FTD recruiting florists and their use of sales figures

S

Simon Says

New Member
Apr 1, 2011
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Medford
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New Jersey
I have received from FTD a gate-fold, 4-color, printed sales literature and a letter laying out just some of the reasons why a florist should join their venerable organization.

FTD are claiming that over the..."last two years, FTD has driven many positive results to the florists in our network." They then go and state:
  • 24% more US consumer orders during the VD 11 period (compared to VD 10 in the periods Feb 1-14);
  • 17% increase in consumer orders in Q2 10 vs Q2 9; and
  • 50% upgrade by US customers to the Better or Best options.
If they are making these printed claims, they must be true. So, are FTD florists on Flowerchat seeing such increases.

And, in part based upon what one reads here, IF FTD is not doing well, noting the above glowing statements from them, where are they falling down and seeing a curtailment in transactions, both numerical and value?

Or are there serious issues of "smoke and mirrors" going on with the claims? As an example, 2010 VD was on a Sunday, a notoriously difficult day and so, when compared to VD 2011 on a Monday, shouldn't there be more consumer orders in 11 vs 10? Or am I being a skeptic?
 
Simon Says said:
.........And, in part based upon what one reads here, IF FTD is not doing well, noting the above glowing statements from them, where are they falling down and seeing a curtailment in transactions, both numerical and value?

Or are there serious issues of "smoke and mirrors" going on with the claims? As an example, 2010 VD was on a Sunday, a notoriously difficult day and so, when compared to VD 2011 on a Monday, shouldn't there be more consumer orders in 11 vs 10? Or am I being a skeptic?
Click to expand...

For Md this year: Ftd sales: Average up $12 per. sale over last year ($55 - $67)
Tele down $11 per. sales ($62 - $51)
Who knows why, I study numbers all the time. Yes, VD sales should be up 15 - 18% from a Sunday to Monday VD. Some of it's smoke and mirrors, but FTD also decided not to push drop ship past Sat and pushed them towards the florists, that's why that number was also up. The other took orders up until midnight and then hoped they could have all week to get them there. Remember I posted week or two ago that thousands of orders we're still in the system on Wednesday after MD......
 
24% more US consumer orders during the VD 11 period (compared to VD 10 in the periods Feb 1-14);
17% increase in consumer orders in Q2 10 vs Q2 9; and
50% upgrade by US customers to the Better or Best options.
Click to expand...

It does not say how many of those are their new drop ship customers either. Makes you wonder if that is all local florist filled or just their overall sales. I threw mine away so I can't look at it to tell you if it states that or not.
 
I actually had an ftd rep stop in last friday. He was a very brave soul to enter even after my driver warned him it wasn't wise - in the middle of prom and two weddings, the last thing I want to see is a salesman let alone a wireguy. We came to a quick understanding, might be cuz I never dropped my knife or the glue tube. He only needs 5 more years to retire. I could tell he has doubts.
 
secretgarden said:
It does not say how many of those are their new drop ship customers either. Makes you wonder if that is all local florist filled or just their overall sales. I threw mine away so I can't look at it to tell you if it states that or not.
Click to expand...

Cover letter states "....driven many positive results to the florists in our network." When I first read it, I thought this meant to the florists, order volume (and value?) was up. Re-reading the letter and then the print material, I am now not so sure. Only in 1 place on the printed material does it clearly associate an increase in consumer orders to florists and that is for the 27% - I originally type 17% but it should have been 27% - in Q2 10 vs Q2 9.

Despite reports above of FTD 2011 MD being vastly better than MD 2010, the more I read the literature and letter, the more the smoke gets in my eyes and the mirror is dazzling me.

And, to answer BOSS, no negatives from FTD...all in the proverbial garden is coming up roses, sunshine and daffodils. In fact, so wonderful is it that I quote Paris Hughes of DeVoe Floral, Lena, IL, and her, I assume, "I never imagined that any wire service could or would be so great to work with on all levels. I am so grateful to FTD for all of their help in making my new business venture so simple. FTD is a very valuable asset and a wonderful addition to DeVoe Floral."
 
