CHRISTMAS Success Guide
Christmas TREND REPORT Social Media Tips from the Experts
TELEFLORA’S “You, Delivered” Campaign
2016 Christmas Success Guide
NOVEMBER S U N D AY
M O N D AY
T U E S D AY
1 AUCTIONS START!
W E D N E S D AY
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Special Holiday auctions are held every Tuesday/Thursday at Flowerbuyer.com. Auctions start at 2 p.m. (EST).
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T H U R S D AY
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Display merchandising items from Teleflora’s FSG Update Kit.
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Place your Autobid on Flowerbuyer.com for Thanksgiving.
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Finalize your lineup. See Teleflora’s projected best sellers on page 12.
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Thanksgiving (U.S.)
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DECEMBER S U N D AY
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F R I D AY
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Confirm Christmas temps and delivery drivers.
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Send Christmas direct mail.
Christmas prep – staff meeting.
Place your Autobid on Flowerbuyer.com for Christmas.
It’s the last Tuesday/Thursday Flowerbuyer.com special auction. Grab your floral favorites before it’s too late!
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Upload custom Christmas SKUs on your eFlorist site
Order using Flowerbuyer.com’s Buy the Bunch® to complete your Christmas bouquets!
Last chance to buy your flowers via the Flowerbuyer.com auction for Christmas!
Last day to order your flowers through priority overnight for Christmas through Flowerbuyer.com!
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Post, Tweet and blog behind the scenes Christmas bouquet creations.
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ays! Happy Holid
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CHRISTMAS TREND REPORT Trends in color and design make their way from fashion and home décor to the flower shop… bring these current trends to life through merchandising to reflect a contemporary, seasonal feel.
T REND RE P O RT
all that shimmers
Adding a touch of sparkle to any room, this classic look brings elegance and sophistication to a whole new level Bring the trend to life in your shop: • Group mercury glass items together for a beautiful monochromatic effect. • Fill clear glass vases with metallic globe ornaments. • Accessorize your display with DIY sparkle branches in silver or gold. Create sparkle by using spray adhesive and glitter.
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T REND RE P O RT
winter woodland
Capturing elements of nature, Winter Woodland brings the outside in, extending beyond Christmas into the broader winter season Bring the trend to life in your shop:
• Create a hot cocoa bar in your shop to feature the after-use of this mug. Include cute marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, and chocolate chips to sweeten your display. • Feature tree trunk slabs as risers for a woodsy effect, and dust fake snow around the display area. • Add the tri-fold merchandising piece from your FSG Kit to complete the look.
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T REND RE P O RT
red & white delight
Tried and true holiday appeal, red and white hues are nostalgic in feel, and iconic of Christmas spirit Bring the trend to life in your shop: • Display products with red and white cookies and baked treats. • Host a cookie decorating party during your open house, complete with frosting, sprinkles, and décor. • Fill Teleflora’s Silver Christmas cubes with red and white peppermint candies.
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2016 Christmas Success Guide
SOCIAL MEDIA
tips
WITH OVER 50% OF NORTH AMERICANS ON FACEBOOK AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, IT’S IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS THIS HOLIDAY. TRY THESE TOP SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FROM FLORAL INDUSTRY EXPERTS.
CREATE COMPELLING CONTENT • Don’t just try and sell bouquets - mix up your bouquet posts with pictures of babies, cute
animals and flowers to help drive traffic to your profile. • Share local events, community involvement and employee milestones. • Talk about your shop and share fun, behind-the-scene photos. - Vonda LaFever, AIFD PFCI
PROMOTE YOURSELF • Let your followers know something about
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you…a little at a time. Include posts of your hobbies and other favorite activities.
• Make sure your followers are aware of your achievements. Include photos of competitions and awards you’ve won.
- Kevin Ylvisaker, AIFD PFCI
2016 Christmas Success Guide
INCLUDE YOUR FRIENDS
• Invite your followers to join you for a special event, like your holiday open house. Be sure to take lots of pictures that you can post and tag them in. • When you tag your followers in pictures, they’ll likely tag you in their photos, too.
- Kevin Ylvisaker, AIFD PFCI
GET THEM INVOLVED
• Discuss your involvement in your community. • Have a bouquet giveaway contest to get comments, shares, and likes.
- Jerome Raska, AIFD AAF PFCI CF
REMEMBER, IT’S A CONVERSATION
• Respond to all of the questions your customers ask, so they will be more likely to engage and share. • Answer questions in a timely manner to let them know you’re listening.
- Jerome Raska, AIFD AAF PFCI CF
DON’T FORGET YOUR WEBSITE
• Integrate social feeds on your website so your customers can see in real time what you post on Facebook or tweet on Twitter. • Integrate your online social presences in your website by including links to your social media pages.
