brands fail and die and therefore how best to survive and thrive. The sessions then moved on to a demonstration of how by working together this can best be achieved, along with the philosophy behind the logo change and fi nishing on how planning really can be the make or break when it comes to staying in business.
And using technology to communicate too... In November Tim Huckabee, a member of the American Institute of Floral Sales Experts, presented a webinar on selling tips. Tim has worked with many fl orists both here and in The States to help them improve their customer service skills resulting in proven increases in sales. 2013 will see a series of webinars exclusive to
eFlorist all designed to help fl orists prosper and demonstrating that it is always possible to make more money even in this ongoing tough economic environment.
New training initiatives... And speaking of which, tough times should not signal the abandonment of training. This is a subject which is very dear to Lorraine’s heart – the provision of which for both staff and fl orists is taken very seriously at eFlorist. Working in partnership with provider Positive Outcomes, eFlorist have secured business training in a number of areas and what’s more, it’s FREE to fl orists! The areas covered are Retail Operations, Customer Service, Team Leading and Management & Leadership. All training is Government funded, designed to be extremely fl exible, workplace based and will be tailored around individual business needs and in every case will lead to an NVQ. The next stage in the development of this partnership is to off er fl orists the opportunity to employ an apprentice. With this programme, suitable candidates will be sourced ready for interview and their training will be wholly funded.
Supporting the industry at grass roots... Also in November, eFlorist became the offi cial sponsor of the BFA competition at World Skills UK which took place at the NEC. Run on an annual basis, World Skills UK promotes excellence in vocational training, including creative fl oral design. Working in partnership with UK Skills, the BFA was responsible for the management, design, delivery and judging of the fl oristry competition and it was this event that was sponsored by eFlorist. Ensuring the continuation of fl oristry skills is one of the ways to guarantee that the profession does not die out and also secures the competitive advantage and USP over those retailers who deliver only boxed products. And showing how it’s done, eFlorist’s very own Maddy Ralls of Eden Floral Design, Taunton won
a bronze medal in the intermediate section of the fl oristry competition.
Buying fl owers from eFlorist... bringing new
services to fl orists... Moving into the New Year, January saw the launch of ‘eFlorist Marketplace’. Working in partnership with a reputable Dutch fl ower supplier, PRO fl orists can buy top quality stems with superior freshness guaranteed direct from the grower at a competitive price and all delivered direct to their door! There are already a signifi cant number of fl orist
accounts set up which means that these fl orists are able to access a huge choice of stem varieties and benefi t from an easy online ordering system and payment terms. Orders are placed in real time which means that fl orists can see exactly what stock is available and how much it costs. There are no shocks and no surprises and satisfaction is guaranteed! In fact, those fl orists who ordered for Valentine’s Day were extremely impressed with the quality of the fl ower received. In the unlikely event that something is wrong when the delivery arrives, there is a no quibble customer satisfaction policy with regards to replacement. Once a fl orist sets up an account on Marketplace,
they can order straightaway and benefi t from the competitive prices, the great off ers and the new stem varieties brought exclusively to PRO fl orists by eFlorist. The order history feature enables better planning and management of stock and order frequency too.
Websites for fl orists... another way to grow
your business... Another relatively new business service for eFlorist users is ‘eFlorist Online’. Fully transactional and developed by the eFlorist team, it means that a fl orist’s shop can be open 24/7 with the potential to generate more orders and increased profi ts. There are many benefi ts to signing up to an
eFlorist website, including the ability to receive orders anytime with 100% fi nancial security guaranteed. The website will be populated with high quality images of professionally designed eFlorist products. And, in addition, there is help to get started along with marketing advice and fl orists receive the full order value on all local orders. All in all, an invaluable business tool for fl orists.
Always looking for new ways to work better with fl orists to help their businesses
grow... Already with the best commission structure amongst our competitors in the industry, eFlorist is always looking for new ways to
>> F&wb Spring 2013 45
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