Grass Roots Marketing That Makes Blooming Sense.

1
Grass Roots Marketing That Makes Blooming
Sense.

• Presented by Kensel J. Tracy

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Background and Introduction

• Background
• A professional business communicator and a
  professional business and personal coach since
  1995.
• I have been in the sales and marketing field for
  the past 25 years.
• I have personally been the owner or manager
  senior managing director of four small
  businesses.
• The keys to my success have been I motivate,
  teach and educate.

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What are We Going To Learn Today

• Today we will hope to give you some tips on how
  you can market and grow your business.
• Growing a business is a skill and it takes
  motivation, commitment and focus.
• Growing a business is also based on planning,
  your connection with your customers and your
  ability to visualize and develop new
  opportunities.

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Some Grass Roots Strategies We Will Discuss

• Finding and growing new business
• The value of having a plan.
• Finding your niche markets.
• The power of new technology.
• Using the power of attraction.
• Developing customer loyalty.
• Creative new ways to market.

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So When Does the Fun Begin!

• So youre a florist and a retailer and youre
  wondering
• When does the fun begin?
• Where are the profits coming from?
• Why isnt my business more profitable?
• How do I get more sales?
• Oh woe is me, how did I get in this business
  anyway?
• I got into this business why

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So You Think You Have Issues

• All businesses have issues.
• Marketing and sales support.
• Owner, operator, burnout.
• Lack of business.
• Frustration with the business.
• Cash flow problems.
• Competition on all fronts, big box, internet.
• Lack of capital to expand.
• Lack of creativity or creative counseling
  internally.
• Cant hire staff because.

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Marketing and Sales Is The Key to Growth

• Marketing and sales is one of the key motivators
  to business growth.
• Most people fear marketing and fear sales even
  more.
• Most companies that are suffering are suffering
  because they are not good at sales and marketing.
• Most companies that are doing well are aggressive
  marketeers and information gurus.
• They educate, motivate and encourage their
  customers to participate in their marketing
  efforts.
• They give customers a reason to participate.

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Reasons Why Companies Dont Market

• They dont really like being rejected..
• I AM NOT A SALES PERSON I AM AN ARTIST
• They dont know where to start
• THE BOOK OF LIFE DOESNT COME WITH AN AD PLAN
• It doesnt work anyway and its expensive.
• THATS WHY I REFUSE TO ADVERTISE

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More Reasons Why?

• It feels like I am trying to hustle business,
• SO! -- DEFINITION OF A BUSINESS THE INTENT TO
  MAKE A PROFIT
• I feel like business should come to me, the store
  is open and its two days before mothers day. --
  GOOD MARKETING AND GOOD LUCK?

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So I Need to Have a Plan

• Phase 1 Where Am I Now - Information
• Research, Research, Research
• Past Histories what worked before may not be
  working now.
• Analysis of your current advertising and
  marketing - 50 of advertising doesn't work we
  just dont know what 50.

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Maximizing My Marketing

• Redefine your target audiences
• Find out who is buying your product and where
  they are coming from.
• E.g. Black Label Beer Campaign
• Redefine your product offerings
• Offer more value to your customer more often,
  extra services, free delivery, a monthly payment
  plan, options, floral registry service and
  standing orders.

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Data Mining and Loyalty Attraction Business
Strategies

• Research states that 80 of your business comes
  from 20 of your clients.
• So In order to grow your business you can
  increase your business by communicating and
  getting more business from your existing clients.
  
• You need to find out more about your customers
  Heres How an Accounting Firm Increased their
  business by 50.
• So you sell your existing customers more and
  larger orders, and have them purchase more often.

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Niche Marketing - Find your Niche or Create
One.

• When you review your business Find out what is
  it that you are the best at, do extremely well or
  excel at.
• What other target groups can purchase, what it
  is, you do well.
• What are the groups of purchasers that have an
  affinity for your products or services.
• What steps to I need to take to get more frequent
  purchases more often from this group.

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Network Network - Network

• Assess your company and your market areas and
  decide who and what type of customer you are most
  interested in and how they will interface with
  your product.
• Assess your potential market to determine if
  there is another area that could use your
  services. An easy way to make this determination
  is just talk to the people in your targeted
  community.
• Join groups or networks that can lead business to
  you, BNI, Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce,
  community groups.
• Once you find a promising niche, then determine
  if you can be comfortable with the anticipated
  income from it.
• Networks have value as people buy from people.
• Referrals work! People buy from people they
  know.