- SAF
Download Teleflora’s Social Media Kit today! from the Holiday Toolbox at MyTeleflora.com 7
This Christmas, Teleflora’s multi-million dollar “You, Delivered” campaign will be featured nationwide in a multitude of print and digital channels including display ads, social media, and short video ads. When you send a hand-arranged bouquet from Teleflora this holiday, your family and friends will be reminded of you every time they glance at its radiant blooms. They’ll mention you each time someone compliments its fragrant beauty. It’ll be just like you’re there, right in the middle of it all. Using digital channels, like social media, to distribute the ads means that millions of consumers will see them, generating awareness of the benefits of hand-arranged, hand-delivered flowers. Since digital ads are viewed online, it’s easy for consumers to make a purchase in the moment, driving more orders to your shop.
check your email inbox for our special florist versions of the 30-second ads, ready for you to post and share! Ads will be running nationwide!
2016 Christmas Success Guide
FLORIST TIPS FOR SAVING ON FLOWERS We talked to florists and gathered their favorite tips on buying top-quality flowers at Flowerbuyer.com. Here is what florists are saying about how they’re saving time and money:
TIP #1 – USE AUTOBID TO ATTEND THE AUCTION FOR YOU! “I don’t have time to dedicate to the auction, but savings are very important to me. I set my autobids based on the “past auction results” on the Flowerbuyer.com homepage. Anything I don’t win, I’ll buy off of “Buy Now” or my local wholesaler. The savings are exceptional! I’ve saved thousands of dollars a year by doing this!” – Mark Duffy, Judy’s Village Flowers, Foxboro, MA
TIP #2 – CAN’T FIND SOMETHING YOU NEED? INTERESTED IN ALTERNATE SHIPPING METHODS? DON’T BE AFRAID TO CALL AND ASK! “Customer service has helped me order flowers that I didn’t catch online! 99% of my calls are resolved while I’m on the phone. They also arranged for an alternate shipping method than I usually use because I needed those flowers faster! My flowers are always top quality and the roses are exceptional! I find the auction easy to use and quite engaging. My clients are happy with my gorgeous blooms, and I am happy with my pricing and service!” – Jerry Brumm, Brumm’s Bloomin’ Barn, Highland, IN
Flowerbuyer.com Christmas Auctions are held every Tuesday and Thursday starting November 1st at 2 p.m. (EST) /11 a.m. (PST).
CALL 877.625.3243 AND SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY FLOWERS!
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2016 Christmas Success Guide
eFLORIST: INCREASE TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE WITH A PREMIUM BRANDED YELP PROFILE During the 2015 Christmas Holiday season, eFlorist’s Premium Branded Yelp Profiles sent +225% more traffic to partner websites and +21% more order conversions vs. the same period the prior year! This year, we are on track for a repeat performance and we’ve got some tips to make sure your Yelp profile is ready for the holidays!
ADD PHOTOS Consumers spend 2.5 times longer on Yelp Business Pages with photos. Curate your Premium gallery to showcase holiday-specific arrangements and products that highlight your designs.
UPDATE YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION Confirm that your address and phone number are correct, add your eFlorist website, and don’t forget to update your hours for the holidays.
LEAD CUSTOMERS TO YOUR WEBSITE A Premium Branded Profile allows you to drive new customers to your shop, by including a Call-to-Action button that allows them to order online or call your shop directly.
Contact your TSM for more information on how 10
2016 Christmas Success Guide
CREATE EXCITING PROMOTIONS Consider creating a Check-in Offer for your mobile audience, like Free Delivery or 10% off. You can also set up a Gift Certificate to be sold through your Yelp Business Page, which is perfect for your existing customers who want to share your goods or services with friends, family, and loved ones.
TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS Be sure to fill out the “From The Business� section to let customers know about your specialties. This will also drive Internet search traffic, making your business relevant in more search results.
w to claim your listing. Get started this holiday! 11
2016 Christmas Success Guide
TOP 12 PROJECTED BEST SELLERS
Teleflora’s Sparkling Star Centerpiece T16X100A
Thomas Kinkade’s Jolly Santa Bouquet T16X200A
Teleflora’s Snow Day Bouquet T16X300A
Teleflora’s Gift Wrapped Bouquet T16X400A
Send a Hug® Christmas Cardinal by Teleflora T16X500A
Teleflora’s Silver Christmas Bouquet T16X600A
Christmas Wishes Centerpiece T127-1A
Holiday Splendor T119-1A
Teleflora’s Silver And Snowflakes Bouquet TWR08-3A
Let It Snow T128-1A
Deck The Halls Tree T134-1A
Teleflora’s Merry And Bright T125-1A
Visit theMarket at MyTeleflora.com or call 800.333.0205 option 2 (Canadian shops call 800.668.5770) today to stock up on containers for the featured bouquets above! 12
2016 Christmas Success Guide
SUBSTITUTION GUIDE FOR CHRISTMAS
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Miniature or Standard Carnations, Alstroemeria, or Button or Daisy Spray Chrysanthemums of comparable color
Asiatic Lilies Roses Spray Roses
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Chrysanthemums (same or another variety)
Stock
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Miniature or Standard Carnations, Alstroemeria, or Button or Daisy Spray Chrysanthemums of comparable color
Hydrangea
Miniature Carnations
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Carnations or Miniature Carnations
Tulip
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Alstroemeria, Asiatic Lilies, or Spray Roses of comparable color
Chrysanthemums
Carnations
Alstroemeria
Below are some of the most popular flowers featured in Teleflora’s Christmas bouquets, and our substitution guidelines for each. Print this out and share it with your team before the holiday!
