BOSTON – While much of the country was being blasted with ice and snow in early February, New England Grows went on as planned inside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Attendees took advantage of more than 30 educational seminars and a show floor packed with suppliers representing all aspects of the green industry.
If you were one of the many who missed the three-day show and conference because of canceled flights and impassable roads, don’t worry. We have you covered.
The GIE Media Horticulture Group has put together a virtual tour of the show, bringing you booth interviews that detail the latest products and trends. Even more, here are some highlights from the chatter and action that took place off of the tradeshow floor:
GARDEN CENTER SUCCESS
The inaugural New England Grows' Garden Center Success Seminar delivered the goods to some 300 attendees, many of whom were singing the program's praises immediately afterward.
The seminar, geared strictly for garden center operators, not only gave attendees advice, but helped them actually create an action plan to increase sales, optimize merchandising and keep people in peak-performance mode. A full line of speakers helped Garden Center Success live up to its name, said New England Grows Executive Director Virginia Wood. "Honestly, we hit a home run with the program," Wood said. "The weather kept some away ... but those that were here were 'over the moon.'"
Advice from the keynote speakers included:
Regarding product lines
“Customers don’t really want ‘green;’ they want it to work. First it has to work, then it has to be natural, then safe and then all that other feel good stuff. Give them that and you’ve got the sale.” – Ken Lain, owner, Watters Garden Center, Prescott, Ariz.
Regarding staff training
“Teach them about reading people. This is my staff training: I teach them to find out what the customer's favorite color is. It’s easy, what color is her blouse, her ring? Say it’s red – that’s her favorite color. Now it’s your job to show her our biggest-margin red flowering plant.” – Ken Lain
On the need to shop your competition
“If you go into your competition, there is always this weird feeling that you may see one of your customers there. I did. My neighbor was buying soil at Home Depot. It’s gonna happen, you just need to learn to live with it.” – Jonn "J-Dog" Karsseboom, owner, The Garden Corner, Tualatin, Ore.
On how long it takes to shoot a video
“Sixty to 90 seconds seems to work for us. People don’t want to listen to me for longer than that. Make it quick, grab their interest then ask them to come into your store.” – Michelle Harvey, owner, Lakeview Nurseries, Lunenburg, Mass.
On how to get more fans for your Facebook page
“Let your staff post. Before you know it their friends, mom, dad and assorted aunts and uncles will have “liked” your page.” – Michelle Harvey
GOING LEAN
Efficiency in productivity is everything today. So Gary Cortes, a partner at FlowVision in Dillon, Co., broke down how to implement lean management techniques for attendees.
Lean is a growing trend in the green industry and it’s helping companies see a return on investment in the first year. After implementing lean principles, Jolly Farmer increased its output 30 percent the first year. Then, the second year, Jolly Farmer perfected its process even more seeing an additional savings of 12 percent, Cortes said.
“(Companies) implement this and their goal is to continue to improve what they’ve implemented … they want to continue to make the process better,” Cortes said.
The entire idea of lean is to use mathematical equations to eliminate waste in the business, such as moving, walking, waiting and idling time. It’s not about how fast the work can get done, but how long it takes to do it correctly, Cortes said.
“At the end of the day, lean is going to make your company more productive,” Cortes said.
E-MAIL MARKETING
Studies show people take six seconds after seeing an e-mail to decide whether or not they want to open it. Not a long time. Corissa St. Laurent, regional development director at Constant Contact, provided attendees with tips for reaching customers and building a brand through e-mail marketing.
Companies should take advantage of the fact that they have something to offer their customers and the public, St. Laurent said. Using e-mail marketing allows companies to reach their customers and teach their customers. The main reason for using this form or marketing is to be unique. By using e-mail marketing companies can send e-mails that say thank you or happy birthday, provide content or informative information, such as advice or a research article, and offer promotions and discounts.
A few of St. Laurent’s tips were: Keep the content of the e-mail as concise as possible – perhaps link the information to the company website or a PDF for a longer version of the message. Include a call to action in the e-mail, such as links to click on, information for them to print out or a phone number to call. And create a master schedule for how often e-mails will go out to customers.