mother’s day 2015 planning guide
introduction
e FTD appreciates the hard work and dedication you put into inspiring and delighting customers each Mother’s Day. Hundreds of thousands of orders will be sent through the Mercury Network this time of year, and you, our valued FTD Florists, will handcraft each one to the customer’s delight. To ensure your Mother’s Day is as successful as possible, we have created this guide packed with best practices, tips and tools to help you drive more orders, boost your local business and market your shop for success. We wish you a successful Mother’s Day. Thank you for your partnership and you can trust sending your next order FTD!
e FREE VIDEOS TO HELP YOU PLAN & PREPARE
The FTD® Loving Thoughts® Bouquet 15-M1d
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FTD University offers you access to a library of business-building webinars and two-minute, how-to videos, FREE, at FTDUniversity.com. These valuable education programs are great for refreshing your skills or training employees, just in time for Mother’s Day.
Projected Top 15 Best Sellers........................... 4-8 Design Tips.....................................................................9 Flower Projections.................................................... 10 Fresh Flowers................................................................11 Update Your Website...............................................12 Feature Premium Gifts............................................13 Mother’s Day Planning Calendar....................... 14 Mother’s Day Checklist............................................15 Drive Local Business................................................ 16 Local Marketing..........................................................17 Social Media Marketing.………………………………18-19 Email Marketing........................................................20 Get on a Path to More Orders.…………………………21 Best Practices for Success...................................22 Manage Order Capacity........................................ 23 Mercury Quick Tips.......................................... 24-25 Post-Holiday Cleanup..................................... 26-27
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table of contents
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You Can Trust Sending Your Next Order FTD.
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projected top 15 best sellers
To help you plan for the anticipated demand of Mother’s Day orders, here is a list of the projected1 top 15 FTD.com best-selling bouquets. Please use this resource to guide your fresh flower and container purchases.
Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly
distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water
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and flower food.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design, this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, however there is a piece of ribbon simply tied around the choke of the vase.
e The FTD® Sweet Surprises® Bouquet C12-4792d
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed arrangement and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 It will be important for you to choose stock with two
different color values to provide the intended look of this design. You will note that there are three distinct values of lavender in this arrangement.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design,
this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
The FTD® Sweet Devotion™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® 15-M5d
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
Design Tips: 2 To achieve the intended look, this bouquet should be made in a bubble bowl.
2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
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2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition
The FTD® Light of My Life™ Bouquet C6-4863d 1
of one is unnecessary.
Projections are subject to change based on market conditions and/or florist performance.
Call FTD® Marketplace™ at 800.767.4000 to stock up on best-selling containers today.
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
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2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
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The FTD® Spring Garden® Bouquet 15-M2d
Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed tulip design and the colors should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 As you may know, tulips will continue to grow during the life of this design. Cut your tulips slightly shorter to allow for growth.
2 You may choose to create this design in your hand. Simply cut the
stems and drop them into the vase when finished. This may provide more control over the flowers during the design process.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
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The FTD® Spring Tulip Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® 15-S2d
Design Tips: 2 T his is a balanced, symmetrical design and should be grouped by flower type and color.
2 Be sure to use a basket similar in look and size, complete with a plastic liner free from any damage or leaks.
2 Properly soak your floral foam and secure it in the liner with tape or wire. Then secure the foam and liner to the basket to minimize movement resulting in damage to the flowers.
2 Be sure to insert the stems deep into the foam to ensure a good water source.
2 You may have to prune the spray flowers to create the balanced
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look of this design.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
The FTD® Wondrous Nature™ Bouquet C12-4400d
Visit the Product Recipe Catalog at FTDi.com/Quality to quickly find details about FTD arrangements. Searchable by product name or item number, it is your one-stop resource for all FTD codified and FTD Floral Selections Guide items. 5
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food.
2 You may find it helpful to apply a tape grid to the top of your container.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design;
this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 Clean the stamen from your lilies as they develop, as to not stain the flower.
The FTD® Radiant™ Bouquet 15-M6d
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
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projected top 15 best sellers
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Properly soak your floral foam and secure it in the liner
with tape or wire. Then secure the foam and liner to the container to minimize movement resulting in damage to the flowers.
