Exotic Flowers in Boston

Exotic Flowers in Boston is a long standing member of The Society of American Florists (SAF). Every week, SAF offers sales advice to those in the floral industry via their Sales Wake Up email on Saturdays. This week, Exotic Flowers is honored to be featured by writer Katie Hendrick.

Five Focus Points for Success

by Katie Hendrick
Ever wish you had a report card to measure the impression your shop makes? Consider this blog post the cheat sheet you’ve been craving. It comes courtesy of Rick Canale, owner of Exotic Flowers, the 2008 Floral Management Marketer of the Year winner.  

Here are a few highlights he insists his staff executes:

• A thorough customer experience: email confirmations for orders and delivery, logoed polo shirts, logoed vans, “please” and “thank you” in every conversation, courtesy phone calls, personal handwritten notes
• An emphasis on special occasions: employees should teach customers that flowers make all occasions more special — not just Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and anniversaries
• Upscale packaging: tissue, gift boxes and ribbon improves presentation immensely
• A dynamic storefront: the shop strives to have something exceptional to create buzz, be it new or exclusive variety of flowers in the window or a celebrity arranging flowers (Baywatch star Traci Bingham helped out during Valentine’s Day 2013)
• A strong social life: the shop regularly updates its blog, Facebook page and Twitter account with three objectives: entertain, educate and engage. Equally important is what happens when employees leave the store. Running errands in a logoed shirt and a logoed van is outstanding advertising.

This past July, I celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary to my amazing wife Suzie. Many people renew their vows on this special anniversary and even seek to recreate a new wedding all over again. While Suzie and I did not renew our vows, some theme weddings caught my eye. My favorite was the Home Field Advantage featuring an an entire vintage baseball wedding.

Below are some photos from Realweddingsmag.com that showcase this ultra cool baseball wedding. 

The stunning bride is carrying jasmine, hydrangea, scabiosa spheres and accents. This lush bouquet really keeps the vintage timeless look for this theme wedding.

what a cool concept replicated old tobacco baseball cards that also serve as place cards for the guests. This would be the only wedding place card I would ever keep, a true collectible.

antique crates, vintage banners along with vintage bats and catchers masks; also having this wedding on the field really brings this wedding home. The addition of baseball fare like hot dogs, apple pie and bottles of coca cola make this a wedding to remember.

another great keepsake gift includes gift wrapped cracker jacks. 

I don't think my wife would be on board for this themed wedding. But I would love to be a guest if anyone is having a wedding like this. You could even have your justice of the peace be a real umpire. The list of possibilities is endless. 

 As florists in Boston, we are facing a fast changing economy. If the gift business is a pie, a florist's slice gets skinnier every day. We are getting bombarded by the supermarkets, the internet and the box stores. The consumer gets savvier and more demanding every day. What can every florist do to recapture market share ? Here are five tips from Exotic Flowers in Boston that have brought us increases in sales since the economy changed in 2007.

1. Customer Experience - Email order confirmations, delivery confirmations, how your staff dresses; are your vans lettered ? How is your staff treating the client. As professional florists, we must look and act like professionals. How many times a day are you saying 'please' and 'thank you,' - not enough. Are you reaching out to clients with courtesy phone calls and personal hand written notes ?
2. Special Occasions -  Florists are in an occasion based gift giving business. Our average male clients gets flowers three times per year;Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and his anniversary.  If we can get that person to buy just one more time for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or a birthday then we can increase sales by double digits.
3. Packaging -   How are your flower arrangements and bouquets presented? Hopefully you are treating every purchase as a gift.  Tissue, gift boxes, and ribbon are all small extras that can set your florist a world apart from FTD and Costco. Take a look at J Crew, they even provide gift bags for gift cards. Are you making the gift wrapping a show ? Think of the man who shines shoes, that snap of the towel is purely show and does nothing to shine a shoe.  
4. Storefront -  do you have a dynamic storefront ? Do clients feel welcome ? Are you a member of the community ? Do you offer new varieties of flowers to create interest ? Are you enticing a return visit with your service and product ? Forget the coupons. Clients that are loyal on price are not loyal for long. Create buzz and offer the unexpected. On Valentine's Day 2013, we had former Baywatch star Traci Bingham at the store helping clients. Customers are still talking about it six months later. 
5. Social Media - take some time and engage your clients on line. Blog to entertain and educate. Share digital images regulary. Join the conversation online. Most importantly, leave the store. Go to the bank. Be seen transacting business in your community and do not be shy about driving your lettered company vehicle. It is some of the best advertising you can do.

Recently, I was on Cape Cod for July 4th with my family. While walking on Main Street, I happened upon an old fashioned baseball card shop. Unfortunately, baseball card shops are a dying breed. When I was a kid, I collected cards in the thousands and still have them. I forced myself to go into the shop, look around and even buy something.

I really wanted to show my support and even relive a bit of my childhood at the same time. Unfortunately, the windows were dirty (#fail), the lights dim (#fail) and a counter guy who seemed a bit more interested in his computer (#fail) than engaging the many clients entering the door to browse.

I was aware of some newly released items that unfortunately the shop did not have. That was okay. You cannot carry everything. But while I was there clients seemed interested and wanted to buy, but some things were out of reach, not priced and the salesman remained glued to his computer. (#fail)

Finally in hopes of recapturing a little American spirit, I grabbed a 1968 Topps Willie Horton baseball card for $1. I know, this shop will not close early with this sale. But every sale counts and who knows a $1 dollar sale that day could turn into a $5000 Mickey Mantle card sale down the road.

