Also In This Issue


Have you hosted a Ladies Night Out yet?


by Holly Hatten Are there times of the year where you wish you had bigger sales?


Of course there are! Having a Ladies Night Out is a great way to bring in traffic and increase sales with less effort than you would think. Tere are so many ways to customize a great event and highlight your best attributes. Help satisfy their gardening fix and give them the opportunity to make a mess with planting or arranging in your store or greenhouse where they don’t have to do the clean up. You will be surprised how much they love it and look forward to coming back every year. Hanging basket planting, spruce tip pots, wreath decorating, mum mixed planters, vegetable containers, and the list goes on. Here in the Midwest a Deer Hunters Widow’s Weekend might go


over big, consider a Super Bowl weekend alternative, or a Tuesday or Wednesday night event every week for the target month. Collaborate with a local restaurant for hors d’oeuvres; put ice water in an attractive container or pitcher with lemon slices, offer coffee or cider, get some tables with cute table cloths and you are set. You can even ask a liquor store about wine tasting or samples. You can do the same for guys! Pruning seminars, sharpening techniques, work with local rental equipment supplier to show them


ALCM 3.75 x 5 Why Van Berkum Nursery?


• Over 800 varieties of perennials grown “lean and mean” in NH • 20 years of experience working with landscapers and designers


• A weekly availability list plus a list of what looks best for garden center sales


• Fast delivery to northern New England and fantastic, knowledgeable drivers


• An informative website with sections for professionals and your clients. Join us on Facebook!


• Specialty lists such as New England Woodlanders, Wicked Ruggeds and more


• Display gardens and the invitation to bring your clients to choose plant lines


• Hefty true gallon containers for over 100 varieties for instant impact


• Prepricing tag program for garden centers, plus custom tags with our own photos and info


• An incredibly experienced staff that truly works as a team, making it easy to help you


• We propagate most of our plants, giving us good selection all season


• A great 175-page catalog with many lists to help you and your customers design gardens


• Many environmentally friendly practices, several which we’ve been doing for years


• We’d love to have you visit anytime!


Van Berkum Nursery • 4 James Road, Deerfield, NH 03037 (603) 463-7663 Fax 7326 • www.vanberkumnursery.com


10 Advertiser’s Index


Gagne & Son Concrete Block, Inc ....... 4 Netafim USA ...................... 7 Pierson Nurseries, Inc. ............... 6 Prides Corner Farms, Inc. ............ IFC Sylvan Nursery, Inc. ................. 5 Tuckahoe Turf Farm ................ 11 Van Berkum Nursery ............... 10


Spring2013


how to use a tiller, motorized rake, aerator, bobcat with an auger, that list goes on and on too! Become the place for knowledge and experience to put confidence in your customers and make them come back to your store every time.


Tips: • Charge a small entrance fee but give them a coupon back for that amount to spend that night or later. Tis will cut down on the no-shows and increase the RSVP’s. (You can waive the entrance fees for a food shelf donation if you would like to include a charitable option.)


• Make sure that pricing is clear upfront so there is no confusion later.


• Highlight an “expert” at your store; this solidifies your store as the place to go for knowledge on the subject.


• Offer a group discount


• Consider door prizes like t-shirts with your logo and inexpensive ornaments or gardening gloves; people love freebies and it might turn into advertising for you!


• Make sure you ask for info such as email addresses for your POS systems.


• Reach out to other local businesses that might have something to offer. A bakery or restaurant might be willing to provide hors d’oeuvres in exchange for some name recognition.


• Make sure you have plenty of displays set up to tempt them to purchase other items in your store. Just because they don’t buy something that day doesn’t mean they don’t have their eye on something for later!


• Have fun with themes; your customers are there for entertainment this time.


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