2 Be sure to insert the stems deep into the foam to ensure a good water source.
2 You may have to prune the spray flowers to create the balanced
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The FTD® Color Your Day® With Beauty™ Bouquet PCLd
look of this design.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water
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and flower food.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary. The FTD® Sunny Sentiments™ Bouquet C3-4793d
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 You may find it helpful to apply a tape grid to the top of your cube container.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design;
this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
The FTD® All Aglow™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® C15B-4950d
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
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The FTD® Precious Heart™ Bouquet C15-4790d
Design Tips:
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2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare the vase with the proper porportion of water and flower food. 2 You may find it helpful to apply a tape grid to the top of your container.
2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
ou will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition 2 Y of one is unnecessary.
The FTD® Sunlit Blooms™ Bouquet 15-S3d
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of The FTD® Sunlit Meadows™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® 15-M8d
one is unnecessary.
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projected top 15 best sellers
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare your vases with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of The FTD® Pink Exuberance™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® 15-M4d
one is unnecessary.
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Design Tips: 2 This is a mixed design and the flowers should be evenly distributed throughout the design in their own space with equal balance.
2 Prepare the vase with the proper proportion of water and flower food. 2 Lightly green your vases prior to creating your design; this will help to support the flowers and hold them in place.
2 Clean the stamen from your lilies as they develop, as to not stain the flower.
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2 You will notice there is no bow in this design, and the addition of one is unnecessary.
The FTD® Stunning Beauty™ Bouquet C16-4839d
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2 When possible, purchase your flowers in the correct stem length to maximize profit margin. 2 Order product to match the timing of your production schedule and the proper stem counts to match your recipes.
2 Proper hydration (including floral preservative) will allow a better customer experience upon receipt, and provide for the proper fullness in each design.
2 Properly hydrate your flowers (in flower food) based on variety, allowing room for some of the flowers to begin to open and show color.
2 Concentrate on one recipe at a time if a SKU is offered in Standard, Deluxe, Premium and Exquisite sizes to help ensure proper stem counts in each design.
2 Keep in mind scale and dimensions when building each design; this is key to the perception and satisfaction of your customers.
2 Ribbon is an accessory and should only be used when called for in the recipe and only then used in
design tips
Planning and preparing is critical for a successful Mother’s Day. It is simple with the following design tips that can help improve productivity and customer satisfaction levels for holidays and everyday. Bouquet-specific design tips for each projected best seller can be found on pages 4-8.
the same manner it was originally intended.
2 Determine packaging per item prior to the holiday to ensure safe delivery. 2 Check water daily on all of your premade arrangements prior to delivery.
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2 Properly soak your floral foam. As a reminder, when soaking floral foam you should gently place the
foam in a large enough water reservoir that will allow enough room for the foam to fill with water at its own pace. The foam should never be forced under water; this will cause air pockets to be trapped in the foam.
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flower projections
Now is a great time to start forecasting sales and pre-booking flowers to ensure the best possible pricing and availability of the flowers and greens you need. FTD makes it simple to prepare for incoming orders with the following estimate* of flowers needed to fill all of the Projected Top 15 Best Sellers.
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Legend Alstroemeria Daisy Pompons Leatherleaf Assorted Lilies Mini Carnations Roses
FOR SPECIAL PRICING on Mother’s Day flowers and greens, visit FTDFlowerExchange.com or call 800.767.4000 today!
Spray Roses
e *Estimates are subject to change based on market conditions and/or florist performance.
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packages to fulfill your Mother’s Day flower needs. Book early to
secure best pricing and availability!
Benefits 2 Buy now, pay later with the FTD Clearinghouse 2 Choose from a variety of logistics solutions 2 Earn points for future purchases with the FX Rewards Program Plus, the Stem Count Calculator is a unique tool offered exclusively by the FTD Flower Exchange, making ordering your fresh products for FTD codified exclusives simple! Just enter in the number of codified containers for each style that you are projecting to sell (Standard, Deluxe, Premium and Exquisite), and the Stem Count Calculator will tell you how many stems per flower variety you need.
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fresh flowers
FTD Flower Exchange can offer you competitive pricing and flexible
Deluxe Arrangement Lavender Stock (4) Blue Iris (4) Lavender Daisy Pompons (2) Purple Matsumoto Asters (2) Pink Oriental Lilies (1) Leatherleaf (3)
Quantity:
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Contact your FTD Flower Exchange Representative at 800.767.4000 or visit FTDFlowerExchange.com today.
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update your website
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Update your website to help increase Mother’s Day orders.