Well as I  handed my purchase and my $1 bill to the salesman, still at his computer (#fail). He asked me to go to the register (#fail). Go where the customer goes. He rang my sale = $1.06 (I forgot tax but it is only 6 cents). He offered a bag (must cost at least 3-4 cents) I deferred. He then really should waived the six cents but did not. (#fail)

I won't be back. Not really angry about the six cents, just the indifference of the staff. After all, who in Boston buys a Willie Horton card ? What a great conversation starter.

Also heard that the store is up for sale and closing. Owning a small business is hard work. People really want to go stores, it is up to the retailer to astonish and delight its customers.

 Who says flowers don't belong in baseball? Just ask Red Sox Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli. They recently purchased flowers for their third base coach Brian Butterfield in Seattle. Since this purchase, the Red Sox have won four straight games and the flowers remained in the dugout for each game.

Infielder Jose Iglesias was given the charge of caring for the flowers and making sure they had safely made the trip from Seattle to Oakland.

On Friday, July 19th the Red Sox will host the Yankees at Fenway Park. I have already reached out to Napoli and Iglesias via twitter to offer Exotic Flowers in Boston delivery service to the dugout for the second half of the season. 

Let's hope the flowers bring a stroke of World Series fortune to the Red Sox.

I regularly boast of Exotic Flowers in Boston's ability to send flowers worldwide. Our tag line for many years was from 'Boston to Belgium, Miami to Milan,'. Unfortunately not all florists are created equal and sometimes we run into a few bumps in the road with flower availability in more remote town throughout the country.

Recently a Boston client called and asked to send Imagination Blooms with  orchids to Georgetown, Kentucky. I explained to the sender that while the florists in Georgetown do a lovely job of lush flower vases they could not offer the orchids in the photo for same day delivery. Alas, the sender was let down and chose to take her business elsewhere. We get our clients the freshest flowers from the best florist in every community. Some times they do not always have the exact item the client is looking for. For example, orchids are abundant in New York and Boston, but not so much in Georgetown.

One great thing about trusting worldwide service with a local florist versus FTD is that we offer a personal service that a corporate giant cannot replicate. When you call Exotic Flowers in Boston, real people answer the phone and will follow your entite your order and even provide delivery confirmation.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
***** Read the rest on line or in any library. It matters.
 

Patriotic Florist

 
Exotic Flowers has deep military roots. Sonny Canale served on board the USS Buck DD-761 during the Korean War. We are neighbors of the Cardillo Army Base on American Legion Highway in Roslindale. We have worked closely with Fisher House Boston in West Roxbury.
Not a day goes by where the staff at Exotic Flowers does not recognize the importance of our heritage and independence. We are Americans and proud of it.
 

As Boston's Premier Florist, we have a responsibility to the community and our colleagues to set a good example. Our floral designers, drivers, maintenance and sales staff realize our importance to the entire Boston community. We offer a magnificent floral display which beautifies Boston every day. Our flower deliveries enlighten the lives of residents of Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury and Hyde Park daily.
We practice old fashioned American values; hard work, sweat and gratitude. We are thankful for our staff, our clients and we are thankful to be free.
 

At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we are avid readers. We especially love children's books. We know that reading to children fostersSo be a lifetime love affair with books. Our favorite author, Suzie Canale is at it again. As a premier children's book author, Suzie has shared her amazing children's book with us.

Now Suzie is working with fellow authors Chad Pio and Greg Tetreault to bring a valuable review site on children's books. 'Three Lights in the Attic Book Review' hopes to provide parents with a little direction in choosing the best books for their children. The site is written with positive reviews and great suggestions. While the authors do accept many submissions, the review's " goal is to endorse some great reads we three authors have found along our way, while giving age-appropriate guidelines, topics discussed and full descriptions of the stories."

This summer you will be heading to your local bookstore to build your children's book library. Make sure that you check this review site for some great tips on some amazing children's books. And if you like the reviews, keep in mind that you can purchase any of the reviewers books from Exotic Flowers in Boston.

 Okay so you have ordered your flowers for Mother's Day, she gets them from Exotic Flowers and loves them. Now it's Mother's Day and she really should not have to cook, do you order in ? Call a caterer ? Most of us make the call on dinner, lunch or brunch. Mother's Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year in Boston. Check out our top five choices for Mother's Day. By the way, if you are caught between flowers and food; the Koran tells us that flowers are food for the soul.

• McCormick & Schmicks in Faneuil Hall Marketplace; great seafood in the heart of the city. This is a great choice for lunch or early dinner, that way you can stroll through Quincy Market and take in some sights. 
• Mooo Restaurant at the ultra chic XV Beacon hotel on Beacon Hill. If you are looking to lavish mom with personalized service and high end dining, ask for the GM Alexa and tell her that your Exotic Flowers sent you.
• 

Dining Al fresco on Mother's Day or having a large event ? You cannot beat the atmosphere, energy, food and once again beautiful planters at Towne Stove & Spirits on Boylston Street in Boston. Ask for TerriLynn Haak, she is among the best in the business.
 

* Getting take out ? I am in. I will be selling flowers from early hours on. Why not ring up my friend Chris at Seven Star Street Bistro in Roslindale. His Chinese is not only delicious, but healthy as well.

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* Looking to stay away from the crowds and traffic of the Back Bay and Downtown Boston ? Why not ring up Delfino Restaurant in Roslindale ? Master Chef Stephen Judge has been creating the best Italian food for more than ten years. His menu specials are out of this world and perhaps the only area restaurant who can fuse both Northern and Southern Italian along with steaks and seafood. This restaurant is a cannot miss.

Or you can make an effort and cook at home. But with restaurants like these, why bother ? She deserves the best.