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Simon Says said:
In fact, so wonderful is it that I quote Paris Hughes of DeVoe Floral, Lena, IL, and her, I assume, "I never imagined that any wire service could or would be so great to work with on all levels. I am so grateful to FTD for all of their help in making my new business venture so simple. FTD is a very valuable asset and a wonderful addition to DeVoe Floral."
Click to expand...

and yet her website is Teleflora.
 
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Simon Says said:
And, to answer BOSS, no negatives from FTD...all in the proverbial garden is coming up roses, sunshine and daffodils. In fact, so wonderful is it that I quote Paris Hughes of DeVoe Floral, Lena, IL, and her, I assume, "I never imagined that any wire service could or would be so great to work with on all levels. I am so grateful to FTD for all of their help in making my new business venture so simple. FTD is a very valuable asset and a wonderful addition to DeVoe Floral."
Click to expand...

New business venture. Yep, that's about the only way they will get new members I think, catch the naive. (I once was, too.) Make it so simple probably means that they set her up with a website, POS, card processing, all the containers she needs, and feed her discounted orders. What's not to love?
 
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Jennifer... I checked her out also.. full blown FTD site. She is probably drinking that FTD Koolaide. I too was naive when I started out... but found out real quick the truth and started to shut everything down. I has taken 5 years to figure everything out.
 
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Simon Says said:
Whatever inspired such a naeusating comment from Paris Hughes? Even being new to the business shouldn't result in such unbridaled devotion to anyone or thing.
Click to expand...

Never met or heard of a Paris yet that didn't make me..........never mind. I can hear my Mother now, If you can't say something good about someone, then say nothing at all..........
 
bootcampguy said:
Never met or heard of a Paris yet that didn't make me..........never mind. I can hear my Mother now, If you can't say something good about someone, then say nothing at all..........
Click to expand...

Your mother might have made an exception in this instance!
 
When I bought my business and installed the full TF shebang, pos, 24 hr flowers, wire service, website and joining board, they kept after me for months to give them a glowing statement, I simply refused to...I let them know that I would never do that and that my mebership with them was a means to and end to start up my business quickly and that my membership should not be looked at as any sort of partnership between us it is simply a membership of which I like some programs and I do not like some...I was very straight forward that I was not sure about how long my stint with them would be and that I was even back then not 100% sure that WS were necessary any longer...but they offered many many things to cajole me into a glowing testimony...I quickly made my mind up that I would never when very soon after my sign on, the computer system I bought was far to over pirced, I found out that all this money I spent I would never own my software, the marketing tool that I bought would cost several thousand extra dollars to utilize properly, the software had so many bugs that they had no idea when they would be fixed and when they did fix them there would be new ones and last but not least thier 24hr flowers program sucked....maybe because I had 20 previous years experience in the floral industry I knew better, but testimonies like that are usually perk driven...and not just given freely of themselves..
 
It is, in all seriousness, rather sad and disheartening as to how rapacious and, in my opinion, bordering on unethical - and I give them the benefit of the doubt there, a position their history does not really justify - these WS are.
 
KABERS said:
I actually had an ftd rep stop in last friday. He was a very brave soul to enter even after my driver warned him it wasn't wise - in the middle of prom and two weddings, the last thing I want to see is a salesman let alone a wireguy. We came to a quick understanding, might be cuz I never dropped my knife or the glue tube. He only needs 5 more years to retire. I could tell he has doubts.
Click to expand...


Obviously FTD and their reps don't and never will understand brick and mortar floral business. Anyone calling on florists around MD, doesn't have a clue. I just remembered that someone from FTD called our shop the week before MD and left a message for me or my business partner to call back. As a courtesy, I did try to call the guy back, however, he gave me the main number to FTD and I didn't have the spare time to go through their entire phone tree.
 
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