2 List your best-selling items on your homepage so customers can find them quickly
2 Include past website purchasers in your email marketing campaign to remind them to
purchase from you again
2 Verify that your delivery information is accurate and up-to-date so that your customers
can choose you for their Mother’s Day orders
2 Create custom products on your website to show your customers the artistry you provide
2 Update your online pricing to match what your store charges for Mother’s Day orders
2 Consider increasing your FTD Local Search online advertising spend so that your website
2 Ensure your business listings in online directories are accurate using FTD eBiz Marketing
2 Review the training videos and documentation at floristwiki.FTDi.com for additional tips
(inaccurate listings can impact search results for your business negatively)
and suggestions
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is promoted in the sponsored links in all search engines
2 Contact FTD Florists Online support for assistance in obtaining email addresses for customers that have purchased from you in the past
e Contact FTD Florists Online at 800.576.6721 or floristsonline@FTDi.com for additional information.
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Benefits 2 Earn normal sending commission (20%),
plus sending rebates
2 No inventory to carry and no product
to purchase
feature premium gifts
Instantly expand your offerings with premium gifts and gourmet by adding FTD WebGifts®, just in time for Mother’s Day. This inventory-free, consumer direct service offers a collection of floral and non-floral gift items for you to sell in-store and online.
2 Your shop name and branded marketing message are printed on the shipping label and gift card
2 Each sent order counts toward your
monthly sending quota
2 Sell premium brands such as Godiva®, Starbucks®, Lindt® and many more!
e Mrs. Fields® Treats Chest for Mom WGC549
Contact FTD WebGifts® at 866.926.5197 or webgifts@FTDi.com to sign up today.
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Sunday
aprile
Monday
Tuesday
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Order flowers today for Administrative Professionals week — Visit FTDFlowerExchange.com
Start your Administrative Time to update your Professionals Week social website for Administrative media marketing campaign Professional’s Week— call FTD Florists Online at 800.546.6721
Send a Mother’s Day direct mailer to your customers
Hire extra labor for Mother’s Day (designers, drivers, etc.)
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Thursday
Remind your customers there’s still time to pick up same-day arrangements for Easter
friday
Good Friday
Saturday
Passover
1 2 3 4
Easter
Wednesday
April Fool’s Day
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16
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22
23
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26 27 28 29
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Administrative Professional Start making bows, greening containers, pre-building Week begins packing materials and filling water tubes for Mother’s Day
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There’s still time to codify on FTD.com and FTD Mercury – order your Mother’s Day FTD® Marketplace™ containers, call 800.767.4000
Sunday
Monday
15 Administrative Professionals Day
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Hold a holiday prep staff meeting; visit FTDUniversity.com for FREE webinars and two-minute, how-to videos for training
Start including Mother’s Day Remind your customers stuffers in statements and there’s still time to pick up with each delivery same-day arrangements for Administrative Professionals Week
may
Tuesday
Wednesday
Time to update your website Call FTD Flower Exchange to for Mother’s Day — call order your Mother’s Day FTD Florists Online at flowers at 800.767.4000 800.576.6121
Thursday
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Saturday
May Day
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Review Mother’s Day sales from previous years — plan your bouquet assortment
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Plan your Mother’s Day delivery processes with well-organized delivery routes and zones
1 2 Check your flower supply. Cinco de Mayo Running low? Visit FTDFlowerExchange.com for last-minute flower deals
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Mother’s Day
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Clean shop and re-merchandise shelves
5 International Nurse’s Day
National Nurses’s Day
6 Close out Mother’s Day inventory with an end-of-season sale
Stock cooler with ready-to-go arrangements for last-minute shoppers
7 SLEEP!
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Continue updating your customers on social media through Mother’s Day
9 Armed Forces’s Day
11 12 13 14 15 16 Victoria Day (Canada)
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18 19 20 21 22 23 Memorial Day
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31 25 26 27 28 29 30
mother’s day checklist
Are you prepared for a successful Mother’s Day?
