WFFSA partnering with Direct2florist.com

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Kevin,

I wish you the best.

My hope is florists start realizing the system they're working within does not work. They need to take control of their own business and stop allowing others to take charge.

It's my hope florists stop looking at their customers merely as orders, and start embracing them and start building relationships with them.

As to my advice about this program, it is allowing someone else to take charge, and the customer is not yours; it's theirs. They will not easily give them up either. They get the customer you get the order.

It's my hope that florists will someday stop barking up the wrong trees.

RC
 
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Sad to hear... if you Clay, don't like the number of designs, I doubt I will either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by clay
Yes, this would be the best idea of the decade. It will be interesting to see if this Everyday book has everyday saleable designs. I was disappointed in the number of designs that said would make up the upcoming JHC Everday Book....that that number includes JHC designs pulled from their Wedding, Prom, and Sympathy Books.

First, sorry for this post de-railing the Direct2Florist thread...

Mark, I guess the correct word would be "disappointed"....but they had budget restraints.

In looking at the "other" selection guides (to be fair, not a good benchmark since that charge a florist a huge fee in the membership), FTD has 294 without wedding/sympathy and Teleflora has 309 without weddings/sympathy. I had emailed them that I would hope that they could shoot for 250 without wedding/sympathy which would give room for gift basket designs (besides fruit baskets), plant designs, and some floral occasion designs.

I believe that we will get is approx. 182 including weddings/sympathy. Again, they do not have the big budget as the wire services, but I was hoping for more since their last everyday book was released in 2000. "I guess" there is more money to be made in the specialty books,...there has been 2 new wedding books since then, 2 new funeral books, and a prom book. BUT, it is finally coming....which is good news to all florists looking for professional photography of images to use for their website besides the WS images.
 
Just for the record:

No one from WF&FSA has approached me about participating in this project in any way shape or form.

I happened across the D2F site a year or more (might have been 2) ago while looking at some UK florist sites and thought is was a very interesting way to consolidate local florists into one spot and to easily allow consumers to compare styles and prices.

Kind of a combo directory and online shopping portal, similar to Travelocity or Expedia.

I also very much like Carrington's Master Florists site and her company takes great pains to vet the members for experience and quality.

There's nothing similar to either of them here in the US.

It's been repeated by shoppers over and over that they choose national sites for convenience but many greatly dislike product substitutions, not knowing who's delivering their order and not receiving confirmation when the order is delivered. D2F addresses all three issues, and with enough coverage, could be the site bookmarked instead of the usual suspects.

Are you aware that D2F also runs an independent relay service in the UK called Florist2Florist? It allows florists to easily get their distant orders out without having to support the competitors (Interflora, FlowersDirect, etc...)

In short, the company has a proven track record of doing what they say and saying what they do - which is a refreshing change from what usually goes on.

They - and other companies looking to partner with independent florists - lack "feet on the ground" to get the word out. The WF&FSA partnership, with sales people helping to encourage and promote, give them a better shot than any other national effort I've seen.

Rather than coming up with all the reasons why it won't or shouldn't work in the US, I liked what I saw and decided to try it out. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
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Kevin,

I wish you the best.

My hope is florists start realizing the system they're working within does not work. They need to take control of their own business and stop allowing others to take charge.

It's my hope florists stop looking at their customers merely as orders, and start embracing them and start building relationships with them.

As to my advice about this program, it is allowing someone else to take charge, and the customer is not yours; it's theirs. They will not easily give them up either. They get the customer you get the order.

It's my hope that florists will someday stop barking up the wrong trees.

RC


Likewise RC,,,


Just a quick update, as I've gotta go.

From what I can now see after intensely investigating (and since ya got me fired up) , ( in a good way .......thanks ) :

1. Concept may be good but needs a whole lot of refinement and restructuring.
2. In all probability participation would be contributory to the current problem and as with others, would grow into a ball and chain for florists that would be ultimately held hostage once again.
3. My random searches using their zip code lookup feature made me more confused than anything else and produced strange and inconsistent results.
Some results that came up couldn't be verified when I googled the fillers company name.

Cathy may in fact have gotten more perspective than I had the time to substantiate, but for now I would have to pass on this until long range credibility could be proven.

