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Inside: Embrace Complaints, p. 18 Hot, Hot Blooms, p. 20 Spring Clean Your Financials, p. 36 april-may 2018 | volume 35 | number 2 YOU’RE GONNA L e ME Florists talk customer service in an age of sky-high expectations FM AprMay18 Cover v4.indd 1 3/27/18 3:47 PM We’ve got all the right tools to grow your flower ACCENTDECOR.COM | 770.346.0707 Accent Decor Full Page Ad 7.25”x10” p.2 business. • Our best-in-class technologies, including our award-winning POS and web-hosting solutions, are built to run your business efficiently – connecting you with consumers and the largest network of florists. ora LLC. All Rights Reserved. FM171020-15 © 2017 Telefl • We invest heavily in robust national consumer advertising campaigns and develop unique and effective marketing programs and products – all to help you acquire and retain new customers. • We have industry-leading experience and knowledge, and are always available with the support you need – allowing you to stay focused on your business. • With over 80 years of partnership with florists, we are 100% committed to ensuring that every single order in our network goes to a local florist. myteleflora.com | 1.800.421.2815 FM AprMay18 Cover v4.indd 2 3/26/18 5:11 PM april-may 2017 | volume 35 | number 2 22 YOU’RE GONNA LOVE ME Florists talk customer service in an age of sky-high expectations. 30 DESIGN DU JOUR An esteemed floral educator shares four trends dominating the design world. 36 SPRING CLEAN YOUR FINANCIALS Dust off your standard operating procedures to make sure you’re hitting financial targets. 22 HLASNYREBEKAH 2 VIEWPOINT 20 FRESH CHOICES 4 WHAT INSPIRES US 38 INDUSTRY NEWS 30 4 MORE ONLINE 40 FIELD TRIP 6 AD INDEX 42 YOUR DIGITAL STRATEGY 8 MEMBER FORUM 44 BUSINESS OF DESIGN 10 SAF IN ACTION 46 NEW PRODUCTS 12 SNAPSHOT 47 CLASSIFIEDS 14 SMART SELLING 48 QUALITY 16 TALENT 18 GROWTH > COVER PHOTO BY REBEKAH HLASNY FM AprMay18 TOC v5.indd 1 3/26/18 5:23 PM Viewpoint BY LIZA ROESER ATWOOD PR TAKES TIME — AND THAT’S OK > Last October, my company, FiftyFlowers. brainstorming com, participated in the Society of ideas for a teacher American Florists’ Petal It Forward event appreciation event — a pay-it-forward initiative that surprises and “had flowers THE FLORAL BUSINESS AUTHORITY APRIL MAY 2018 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 2 random recipients with a bouquet for on the brain.” themselves, then encourages them to pass “I remembered MARY WESTBROOK EDITOR IN CHIEF a second flower along to someone else. how wonderful it [email protected] In a span of two hours in the down- felt to get those un- SHEILA S. SANTIAGO DIRECTOR OF PUBLISHING [email protected] town Boise, Idaho, area, the FiftyFlowers expected flowers during Petal It Forward,” KATIE HENDRICK SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR team, along with local law enforce- she wrote, leading to a request for flowers [email protected] ment, handed out approximately 6,000 that students could give to their teach- DESIGN AND PRODUCTION roses that were donated by our part- ers — “a meaningful gesture […] that truly BUSSOLATI ASSOCIATES ner Colombian and Ecuadorian farms. conveys how much they are valued.” PUBLISHING ADVISERS KATE F. PENN, SAF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Everyone involved had a great experience Of course, we happily agreed to do- DREW GRUENBURG, SAF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER spreading happiness as a team. nate flowers to the teacher appreciation EDITORIAL OFFICES SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS This day has particular significance to event. Why wouldn’t we? We deeply value 1001 NORTH FAIRFAX, SUITE 201, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-3406 me as an industry veteran of more than 20 teachers, and this is yet another opportu- (800) 336-4743; (703) 836-8700; FAX (800) 208-0078 WWW.SAFNOW.ORG years. Petal It Forward is a day on which nity to change people’s lives with flowers. ADVERTISING SALES we unite for the common good of the floral It’s also a testament that Petal It Forward KELLI NILSSON industry. Everyone in the industry — from and PR work. The effort helped us make [email protected] 214-291-3652 growers to importers/wholesalers, retail a positive impression in our local com- MATTHEW THOMASSON florists, transportation companies and munity. When Melanie was looking for a [email protected] supply vendors — collaborates to spread way to express gratitude and share joy, she 214-291-3656 the joy of both receiving and giving flow- naturally thought of flowers! That’s a win FLORAL MANAGEMENT (ISSN 1067-4772) (USPS-936-400) IS ers, which ultimately does have a positive for the flower industry. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS (SAF), impact on our bottom line sales. Public relations efforts take time, THE ASSOCIATION THAT PROVIDES MARKETING, BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES FOR THE ENTIRE FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY. Little did we know that four months money and effort. Sometimes the payoff STATEMENTS OF FACT OR OPINION IN FLORAL MANAGEMENT ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE OFFICIAL later that goodwill effort would still be doesn’t appear for months, even years. POLICY OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. PERIODICALS POSTAGE IS PAID AT ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22314-3406 AND generating connections! Floral business owners are busy, and we ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. ALL MATERIAL IN THIS MAGAZINE In February, one of our sales reps in like to see results. Sometimes PR returns IS COPYRIGHTED 2011 BY SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. $25 OF SAF MEMBERSHIP DUES REPRESENTS A Boise received an email from a woman can’t fit neatly in a timeline, but that MEMBER’S SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS PUBLICATION. SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR NON-MEMBERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $49 PER YEAR. SINGLE COPIES: named Melanie who had received doesn’t mean we should abandon them. $4. MATERIALS MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN flowers from us during the 2017 Petal It In my own business, I’ve seen the PERMISSION. Forward event. value of PR a number of times, far beyond POSTMASTER SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO FLORAL MANAGEMENT, “I was walking down Main Street and a Petal It Forward. For example, we were 1601 DUKE STREET, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-3406. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40589029. CANADIAN RETURN MAIL ADDRESS: police officer handed me a grip of roses. It recently featured in Destination I Do’s Fall/ STATION A P. O. BOX 54, WINDSOR, ON N9A 6J5. E-MAIL: [email protected]. put a huge smile on my face in the midst of Winter 2017 issue, where our flowers were INSTRUCTION TO CONTRIBUTORS an otherwise normal day,” Melanie wrote. included as part of a professionally styled FLORAL MANAGEMENT WELCOMES ARTICLES AND PRESS RELEASES “Where my mind had been racing through photo shoot titled Midnight Garden. PR TO BE SUBMITTED FOR POSSIBLE PUBLICATION. SEND TO: FMEDITOR@ SAFNOW.ORG. ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIALS SENT, INCLUDING the to-do list of my life, this moment just partnerships like this have allowed us to PHOTOGRAPHS, WILL NOT BE RETURNED UNLESS REQUESTED. FLORAL MANAGEMENT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF PHOTOGRAPHS zapped me into the present and made me spread brand awareness and ultimately OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS SENT. realize I was here, now, and connected to drive sales growth. FLORAL MANAGEMENT IS A MEMBER BENEFIT OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS. WWW.SAFNOW.ORG all these strangers.” Being featured in a magazine is excit- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Melanie read the bouquet’s tag ing and drives team morale, but it may WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE MAGAZINE. PLEASE SEND explaining the SAF Petal It Forward not manifest in sales until months down YOUR OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS TO: [email protected]. concept, then passed the flowers on the road. Creating engaging content can to someone in the Computer Science be a challenge, so seize PR opportunities Department at Boise State University. within your local and state media, maga- She also noticed the FiftyFlowers.com zines, blogs, Instagram and other social ownastore.hallmark.com logo on the bouquet’s tag — a memory media platforms to help. Utilizing the [email protected] that surfaced months down the road power of PR opportunities will ultimately when she passed by our headquarters. create brand awareness, interest and 816-274-5590 “Today I was downtown and saw more flower sales. the FiftyFlowers.com sign,” Melanie continued, saying the sighting was a Liza Roeser Atwood is the CEO of funny coincidence because she had been FiftyFlowers.com. [email protected] 2 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | APRIL-MAY 2018 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG FM AprMay18 Viewpoint v2.indd 2 3/26/18 5:24 PM ownastore.hallmark.com [email protected] 816-274-5590 © 2018 HMK LIC. FM AprMay18 Viewpoint v2.indd 3 3/26/18 5:24 PM What Inspires Us > I first heard about Anthony Baradhi, of our conversation. As Tony and I one of the florists featured in this talked, I realized he is a guy who lives month’s cover story (p. 22), from Nicole and breathes customer service. His Palazzo of City Line Florist in Trumbull, philosophy is “Make people happy,” Connecticut. “You need to meet Tony,” and he posts that three-word mantra Nicole emailed me, in late February. “He all over the store. Staff members are has an AMAZING story.” Turns out, he sometimes surprised to open a supply did: On Feb. 5, Baradhi and his team at drawer and see a Post-it note with the Flower Station received an inquiry for words — an unexpected, lighthearted 9,999 white roses incorporated into reminder of why the Flower Station sympathy designs for a funeral service is in business, and what Tony aims to and viewing starting at 9 a.m.