Review your results from last year’s Mother’s Day and determine what programs or initiatives you will repeat
Scrub your email database and add new customers to your list in preparation for a marketing campaign Check out FTDUniversity.com for business-building two-minute, how-to videos and webinars like “Preparing for a Successful Holiday Season” and “Prepare for a Stress-Free Holiday”—FREE
Optimize your website with Mother’s Day products and promotions; if you have questions,
call your FTD Florists Online team at 800.576.6721
Let FTD know how many orders you can fill this Mother’s Day, by accessing your Holiday Order Capacity Tool in Florist Link; more information is available at Floristwiki.FTDi.com FTD® Marketplace™ is your one-stop shop for containers and shop supplies; call 800.767.4000 today to learn about offers and promotions
Order your fresh flowers from FTD Flower Exchange;
call 800.767.4000 today
Review your delivery coverage area with
your FTD Directory representative
at 800.788.9000
Take a moment to review with your staff, your
internal processes for accepting/rejecting an order
and sending a delivery confirmation at FTDi.com/Quality
Train your staff on the importance of sending a Delivery Confirmation. Today’s consumers expect real-time notification when an order they placed has been delivered. FTD has a variety of tools, including FTD Mercury Mobile, to help you submit a timely delivery confirmation. Visit FTDi.com/MercuryTechnology for more details
Make sure your employees know how to suspend the FTD Mercury
system at FTDi.com/MercuryTechnology/Suspend.htm to stop receiving
orders that you are unable to fill
Develop a back-up plan in case you need more delivery vehicles, drivers or supplies;
go to FTDi.com/PDP for resources
The FTD® Radiant™ Bouquet 15-M6d
Equip your drivers with as many delivery aides as possible including maps, mobile phones and GPS available through FTD Mercury; call FTD Technology Sales at 800.767.3222
For more tools and resources for a successful Mother’s Day, visit FTDi.com/MothersDay.
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2 Word-of-Mouth Referrals. Creating a referral discount program,
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such as 10% off for each referral, can help spread the word and generate new customers.
2 Social Media. Update your social media tools regularly to keep consumers engaged in your shop. Ask all customers to “Like” or follow you and tell them how to do so on your statements, all print marketing materials, emails and on your website.
2 Email Marketing Campaigns. Email campaigns are simple and can easily be tracked. Make sure to ask every customer that places an order for their email address and send emails regularly.
2 Outdoor Signage. Hanging banners, adding promotions to street signage or even a simple sidewalk sign can easily help increase foot traffic.
2 Print Advertising. Print advertising tends to target a specific audience, which means your ad is more likely to reach those to be interested in your shop. FTD has a variety of resources available to assist you with advertising during the holidays and everyday.
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Visit FTDi.com/MothersDay for a variety of FREE social media and local marketing materials available to you as an FTD Florist.
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drive local business
According to the annual florist feedback study, the top five ways FTD Florists advertise are:
Make sure to advertise that you can send orders worldwide, especially for Mother’s Day. Let your customers know that flowers are a great gift to send when you cannot be there in person. Sending an international order over the Mercury is quick and easy!
We Send Flowers Worldwide ® ©2014 Floris ts’ Transworld
Delivery Inc.
Printed in
If you have questions about how to send an international order, send a GEN message to 90-0266AA or email retrans@FTDi.com.
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the USA. #9611
4
The FTD® Touch of Spring® Bouquet 15-S1d
Seasonal and regional conditions affect the supply and cost of flowers and greens. Specific varieties or colors may not always be available or meet quality standards. In some cases, substitutions may be necessary. ®A Registered Trademark of Florists’ Transworld Delivery, Inc. ™A Trademark of Florists’ Transworld Delivery, Inc. ©2015 Florists’ Transworld Delivery, Inc. All FTD arrangements must be cleared through the FTD Clearinghouse. Printed in the USA.
designed, customizable direct mailers with prepared templates by FTD. Direct
Here Your Imprint 1234 Main Street IL 12345 Downers Grove, 800.123.4567 tehere.com www.yourwebsi
mail is great for promoting your offerings and providing incentives to drive additional traffic to your shop. The FTD® Loving Thoughts® Bouquet 15-M1d
Your Your ShopImprint NameHere Here Address 1234 Main Street City, State, Downers Grove,Zip IL 12345 Phone Number 800.123.4567 www.yourwebsitehere.com www.yourwebsitehere.com
PRSRT STD e US PoSTAG PAID mailed from
zip code 00000 000 PeRMIT No.
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Nature™ Bouquet C12-4400d
The FTD® Sunlit Blooms™ Bouquet 15-S3d
The FTD® Bouquet 15-S1d
Newspaper Advertisements
Advertising in your local newspaper has never been easier with prepared ad
slicks to help promote your FTD codified products. The ads are created in
The FTD® Wondrous
The FTD® Perfect Impressions™ Bouquet
DIY Direct Mailers
Stay top-of-mind with your customers this Mother’s Day by sending beautifully
The FTD® Sunlit Blooms™ Bouquet 15-S3d
The FTD® Perfect Impressions™ Bouquet 15-M10d
The FTD® Wondrous Nature™ Bouquet C12-4400d
To: Name Address City, State, Zip
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Microsoft Word to allow you to easily customize them with your shop logo and
To: Name Address City, State, Zip
Touch of Spring®
contact information.