Question :
If Real Florists are in fact Real Florists, then taking it to the next level to direct work back to Real Florists in response to the dOG's etc would not essentially be order gathering.
Instead would it not be the viable alternative that we are so desperately seeking ?
The concept, though aggressive, time consuming and costly would at that point provide for small and large shops alike, eliminate the surcharges and BS and stabilize at least a small portion of the big picture. No ?

Of course getting the orders out could be a problem if credit cards are not an option for some and a primary WS such as TF doesn't reevaluate their position and commitment to their members, but that alternative makes sense to me if it could be put together.

Order gathering in it's current form is nothing more than deceptive and costly, yet, in the right hands, would it truly be order gathering if it were done right ?

Think I drifted a bit here but the parallel relationship is there .
Those couple of brain cells are already overtaxed this morning !!!!!!


Kevin
 
Just for the record:

No one from WF&FSA has approached me about participating in this project in any way shape or form.

I happened across the D2F site a year or more (might have been 2) ago while looking at some UK florist sites and thought is was a very interesting way to consolidate local florists into one spot and to easily allow consumers to compare styles and prices.

Kind of a combo directory and online shopping portal, similar to Travelocity or Expedia.

I also very much like Carrington's Master Florists site and her company takes great pains to vet the members for experience and quality.

There's nothing similar to either of them here in the US.

It's been repeated by shoppers over and over that they choose national sites for convenience but many greatly dislike product substitutions, not knowing who's delivering their order and not receiving confirmation when the order is delivered. D2F addresses all three issues, and with enough coverage, could be the site bookmarked instead of the usual suspects.

Are you aware that D2F also runs an independent relay service in the UK called Florist2Florist? It allows florists to easily get their distant orders out without having to support the competitors (Interflora, FlowersDirect, etc...)

In short, the company has a proven track record of doing what they say and saying what they do - which is a refreshing change from what usually goes on.

They - and other companies looking to partner with independent florists - lack "feet on the ground" to get the word out. The WF&FSA partnership, with sales people helping to encourage and promote, give them a better shot than any other national effort I've seen.

Rather than coming up with all the reasons why it won't or shouldn't work in the US, I liked what I saw and decided to try it out. Nothing more, nothing less.





The price is also right for the majority of florists to sign up and try it out....Most other programs want a whole lot more up front with all kinds of contracts and such. This is just not doable for a small florist. I am well aware of the fact that you must risk some money in business sometimes, but when that money is limited it is awful hard to lay it down on something that is not proven, this is the major reason why our industry is stuck.

With so much money being wasted on print ads and trying this direct mail or trying that direct mail and getting no ROI, either because we don't know what in the heck we are doing or wrong target audience or just lack of money to really do the correct marketing for the correct amount of time, we have been trained to disbelieve in everything that is not a proven winner.

We all know that the WS model is broken. We all know that the customers are not just going to appear in our shops. What some of us don't know is how to get them into our shops, where and how to advertise and for how long for a good ROI and what and how much money really needs to be risked for a actual marketing plan that works.

Speaking for myself, if I knew that I could take $1000.00 and do a, b and c over 6 months and I would get my money back and then some and had 20 florists say they did it and it works, I would save that money up right quick. But for john Q marketing firm to come in and tell me just trust me, as does yellow book, community yellow pages and everyother ad and marketing person does, and I lay down 1000.00 and in 6 months have nothing more for business and had not 1 call about this plan or ad. I would become jaded because most of these people count on you to just trust them and keep giving your money and not have any idea that it is or is not working for you. So some of us get like a deer in the headlights and do nothing(this would be me) I do not want to give up any of my money to anyone unless Someone I trust that has already done the risk part says it is working...and even then I find it hard because that money didn't come easy and it spends so quickly.
 
And that, my firends, is why discussions here go on ad nauseum about 'working together' and 'doing something' but nothing ever, ever changes.

As we wait for someone else to build the perfect, cheap or free, fully functioning killer ap alternative to compete with national companies - that also interfaces with our POS systems and allows us to keep 100% of each sale, we might as well be waiting for Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, too.

I will hand it to Randy - he never calls for 'working together' and 'doing something'. He's perfectly happy *mostly* going it alone and has found great success in staying true to his vision and mission.
 
It's my hope florists stop looking at their customers merely as orders, and start embracing them and start building relationships with them.