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Business Growth

• There are two rules of of thumb in business
  growth
• You can try to pull clients to your location.
• This is expensive and hard to do!
• You can motivate loyal customers to stay loyal
  and purchase more and more often.
• Frequency of purchase and purchasing more often.
• Most efficient and less costly as there is little
  cost with customer acquisition we know who they
  are.

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Developing Loyal Customers

• Since we discussed the 80/20 rule then how do we
  get our existing customers to buy more.
• Communicate with them more often through an
  email/on pack or information or education.
• Send targeted direct mail Certico direct
  Marketing
• Get them on a list and develop a standing order
  of flowers for special occasions for a flat rate.
  
• Get some form of loyalty program, buy more often
  and save, offer a point program ( Trucash
  Loyalty)
• Get a flower power program going where you
  supply all their flowers for all special
  occasions and its done automatically as they have
  a standing orders or special orders with you.

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The Art of Planning

• The key to planning is to actually have one.
• So many organizations just run from week to week,
  month to month without a plan.
• You should develop your 12 month
  marketing/promo/pr plan based on your market
  curve.
• You know your peaks and valleys based on special
  events, however there is a lot time in between
  that can be put to good use.
• Those valleys between special events if increased
  could represent significant growth for your
  organization. -- there is gold in the valley.

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The Art of Technology

• If your not on the web you should be.
• Online shopping is cost effective and can be
  implemented quite easily with a lot of off the
  shelf technology.
• There are all kinds of web firms out there, hire
  a hot young shop with track record that knows the
  web and knows how to use Web marketing.
• Your website should be one of your marketing
  priorities, everything else should evolve from
  your web strategy.

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The Art of Technology

• Embrace technology at all costs
• Email addresses are valuable commodities
• E-Zines are easy and cheap to setup and use.
• Having a firm position your website at the top of
  the heap can pay off big rewards.
• Try to remove the fear of using technology.
• Examples of Web marketing, Brymark Promotions,
  Windsor Home Cleaning

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Being Personally Motivated

• The key to growing your business is to get
  re-energized yourself in your life and in the
  life of your business.
• The E Myth work on and not in the business.
• Eliminate Tolerations things that get in the
  way or take up time that occupy your time.
• Develop reserve so you can focus on growth not on
  what you dont have.
• Try to think positive remember you become what
  you think about.
• And you always get what you ask for, good and bad.

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Get Some Professional Help

• Yes if you need that kind get it.
• However other help can include
• Hiring a marketing company or marketing rep.
• Full or part-time
• Hire a good accountant/bookkeeper, get all your
  paperwork in order
• Hire a coach or a business mentor

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Putting It all Together

• Planning focus for your business, business
  plan, marketing plan, PR Plan, staff motivation
  plan, advertising plan and personal plan.
• Plan your work and work your plan!

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Niche Marketing

• Develop or find your niche, work the networks
  associated with your niche, hire a specific
  person to focus on the niche market.
• PR the heck out of your niche
• Become a specialist the best, teach others, for a
  fee, sell to others for a fee, combine or partner
  with others for a fee.
• Develop new products, dried, designs, purchasing
  options, allied products and strategic alliances.

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Attraction Marketing Programs

• Develop a series of marketing programs that
  attract people to your shop.
• People are not compelled to buy flowers unless
  you have specific hook ( 9.99 roses)
• People also do not associate florists with happy
  events, a perception that needs to be changed.
• Give reasons for people to buy flowers, make it
  easy, ( the standing order) and reward them for
  being loyal.
• Use attraction marketing techniques, newsletters,
  rewards, classes, info sessions, corporate events
  or community events and the internet.

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Getting Your Personal Needs Met

• Make sure you are mentally fit.
• Male sure you take holidays and get a break.
• Take training and participate in networking
  events.
• Hire a PR person to help you build your community
  identity.
• Hire the individuals you need to make your life
  better, personal trainers, coach, Chiropractor,
  Massage Therapist
• Ad agency/ marketing person/ mentor/ coach.

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Eliminate the Tolerations

• Change your mind set, get rid of the things you
  have been tolerating in your life or your
  business that just get in the way.
• Change the store so that everything works
• Make sure your car and personal life if
  functioning properly so that it will not get in
  the way of your business
• Do not tolerate taking time for you throughout
  the week, the month, take mental health days and
  spend it in a toleration free zone.

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In Summery

• The Floral business its a tough business but
  hey every business is tough.
• If business was easy, everyone would have a
  couple.
• To be successful one needs to remember you are
  not alone, you went into the business because a
  little voice inside said you would be good at it.
• Its time to get that little voice motivated again
  and take the necessary steps required to grow and
  help make your business succeed.