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on the airwaves. Save production time and cost with the prepared radio scripts, which are on-air ready for your local announcers to read.
Shop Info:
©2015 FTD,
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Shown… t Products ts® Bouque About the Though ® Loving The FTD tions #: 15-M1d Floral Selec Container #: 1507 ce Marketpla
Care & Handling Pic Cards & Posters Educate your customers on floral care and handling to help maximize customer satisfaction and increase repeat business this holiday season with prepared templates. Sending care and handling pic cards with each
SRP:
Shop Info:
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zip code 00000
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Make Mother’s Day MeMorable with exquisite arrangeMents
local marketing
Start marketing your shop locally early and often leading up to Mother’s Day. FTD makes it simple with a suite of marketing and promotional items, many tailored to Mother’s Day, to help you increase sales and grow your local business.
that several varieties of flowers are delivered in the bud stage to maximize freshness and longevity of their floral products.
In-Store Merchandising Attract more customers and potentially increase sales with your 2015 Mother’s Day in-store merchandising kit, which
BUD STAGE BLOOM STAGE
was sent FREE with your codified container purchase. The To maximize the freshne FTD Florist ss and lon s intentionall y deliver sev gevity of FTD floral pro Ask us tod eral floral var ducts, ay, for proper ieties in the care and han bud stage. dling instruc tions. For more infor mation, pleas e visit
your local
FTD® Flori st. | To find your
local floris t go to www .FTDFlorists.co m.
beautifully designed promotional items make the perfect point-of-purchase display in-store to help you promote your codified containers locally. They are also great for inspiring ideas when a customer is unsure what they are looking for.
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Visit FTDi.com/MothersDay to take advantage of these FREE marketing tools to help drive local business to your shop!
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social media marketing
Social media can be an extremely helpful and cost-effective way to promote your business. Update your social media tools regularly prior to, during and after Mother’s Day to keep your customers engaged and coming back for more!
Tips:
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2 Create a calendar of posts and tweets in advance of the holiday to make managing social media efficient
2 Do not tell your customers to just “Like” or follow you; tell them why and how (e.g., “Get answers to all of your flower questions when you ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/FlowerShopName.”)
2 2 2
Ask questions (e.g., “What is your favorite Mother’s Day flower?”) Share pictures and videos (tell a story about your business) Spend at least 30 minutes a day on social media (read, learn, listen, post)
Maximize your exposure using the following social media channels:
Facebook Post photos of your Mother’s Day preparations and tag your customers on Facebook. The added benefit of doing so is that when you tag someone, it appears on their wall, allowing their friends to see the photo too. The idea is that it will lead them to want to learn more about your shop and your Mother’s Day offerings. You will only be able to tag people that you are connected to. For a small fee to Facebook, you can promote your posts for the Mother’s Day to increase your reach.
Tips: 2 Selling-only messages will not work 2 Use “people speak” vs. “corporate speak” 2 Keep it simple 2 Post frequently – one to two times per day 2 Ask for action 2A dd a Mother’s Day banner to your Facebook page linking your customers back to your website
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Get the latest news, events, education and exclusive Facebook promotions when you “Like” us at facebook.com/MercuryNetwork.
Check out a variety of sample posts and images for you to customize and use on your social sites at FTDi.com/MothersDay in the Social Media Kit! 18
social media marketing
Do not overlook the best real-time tool in social media for Mother’s Day. Sending tweets out to your followers is a great way to keep everyone updated on what is happening in your shop. Twitter is a great tool for connecting with people online and offline.
Tips:
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2 140 characters or less 2 Can include a link to web content 2 Build a strong foundation with a complete profile 2 Post a mix of what followers want to hear and promote your business 2 #Hashtags appear in tweets to identify a common theme or topic (e.g., #MothersDay, #Mom, #MothersDayFlowers, etc.)
Instagram is the smartphone photographer’s app of choice. For florists, it is simple to stop designing for a quick moment, snap a photo with your smartphone
and then post immediately. Instagram has unique editing features so you can enhance photos promptly before uploading them. Plus, you can instantly share your post on other social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr as you make your Instagram post.