As to my advice about this program, it is allowing someone else to take charge, and the customer is not yours; it's theirs. They will not easily give them up either. They get the customer you get the order.


RC

Cathy did get the customers phone number. Couldn't she follow up by giving a verbal delivery confirmation and passing her name and phone number on.
While not perfect it's better then a incoming wire order. With a commission
given of 22.50 on a single 75.00 incoming order wouldn't it make sense for the florist to invest 200.00 with direct 2 florist. How about all the money wasted on directory advertising. Surly there needs to be a better way
I read about the wholesaler in Mo in Florist Management. I thought perhaps this could be something like it. I hear Randy concerns and value his opinion but I think this is worth looking at for the industry.
 
Cathy did get the customers phone number.
That's not what I mean by embracing and building relationships with customers.


While not perfect it's better then a incoming wire order.
Big deal! In today's market incoming wire orders are terrible, unless of course, you use crazy rationalizations. Internet directories are much better than this program.

At least with Internet directories you get the customer. With this program you don't get the customer, only the order and maybe the phone number.

It's my hope florists will stop looking at customers merely as orders, and start embracing them and start building relationships with them.

RC
 
And that, my firends, is why discussions here go on ad nauseum about 'working together' and 'doing something' but nothing ever, ever changes.

I will hand it to Randy - he never calls for 'working together' and 'doing something'. He's perfectly happy *mostly* going it alone and has found great success in staying true to his vision and mission.


There's a good example in there.
 
Email from Wholesaler

You may here some talk about a new way for our florists to use E-Commerce to drive more business in to their shops. The site is www.Direct2Florist.com

A florist in England, Simon, started this web site with his dad.

Direct 2Florist is a company from England that WFFSA, Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association, has formed a joint venture with in North America. WFFSA owns half of this company in the US and will make sure that we have the florist’s best interest in mind. Bay State is a WFFSA member and we want the florists to thrive so our business remains strong.

Today a florist is only paid 72-80% of the value of an incoming “Wire Order” from the major wire services. In addition these wire services are trying to ship flowers direct and bypass the florist all together.

Direct2Florist pays the retailer 100% of the value of the order. In addition the florist is paid the day after they deliver it! All of this for the cost of $200 per year. That is only 55 cents per day to advertise on the Internet and get high Google search positions.

Please click on this link to see Simon make his presentation.

http://us.direct2florist.com/videos/i.html
 
David, could you show us a couple examples of "high Google search positions"?

thanks
 
David, could you show us a couple examples of "high Google search positions"?


If you watch the video link Simon shows you some cities they have done well in.
Many in other countries. Only a couple in the US. It's still early in the us market.
I don't see it in the US. In Anaheim he is on page two. Not sure if Cathy is helping him. This isn't important to me as I do well in Google already. I think the positive thing would be if the consumer get directed to the site and find me. As
opposed to consumer going to 800, pro and FTD.
However for florist that don't do well in Google it may be a help.
 
There is another alternative out there, a consumer site that directs customers to your website, you capture the customer and get 100% for the order. A few years ago the Chesapeake Floral Association started a consumer website called Hometown Florists. It has been very successful for their members and at this point they would like to grow it nationally. Check them out at www.chesapeakefloralassoc.com. I am sure any of the retail board members would be glad to give anyone interested the details.
 
We belong to CFA, the Chesaeake Floral Assocition, Hometown Florists.
It's great. They advertise on Yahoo & Google for us, and they come up in the Top 5 results most of the time. Their site directs comsumers to our own web-site. They do not take any part of the order or gather marketing info on the consumer to market to later. We get 100% of the order and customer information. I know that many similar organizations take the customer data to do their own marketing to. The yearly membership dues are very resaonable.
 
David, could you show us a couple examples of "high Google search positions"?

thanks

Being in the UK, it's not possible for me to know what Google will show you in search results due to differences in datacenters.

However, when I search Google.com for Send Flowers to USA d2f is #7, Send Flowers to Anaheim is #2, Send Flowers to Orland Park is #5.

A lot of these (and other) results appear higher in Google.co.uk, but I guess thats because of datacenter differences and because d2f is hosted in the UK.

These results are (IMHO) not too shabby bearing in mind how young this whole project is.
 
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