Just Want to make a few things Clear...

[BigBloomers]

. We have to starve them out - refusing to fill their orders only diverts the tide. Take back your customers

You're right. We do have to starve them out. So why are you so willing to pay them every month? Do you think that if you remove Vancouver and Urban that's going to save us? What about ftd.com? Don't you think that if we take out their competition, that they are going to grow stronger? What do you think will happen? We crush the og's and the ftd says "oh you wonderful florists, we're going to shut down ftd.com and reward you for your efforts by not competing with our own members.." NOT. ftd.com will grow strongEST, along with 1800 and following closely will be TF. They survive off their membership. And though you think a couple hundo a month is no big thing, multiply that by the amount of members they have and realize what you're really, deep down contributing to...

As for taking back customers....easier said than done. A big shop can do it. If you have $20k a month to fork over for sending dm campaigns, ads, etc. it's a lot easier than if you're trying to win back customers on an average shop's budget. For every one postcard I send, an og sends 10. I get og postcards at home year round over once a month. Their presort mail tells me I'm not one of the few. Marketing is all about repetition. If you can't afford to repeat that particular form of marketing more than 3 times in 4-6 months, it's not even worth sending out the first batch. Most shops I know can afford to send it once or twice...three times would be impossible. Its tough just to fathom how much it will cost us to ppc for our local "flower shop in hinsdale" keywords.

Bottomline, you can't pick and choose what bad guy you're going to toss. To do it right, it's all bad guys disappear all at once or nothing. Otherwise you just make the other big bad guys stronger.

 

[BigBloomers]

. If you're higher volume, a WS and the automation it provider are valuable business tools.

I agree there, too. So why not support a ws that supports you? I know you think it's beneath you (not trying to be mean by saying that, but it's true), but if all you big shops were using a non competitive ws such as FSI, then wouldn't it be similar, but without supporting the .com's? They have Order Source for send/receive. Credit card clearing, and even your favorite rebates deal...

 

[theRKF]

I agree there, too. So why not support a ws that supports you? I know you think it's beneath you (not trying to be mean by saying that, but it's true), but if all you big shops were using a non competitive ws such as FSI, then wouldn't it be similar, but without supporting the .com's? They have Order Source for send/receive. Credit card clearing, and even your favorite rebates deal...

I've talked to Carruthers several times, and they are making strides into Canada. Currently, no Canadian rebate structure, no credit cards, no Canadian dues schedule, no exchange rate. I've tried to be of assistance to him in getting them set for the Canadian market, and as MAS, MiniMAS and MAS Direct sweep across the nation, I'm certain we'll be sending lots of shops FSI's way. At the moment, they are not an option for us.

Beneath me? No, I called them. I'm just waiting on them to become a viable service provider.

Ryan

 

[BigBloomers]

I've talked to Carruthers several times, and they are making strides into Canada. At the moment, they are not an option for us.
Ryan

So your saying that once they do become an option, that you'll stop supporting the competitive ws's and go fsi completely?

 

[theRKF]

You're right. We do have to starve them out. So why are you so willing to pay them every month? Do you think that if you remove Vancouver and Urban that's going to save us? What about ftd.com? Don't you think that if we take out their competition, that they are going to grow stronger? What do you think will happen? We crush the og's and the ftd says "oh you wonderful florists, we're going to shut down ftd.com and reward you for your efforts by not competing with our own members.." NOT. ftd.com will grow strongEST, along with 1800 and following closely will be TF. They survive off their membership. And though you think a couple hundo a month is no big thing, multiply that by the amount of members they have and realize what you're really, deep down contributing to...

As for taking back customers....easier said than done. A big shop can do it. If you have $20k a month to fork over for sending dm campaigns, ads, etc. it's a lot easier than if you're trying to win back customers on an average shop's budget. For every one postcard I send, an og sends 10. I get og postcards at home year round over once a month. Their presort mail tells me I'm not one of the few. Marketing is all about repetition. If you can't afford to repeat that particular form of marketing more than 3 times in 4-6 months, it's not even worth sending out the first batch. Most shops I know can afford to send it once or twice...three times would be impossible. Its tough just to fathom how much it will cost us to ppc for our local "flower shop in hinsdale" keywords.

Bottomline, you can't pick and choose what bad guy you're going to toss. To do it right, it's all bad guys disappear all at once or nothing. Otherwise you just make the other big bad guys stronger.

I'm willing to pay for services rendered. Just like any other wholesaler. I can't go to Hofland and say "Stop selling flowers to Italo (Hey, buddy!! ) or I won't buy from you." Just like one of our pharmaceutical clients can't come to me and say "Stop selling flowers to Acme Drugs Inc." We provide a service that we sell to customers, just like FTD, TF and the rest. They are in business to make $$$ and so are we florists.

The path to bettering the industry lies not in making unrealistic demands, but in removing the competition by being better at what we do. You can't afford to market? Why be in the business, then? How do you have any customers at all?? The answer is, you have been marketing but in a different way. You are in the business and growing your business because you are good at something. Something you have done has informed customers that 1) you exist and 2) you are good at what you do and better than your competition.

FTD.com, 800 and TF.com are no different than the other Gathering scum. FTD and TF also happen to provide several services that cost-effectively allow me to operate my business more efficiently. If I run my business well, FTDI will benefit on the clearing side because they provide a service and get paid. FTD.com will lose some business (even one order at a time matters) and maybe even be choked down at the root like the rest. I used Vancouver as an example, along with several other names. They are all interchangeable.