Tips: 2 Use Instagram to target the 35 and under crowd 2 Share visual content with customers 2 Take, edit and share images from your smartphone 2 Tag customers in your posts 2 Ask your customers to tag you in their posts
Pinterest is a visual bulletin board of thematic collections. Use it during the holidays to create themed “boards” to engage your customers and entice them to purchase
and link your posts back to your website so that consumers can purchase right from the link. Include boards with gift suggestions, home décor, table settings and more.
Tips: 2 The more visual the product line, the better 2 Create boards about unique collections (e.g., vintage vases, colorblocking, Mother’s Day merchandising)
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from your shop. Create a variety of boards with floral and non-floral related items
2 Include a “pin it” button on your website 2 Shoppers are 10% more likely to purchase an item that they found on Pinterest
Shorthanded on staff for Mother’s Day or unsure how to use social media effectively? Let FTD “Market for You.” Visit FTDi.com/MarketForYou for more information.
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email marketing
Email marketing is by far the most effective way of directly affecting your bottom line and growing your business. While you should be sending out emails to customers year-round, it is essential to boost business for Mother’s Day. With more than 91% of consumers checking email at least once a day, there is simply no competition1. More importantly, it is an integral part of our lives because no consumer will quit email — it is essential and unavoidable. Plus, it is an extremely cost-effective way of marketing your business.
Email Marketing Uses:
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2 Share specials or sales 2 Introduce new products or services 2 Remind customers of upcoming holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. 2 Promote an event in your shop (end-of-season sale, holiday open houses, education classes, etc.)
Tips: 2 Always send an email to someone who has personally opted in to receive your emails; do not send an email to someone who has not, as that is considered spam
2 Use a professional email marketing service, such as Constant Contact®, not a personal account
2 Always include a simple, one-click
unsubscribe link in every email you send
2 Use your prime real estate wisely — the “From” and “Subject” lines are the most important real estate; make your “From” line your store name or one that is identifiable with your shop
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2 Entice your customer to open the email by telling a little bit about what they could find inside (e.g., How to Pick the Perfect Mother’s Day bouquet)
2 Make it personal 2 To be most effective, 80% of your emails should be customer-focused content, such as tips and trends, and 20% should promote your store, products, sales, etc.
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2 Keep in constant communication with your customers — it is best to send shorter emails more frequently (about once a week) to increase their effectiveness
Need help setting up an effective email campaign prior to the holidays? Let FTD “Market for You.” Visit FTDi.com/MarketForYou for more information. 20
Source: Exact Target
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As an FTD Florist, you have many benefits and unique tools available to help you get on a path to more orders, potentially increasing your shop’s profitability.
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Capitalize on Your Delivery Area Expand advertising in the FTD Directory to include more towns. & BECAUSE FLORAL AND GIFTS JUST SEARCY FLORIST ROADRUNN ER FROM THE HEART FLOWER SHOP CATHERINE ’S FLORAL SECRET GARDEN SARAH’S FLORIST COMPANY MY EVERGREEN ARIZONA ROSE PETALS OF FAITH FLOWER SHOP INC HIGH FLOWERS CART ARIZONA FLOWERS MOUNTAIN ROSE FLORIST THE FLOWER GIFTS BLOOMING GIFTS GLENDALE SHOP ABANDALE ANA FLOWERS & REMEMBER ED FLOWER BELLA’S FLOWERS FLOWERS AND VALLEY FLORIST FLORIST INC MESSAGES SHOP ROSEMAR FLOWERS CITRUS MARIA’S FLOWER FLORIST SOPHIA’S FLOWER WORLD FLOWERS NEWPORT FLORIST & GIFTS ALEX FLOWER SHOP PLAYA DEL REY S FLORIST VALLEY & DELIVERIE FLOWER GIRL GIFTS CASTRO FLORIST SVCS BAY FLOWERS N BLOSSOM MICHAEL’S FLOWERS INC FLORIST SOUTH FLORAL MISSION BALLOONS ROYAL FLOWERS & GIFTS GALLERY SHARON FLORAL COLORS FLOWERS TERESITA FERGUSON’ S FLOWER THOUGHTFU L & NURSERY MAY ADACHI FLORIST MC COY’S FLOWERS ARDEN PARK FLORIST FLOWERS MELINDA HEAVEN SCENT FLORAL SHOP DOWNTOWN FLOWER BOX BOUQUET OF ELEGANCE MORENO VALLEY FLOWERS & GIFTS HILL’S FLOWERS IMPERIAL SIMI’S ANNE’S FLOWERS ARRANGEM ENTS MY FLOWER SHOP LA CANADA FLOWERS ESSENCE FLOWERS FLOWER DESIGN AND BALLOONS B & B FLOWERS FLORIST & GHSE. BLOOMING ED MOORE FLORIST EVERYTHIN G’S BLOOMFIEL D FLORIST J & S FLOWERS OF NORTH HAVEN FLOWERS BY MARIA FLOWERS ABOUT ALL FLOWERS & GIFTS FLOWER SHOP WESTMINST ER FLORIST KIM’S CHESHIRE COUNTRY E FLORAL EXCHANGE PETALS 2 GO FLORIST FLORIST GAINESVILL VEILS & FLORIST L’ENFANT FLOWERS GALORE VICTORIAN ROSE 4TH STREET INC ON INC ANDREW’S THE FLOWER NOOK
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Attract Online Shoppers
FTD Florists Online is a simple way to start an online business to drive local orders.
