their days are numbered. So, it’s up to you to decide which type of business owner you choose to be. 

Our industry of florists needs to be proactive if we expect to survive and that means looking for new ways of operating. There are too many ‘middlemen’ and order gatherers out there making it easy to order flowers, but they’re also taking our profits because we’re letting them do the work we could be doing on our own. 

One of the ways we can start is by breaking into the Legacy business. We need to get that “send flowers” button on obituaries to go to the local florist and not national corporations. They’ve never had anyone challenge them and they’re all over the country. It won’t be an easy fight, but it can be done by starting with just one florist in every market in the country and getting the funeral orders back to the local florist where they belong.

We need to pull together and support those who are supporting the floral industry. Bloomerang Solutions can help you do that and more. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a note below. We can start today!

Imagine Spending $786.28 to Receive $14,280 in One Month. Could it Be You?

Above you can see the secret to why the national accounts keep parking ads in the local Google results (which is your local search results) is because most local florists are not properly placing ads to protect these guys form getting in.

* This report is direct and generated from Google ads. What Google is not capable of is recording phoned in transactions. The 36 calls are clicks to the actual phone number in the display ads that lasted over 2 minutes! That is the best they can do. What we have found for industry conversions that the true conversion over the phone is 4 phoned in orders to every online order placed directly on the website. This data is from Flower Manager.

After several years of studying this, the number used to be 5-1 but has now dropped to between 3 and 4 -1 as people have become more comfortable ordering online. But with so many businesses closed, many online shoppers clicked to reach your online storefront, called to place orders to be sure the flowers could be delivered. So it could have been even more phone orders.

MEASURE THIS

(You know you have at least 56 orders for sure)
The average order WITH DELIVERY is conservatively is $85.
Multiply the $85 x 56 orders on the website = $4,760
(In the most conservative calculation...assuming NO ONE would ever call, you the retail florist can see $4760 in conversions for $786.28!
NOW YOU HAVE BEEN INFORMED

If you conservatively want to say as little as 3-1, you can see you received over $14,280.

This was a great eye-opener for many florists that actually called me and paid closer attention. One client in the Albany, NY area was checking stats daily to compare and measure. He would ask me to email his spend for the day and could hardly believe how much the paid ads were pushing his volume.

The numbers are here and clear as can be. You have a choice to understand, learn and secure orders or continue to accept the wire-ins and fool yourself thinking they originated out of town.

Now that you can see what the true numbers are, you have no one to blame but yourself if you are not securing your own orders. The May weddings are canceled, school graduations will not be celebrated as usual. You can sit back and wait to get a wire-in, or you can call me to discuss just how quickly you could be out there securing your own orders.

Here is a visual to think about:

So to secure $14280.80 by spending $786.28 could make your summer sales a pleasure with profits to spare.

After this virus and Mother's Day, many florists realized the power of their websites.
Remember, if you want to secure the best placement, call me or a company that will ensure exclusivity - there can only be one #1.

The 2 main Google ad opportunities are:

#1 SMART Campaigns: This name has changed again form AdWords Express. This is where you spend about $300 a month and you get somewhere on the first page or second.

#2 Google Ads (aka AdWords): This is the powerhouse. No limits and enough control to do whatever you want. It will also measure your conversions.

With Weddings and Events gone for the short term, it's in your best interest to keep securing your backyard by having your ads appear converting orders and keeping your shop busy.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ARE YOU READY? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Please call me - let's talk! My background with Google goes way back to the very beginning when Google started on Sept 8 1998. Drop me an email, I will be happy to assist in any way possible.

- Art Conforti

Attention Lovingly Customers!

We all know how busy you are and the chances of you reading an email right now is pretty slim to none. The industry is exploding with online orders and Lovingly knows it.

You have received an email to opt-out if you don’t want them to charge your customers $10 for every online order.

Yes, this is what they’re doing and they’re expecting you to be paying attention to your email at a time when you’re buried in orders to opt out.

WARNING: OPT OUT – or have your customers get taken advantage of!!!

Lovingly is keeping those funds and paying taxes on them. This is not a good reflection for your business and Bloomerang can help you! If you should need any other assistance with any other 3rd parties that are not wire service related if that’s important to you.

Please like our page and keep up with this important information.

-Art

What You Say Is Important but How You Say It Is Critical

When training your staff for big floral holidays like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, it's extremely important that they learn and understand the company culture. Just like any recognized corporation like the Ritz or even the Marriott corporation, training is paramount. They’re recognized as masters of customer service because they focus on the “HOW” not the “WHAT.”

We may never be able to reach their level of customer service, but we can certainly follow their model and implement it in our own shops. In fact, the premise is simple (it’s the implementation and consistency that matter) the “HOW” in this instance is how you explain something. Here’s an example:

When you tell someone a service “WILL COST YOU,” you make it sound like they are being punished. No one is inconveniencing us with their request - it's up to us to be ready to handle and address the needs of the consumer. After all, this is why we’re here.

Always remember, a consumer calls us because they need us. It's up to us to make them feel welcome and accommodated.