We all need to market BETTER than the big companies. That doesn't need to mean more expensively. If you can't do a direct mailer, do something else! Start with businesses, give employee discounts if you get the corporate work. Talk to restaurants, offices, laundramats - whatever you need to do or can do. This whole process of survival by taking back the industry has to happen with baby steps.

Take back one customer, one order, one opportunity at a time. Remember, people only go to an OG because they don't have a relationship with a florist already.

 

[theRKF]

So your saying that once they do become an option, that you'll stop supporting the competitive ws's and go fsi completely?

It's possible - doubtful, since they may or may not provide all the services of FTD/TF, but of course I have to wait and see what they offer when they come to my neighbourhood. Obviously I can't make a promise until I know what's on the table.

Ryan

 

[HERO]

We have more outgoing than Hero mentioned, so you can do the math as to the hit we'd take by changing to 100/0, no rebate. Phoning orders is NOT an option. As long as the current system is in place someone is getting rich off it, and as a florist I want a piece before it ALL goes to the OG's.

Ryan

True I used to have more, and the TOP 100 was what I was shooting for until I did the math on "what if" I serviced that area. So for one year we expanded our delivery, charged less than the wire out plus delivery and viola !! the business has built itself. Went from FTD 120 to TOP 250 but the sales grew greater than a trip to TOP 100.

100/0 is the ONLY way the future will work. Now I agree you will take a big hit, however how do you market yourself to your customer. I would do almost the same to ALL the florist out there to send you their 100% orders so that you will send you 100% right back to them and guess who wins >>>> The consumer and you. Say there are 1,000,000 orders a year in OG's hands, where are those orders going to go now. From 70/30 in you hands to 100% either by direct or by florist 100%. The rebate is crack, sure it helps, however you will have serious withdraws if you don't prepare for the rehab of not having it around. 80/20 was built on intergrity, there insn't any with most OG's, even if they are real florist, actual florist or otherwise.

Big bloomers is you don't see 100/0 as the anwser, you can't see the forest from the trees. You have the most to gain from the switch.

HERO

p.s. Don't think GLOBAL, think LOCAL.

 

[BigBloomers]

Big bloomers is you don't see 100/0 as the anwser, you can't see the forest from the trees. You have the most to gain from the switch.

HERO

p.s. Don't think GLOBAL, think LOCAL.

HERO-- I'm not saying that I'm not for 100/0! But so many are SO against losing the 80/20. I guess 90/10 is meeting somewhere in the middle...baby steps.

We do think local. Global is already taken.

Ryan: We DO market ourselves in inexpensive ways and that DOES make us a smaller shop but a SUCCESSFUL shop. I LIKE a smaller shop, believe it or not! We strive to be a beauitful, unique, well-run, classic mom n pop backed by good technology and the modern tools necessary to keep me from working 15 hour days! My marketing beef is that consumers are such impulse buyers!!!
For instance: I had a bride here to book her wedding. We have a GREAT relationship. She has PLENTY of marketing materials. She lives at home and her mom has participated 100% in the consultation and booking of our shop. They were BOTH here together. Mom is planning bride's shower. She is making her centerpieces with fresh. They both KNOW that we sell wholesale to diy brides. The day they were in here I asked what they were going to need for the shower. Their faces went blank. "ohhh...shoot...We were online and we accidentally bought the stuff from bigroses. They were right there at the top of the page. Darn it, and you were cheaper too AND local. We didn't even think about it." THAT's what I mean by repetition...and expense. ONE postcard won't do. 50 Will crack the wallet. Ten free internet listings won't do. One banner ad at $2k a month will. You have to start somewhere, though...and this doesn't just go for new shops...It applies to the shops with a 50 yr rep, too. We do more biz having been here 1 yr than the shop 1/2 block away that's been here for 50. We market ourselves and they don't. Want to know their soultion? Rumor has it that they said that if we try to stay here that they're going to "cut all of their prices in half and make it so no one will want to buy from us." Please don't market yourself THAT way!! lol But I piss n moan about ad costs because we want to be able to do more, but it's VERY difficult (actually impossible)to do as much as the og's can. That can be very discouraging. We donate, network, advertise locally, participate, and network again. I don't even know where i'm going with this... Fred! I'm whining! lol

 

[theRKF]

"We didn't even think about it."

And yet you earlier said "They both KNOW that we sell wholesale to diy brides." I guess they didn't know. How was this wholesale option presented to them? Were they made aware of it right from the start of the consultation? If you are interested in that kind of sale, and that kind of customer is sitting across the table from you ... I'm not trying to pick on you, I just want you to see that they were in your store, you are cheaper and local - yet they didn't think of you. It costs $0 to make them aware of your "Special DIY Bride Packages featuring the freshness and quality that made us famous, at an affordable price. Various supplies and tools are also available through us. Would you like me to discuss your DIY needs with you now, so we can make sure you are getting everything you need and nothing you don't?"

WHY is 800 able to do advertising like they do? Because they get customers and have been getting customers. They grew just like all the others. The OG's can do because the OG's do. If you don't want to go head to head, dollar for dollar, remember to go One Customer At A Time. Invest in pleasing customers and find inventive ways to get your name out.

PS - I don't market on price. Doz roses is $85, average arrangement order is $75. We market on quality and service. As Fred loves to say - be there for your customers and potential customers like the OG's cannot be. One person at a time we'll take this back.