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Get Codified with FTD® Marketplace
The FTD® Loving Thoughtss® Bouquet 15-M1d
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The FTD® Purple Pop™ Bouquet CDLd
Attract More Florist-to-Florist Orders FTD Mercury POS technology can save you time and help streamline your shop’s operations.
get on a path to more orders
FTD is here to help you generate more orders and drive local business. The greater the scope of products you offer and the greater the delivery areas serviced by your shop, the greater the chance your shop has to increase the quantity of orders received.
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It’s not too late to codify on FTD.com and FTD Mercury! Order Today at 800.767.4000. 21
best practices for success
The following best practices can help set up your shop for success this Mother’s Day.
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2 Hire additional delivery drivers to increase your capacity to fill orders and make sure your delivery vehicles are in good working condition
2 Get pay-as-you-go cell phones for delivery drivers so you can always keep in touch without increasing your cell phone costs
2 Set up an assembly line to put together the top-selling arrangements the day or two before your busiest delivery day
2 Save time by making arrangements in
FTD Mother’s Day codified containers
to offer for sale to walk-ins
2 Have a plan and assign a contact person to handle customer service issues
2 Give your computer a “tune up” to ensure it is running accurately to minimize disruptions; make sure
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your ink cartridges are full and your invoice and receipt papers are in-stock and easily accessible
2 Offer a promotion for orders delivered on Saturday, May 9 to maximize driver availability on Mother’s Day, May 10
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The FTD® Timeless Elegance™ Bouquet 15-M3d
Here’s how it works: 2 Access the holiday capacity tool through the “Florist Look-up” feature in your Mercury system1 2 Click on “ADMIN” button in the top right corner of the screen 2 First time users must enter an email address and password 2 Click on “Holiday Capacity” 2 View your shop’s historical order data from FTD over the past two years
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2 Input your daily order capacity for Mother’s Day 2015; you may change it at anytime 2 As a convenience to you, FTD.com will stop sending orders to your shop for any delivery day when your order volume has exceeded the capacity listed in the Holiday Capacity tool Go to floristwiki.FTDi.com for more information on the order capacity tool. If you need to suspend your Mercury system to temporarily stop receiving all orders, view the procedure at FTDi.com/MercuryTechnology/Suspend.htm.
manage order capacity
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The FTD Mother’s Day Capacity tool enables you to view the last two years’ statistics for FTD.com and florist-to-florist orders sent to your shop during the three major floral holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day), as well as indicates the number of orders you can fulfill this year.
1 FTD Florist Link is available to members using the following systems: Mercury X2 fall or newer, Mercury Connect and Mercury Direct 5.0 or newer.
The FTD® Spring Garden™ Bouquet 15-M2d
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mercury quick tips
With so many things happening at once in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, some employees that normally operate your Mercury system may be busy answering phones or making deliveries. We want to make sure that whoever is responding to the messages on your Mercury system is comfortable sending and answering messages. We have developed this quick reference guide for you to post near your Mercury system that highlights the most common questions and answers.
Delivery Complete? Send a Delivery Confirmation.
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To help achieve our goal of 100% delivery confirmation, FTD offers a variety of technology tools to make it quick and easy to submit a delivery confirmation. Visit FTDi.com/Quality/Delivery/Tools.htm to learn more.