The “WHAT” is the item and the costs of what they ask for, but anyone can provide that. It’s the “HOW” that sets us apart.

4 points to a successful order taking experience

#1 Identify the price

“What price range were you considering?” Instead of "How much do you want to spend?" Once you understand the price range, you can advise accordingly.

#2 Location (where will it be delivered?)

Now that you know the price range the customer is anticipating, the next order of business is finding out the delivery location.

#3 Sell color and fill to value

“What is her (or his) favorite color?”

“How about a beautiful custom-designed bouquet (to the value requested)?”

Now, if you have enough, offer certain florals like roses, lilies, and assorted seasonal blooms to value - it will be beautiful. Always try that first. The website and specific items are always available on the web, so try to sell color and price to afford flexibility of the design staff to use the available product for the best value - this is important to explain to your staff, don't assume your staff knows this.

#4 Close with confidence and a chance to sell more

What does that mean? Try this: "was there any other shopping I may assist you with? We can provide hand-delivered flowers, plants, and gifts, anywhere across the USA."

This reminds the sender that they can count on you for delivery ANYWHERE. This short video explains how you can plant the seeds for out-of-town delivery requests:

The most important aspect of training

If I had to change one thing in the video above, it is the use of the word “problem.” We prefer not to use the phrase “NOT A PROBLEM,” and instead replace it with, "It would be OUR PLEASURE." It may not seem like a big difference, but when you’re speaking to a client over the phone, you will be judged on HOW you speak to people.

Good luck with all your upcoming holiday preparations! I know it’s a busy time, but I also know what an exciting time it is to be a florist! We will be providing more tips and advice in the upcoming weeks and please remember that we’re always here to help out as you prepare for the 14th. Call us anytime at 941-806-1911 or drop us a line here and let us know what we can do.

Have an outstanding week!
-Art
 

Turn Green into Gold: 7 Lucky Ways to Market St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is not (and has never been) recognized as a legal or federal holiday in the United States, but it’s recognition as a worldwide phenomenon is a direct result of American culture. Many of the traditions we associate with St. Patrick’s Day, contrary to popular belief, originated here in the U.S. and not in Ireland.

Parades, parties and the act of dying rivers green? American-made traditions, all the way. Corned beef and cabbage? Although staples of St. Patrick’s Day here in the United States, are rarely eaten in Ireland. Even the song “Irish Eyes are Smiling” is a U.S. creation!

Turning Green into Gold

St. Patrick’s Day in the United States is now so ubiquitous that corporate America consistently capitalizes on the marketing opportunities.

Since St. Patrick’s Day is so widely celebrated – and with everyone allowed to be “Irish for the day” – you can still capitalize on the fun even if your shop isn’t located in an area with a large Irish-American population. Here are some fun ways for you to promote St. Patrick’s Day:

Green flowers

Just because St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a major floral holiday doesn’t mean you can’t piggyback on the holiday spirit and promote it with flowers! It’s easy to find small, inexpensive St. Patrick’s Day ornaments and decorations that can transform any flower design into a St. Paddy’s Day treat! Green carnations are always a popular choice, so make sure to have them ready for walk-in customers who just want “something green.” Green plants, especially shamrock plants, are also easy to promote.

Offer a discount

“Customers wearing something green automatically receive 10% or 20% off” – This is easy to promote on social media, as well as via email and push notifications through floralapp. You could also do a promotion where everything green in the store (which is nearly everything you have) is on sale. There are many options here.

Contests

With much of the St. Patrick’s Day imagery associated with luck and prosperity, the theme ties in naturally with a contest. Participants can win a “pot of gold” or “lucky charm” that could be anything you choose, from a gift card to a free bouquet. Consider doing a floralapp contest where customers tell you why they feel lucky.

Let employees in on the action

Encourage co-workers and employees to get into the holiday spirit by dressing up. Have a contest for the best green outfit and take pictures for social media. Don’t forget to share behind-the-scenes pictures of green-clad employees to connect with your audience on a more fun and personal level.

Create a festive in-store atmosphere

Make sure employees aren’t the only ones having fun in your store on St. Patrick’s Day. Play some traditional Irish music and decorate for the occasion to get everyone into a festive mood. Hand out green balloons to the children along with St. Patrick’s Day-themed snacks and green-colored candies for all your customers.

Promote your Irish spirit on social media

Let customers know that you’re planning – special in-store events and promotions encourage them to participate. With so much imagery specific to St. Patrick’s day, it’s easy to create some eye-catching media to let customers know a celebration will be taking place and draw foot traffic to your store.

Remember to have fun!

How can you not have fun celebrating a holiday full of leprechauns, lucky clovers and pots of gold? Just like Halloween, St. Patrick’s day has a certain element of kitsch involved, so the sky’s the limit in terms of how much fun you can have with your customers. Good luck!

Are you seeing green with your marketing efforts? Bloomerang Solutions is here to help! From websites to social media, Google Pay Per Click, reputation management, and everything in between, we're your one-stop shop for effective marketing solutions. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line here, any time, day or night. We're ready to help your business bloom!