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Asiatic Lilies or L.A. Hybrid Lilies
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Roses, Spray Roses, or Lisianthus of comparable color
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Spray Roses or Alstroemeria of comparable color
SUBSTITUTE: Comparable color Stock, Larkspur, or Snapdragons of comparable color
SUBSTITUTE: Lisianthus, Ranunculus, or Miniature Callas of comparable color
These substitutions are general. The bouquet scale should determine the type of substitution you do, but, for the most part, the substitution should be of equal or greater value. Major substitutions should be communicated to the ordering customer and/or sending florist prior to delivery. For the full list of flower substitutions, refer to Teleflora’s Flower Substitution Chart found in the Flower Buying Guide section of the Resource Gallery.
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2016 Christmas Success Guide
‘TIS THE SEASON TO GO MOBILE Extend your shop’s reach to increase sales with mobile Dove POS. Accessible via smart phones, tablets, and laptops, mobile Dove POS provides anytime, anywhere access to the core features of Dove POS, including Order Entry, Customer Lookup, and Product Lookup.
Increase your shop’s flexibility and drive sales with mobile Dove POS. Process Walk-in Orders Faster Prepare for the holiday crowds by equipping your sales associates with smart phones or tablets to process walk-in orders more quickly and easily. Sell at Farmer’s Markets Flower sales are on the rise at farmer’s markets. Mobile Dove POS allows you to process orders from customers on the spot.
Betty Sue Anderson, Frances Flower Shop Little Rock, Arkansas “We’ve used Dove POS in our shop for years, and I have to say that I love the new mobile feature. We currently have a laptop set up out back in the delivery area. Our drivers use it every day to send delivery confirmations. I also can take the laptop with me to events at our local high school so I can sell flowers from there, too. One thing I’m looking forward to is being able to access the network on our mobile devices. One of our employees brought in their iPad, we tried it out, and it worked great. I can see where having multiple POS devices is going to be great for business as we get up and running in preparation for the holidays.”
GET STARTED TODAY! Visit bit.ly/DovePOSWebUI from your Dove POS terminal and follow the simple instructions. Don’t have Dove POS? Call 866.444.3683 to learn more. 14
2016 Christmas Success Guide
QUICK TIPS TO HELP MANAGE YOUR HOLIDAY ORDERS Got an Order? Respond Within an Hour
Order Delivered? Send a Confirmation
Unlike other floral service providers, Teleflora doesn’t penalize you for refusing an order, but please reject it within an hour. Not responding to an order results in a “non-delivery” fee.
Make customers happy by confirming deliveries as soon as possible, and avoid fees by sending a confirmation by 9 p.m. (local time) on the requested delivery date.
Need to Adjust Your Delivery Area? Use Flexible Codifications Set up a larger delivery area early, leading up to Christmas, and then trim it down to just your local city/postal codes when you get busy. Visit MyTeleflora.com/Edit_Flexible_Codifications.aspx
At Capacity? Use Dove Stops
When you cannot take another order, use Dove Stop. Visit MyTeleflora.com/Stop_Dove.aspx for details.
Need Order Information? Send Teleflora a Message Use your Dove or POS System to send us a message. Use the proper message type to ensure that you get the response you need.
Have Dove POS and Delivery Manager? Use eDelivery to save time on confirming orders by confirming them as soon as they are delivered. eDelivery allows delivery drivers to mark orders as delivered, clock in and out, and view order info on the road in real time using a Web-enabled mobile phone or tablet.
For more, visit MyTeleflora.com or call Dove POS Support at 866.444.3683
2016 Christmas Success Guide
CHECKLIST FOR CHRISTMAS SUCCESS MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA WORK FOR YOU
Download Teleflora’s Social Media Kit to help drive more sales this holiday.
USE TELEFLORA’S “YOU, DELIVERED” ADS TO PROMOTE YOUR SHOP
View and share our special 30-second ads, ready for you to post and share on November 30th!
eFLORISTS – GET STARTED WITH YELP BRANDED PROFILES Merchandise your site for Christmas, participate in email campaigns, and update your email list by visiting eSAT at eSAT.MyTeleflora.com.
DOWNLOAD DOVE POS MOBILE TO EXPAND YOUR CAPACITY
Visit bit.ly/DovePOSWebUI to get started with Dove POS mobile and take orders anytime, anywhere!
FOLLOW THE “FIVE KEYS TO SUCCESS”
Use the “Five Keys to Success” (p. 15) to help streamline orders. For more information, visit MyTeleflora.com or call Dove POS Support at 866.444.3683.
HELPFUL CONTACT NUMBERS Customer Service: 800.421.2815 U.S.
800.668.5770 Canada Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (CST) Saturday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (CST) eFlorist: 866.983.3932
DovePlus: 800.720.9410
Products: 800.333.0205 Flowerbuyer.com: 877.625.3243
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