How To Send a DCON Guide
FTDi.com/Quality/Delivery/Mercury.htm
Best Practices — Sending a DCON Send a DCON with the delivery time after the order is successfully delivered by 7 pm (local time). As a sender, let your customer know the order was successfully delivered. What To Avoid — Sending a DCON
Avoid sending a DCON message before the order was actually delivered. Avoid sending a DCON message stating that delivery was attempted.
If the order is from FTD.com, please keep in mind the customer automatically receives an email letting them know their order was delivered when you send a delivery confirmation.
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unable to fill an order? Reject It Within 2 Hours. For guidelines for DRP, visit FTDi.com/Quality/DRP.
Best Practices If you are unable to fill an order, reject it within two hours. Rejecting an order right away (if you cannot fill it) allows us to find another florist that can to ensure every customer receives their gift this Mother’s Day.
What to Avoid Avoid sending an ASK if you are unable to fill the order. Reject the order within two hours instead.
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Send Delivery Confirmations on the go with FTD Mercury Mobile App. Call FTD Technology Sales at 800.767.3222 to learn more.
of product? Order More Flowers or Containers.
Thank you for filling your FTD orders and keeping open through Mother’s Day.
How To Order More Product Call FTD® Marketplace™ or FTD Flower Exchange at 800.767.4000.
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need order related information? Send an ASK Message. Using the proper message type helps ensure you get the appropriate response.
Best Practices — ASK Messages To request address or recipient information specific to an order. To notify FTD.com about a delivery problem (i.e. recipient released from hospital, recipient moved, etc.). To notify FTD.com of a major substitution issue with the order.
What to Avoid — Sending an ASK Do not use an ASK message to request a CANCEL message be sent on an order. Instead reject the order. Do not use
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mercury quick tips
out
an ASK message to notify FTD.com that you cannot fill an order. Instead, reject the order.
need to reduce your delivery area? Block Zip Codes with FTD.com. During holidays, temporarily reduce your zip coverage to ensure you can make your deliveries.
B est Practices — Reducing Zip Codes Communicate with FTD.com by sending a GEN Message to 90-0075AA or email distributiongroup@FTDi.com. What to Avoid — Reducing Zip Codes Do not use a GEN message to communicate any information specific to an order. Use an ASK, Reject or correct message type for the order. If you reject an order due to product
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unavailability, note it in the reject.
Questons about an FTD.com Order? Please call the FTD.com Florist Hotline at 800.554.0993
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post holiday cleanup
Once Mother’s Day is over, it is time to shift focus and gear up for everyday occasions. Start the summer season with a clean shop and a fresh perspective. Here are a few ideas and best practices to help you.
Review Your Inventory
2 Take a count of excess inventory from Spring and Mother’s Day to help you with next year’s order projections
2 Decide what you can repurpose
Repurpose Excess Inventory 2 Decide which containers can be repurposed for everyday or other holidays
2 Try looking at each container and decide if there is an alternate use, floral
or non-floral, and then merchandise it in your shop to sell
2 Selling through additional codified containers is simple with containers like 15-M4, The FTD® Pink Exuberance™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens®, which couples as the everyday arrangement HG2. The container can also be used as a candleholder.
The FTD® Pink Exuberance™ Bouquet by Better Homes and Gardens® 15-M4d/HG2d
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1 2
2 Make note of what sold well in store, online and via your florist-to-florist orders
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2 Consider
hosting an end-of-season sale to make space in your shop or
help free up dollars to restock your shelves with new inventory for Summer
2 Mark
down any Spring and Mother’s Day-specific containers or gifts in
your shop and market them via email, statement stuffers or social media for a specific period of time (e.g., One Week Only – 50% Off Entire Mother’s Day Collection)
Re-merchandise Your Store 2 Remove all Mother’s Day displays and set up for summer 2 If you need helpful tips on merchandising your shop for holiday or
everyday, check out
the FREE webinars and
two-minute, how-to videos
at FTDUniversity.com
Analyze Sales Data 2 Understand how your shop performed this Mother’s Day by
analyzing key sales data
2 Cross reference your inventory with total sales and run reports in your FTD Mercury POS system — a sure way to help you prepare for the next holiday
post holiday cleanup
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Host an End-of-Season Sale
Items to Analyze: 2
Total holiday sales
2
Average order value
2
Top-selling products
2
Year-over-year comparisons in each category
2 Utilize data to understand what adjustments could be implemented for next year
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You Can Trust Sending Your Next Order FTD.