Exotic Flowers in Boston

Every Saturday, the Society of American Florists (SAF) offers sales tips to floral industry professionals. This week, Katie Hendrick shares some holiday sales tips from Exotic Flowers in Boston.

Inexpensive Perks Keep Customers Merry

by Katie Hendrick
At Exotic Flowers in Boston, convenience and customer appreciation define the company's holiday marketing philosophy. We reached out to Rick Canale, owner of the 2008 Marketer of the Year-winning shop, for some tactics to get customers in the door and spending money, amidst all their other shopping activity.

Here are just a few of them:

• Sell Christmas trees and wreaths to generate in-store traffic
• Provide snacks – popcorn and candy canes – to keep tired shoppers in good spirits
• Offer complimentary containers of hand sanitizer (to keep cold and flu germs at bay). The Exotic Flowers version has "Red Sox World Series Champions" emblazoned on it.
• Send letters reminding customers of the previous year's holiday order with a personal letter. ("This gets great feedback," Canale said. "People appreciate reminders and they really love the personalization of the letter.")
• Hand deliver poinsettias to top 100 clients.
• Hand sign cards to top 200 clients.
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• Accessorize a large table by placing a long, narrow centerpiece in the center of the table. Add a few small votice candles on each side of the arrangement for an added effect.
• Ask your the staff at Exotic Flowers to create a centerpiece in a treasured family vase or bowl, or in seasonal pieces such as a cornucopia or a utility vase surrounded by dry corn cobs.

• To create a lot of drama and variety, place a topiary at one end of the table leading to a cluster of small potted plants, then two smaller topiaries with candles leading to a tray of votive candles and flower petals, and so on...
• Ask the Exotic Flowers floral designers to use vegetables or fruits as accents in your floral arrangement.

• Garnish your serving trays with flowers and greens.
• Scatter colorful fall leaves, flowers and votive candles along the center of your dining table.
• Float flowers in crystal wine glasses.
• Place a single long-stem rose on each plate to welcome your guests to the table.
• Decorate small desserts with flowers or make an ice ring with flowers to chill champagne or wine.
• Ask the Exotic Flowers floral design team to design the arrangements for your buffet table on several different levels to keep the eye flowing all along the table.
• Place a garland of fruit, flowers and fall foliage over your front door.

These simple tips will not only enhance your meal, but create lasting memories of beauty amongst your family and guests.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and memories. Often times, we end up around the television for football. Leading up to the holiday, Exotic Flowers in Boston is proud to share its top five movies for the holidays.

Starting in reverse order:

5. - Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Because Thanksgiving is about memories, we could not let this Charlie Brown classic escape our top five.

4. Bed of Roses

Our top five movies had to have one that included a flower shop.

3. Scent of a Woman

I attended Boston College (A&S '93) at the same time as Chris O'Donnell; so this one had to make the top 5.

2. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

"Those aren't pillows!" .. need I say more ?

1. Home for the Holidays

This movie is a must see. The movie reminds us that every family has issues, but in the end we are lucky to have family.

 I was born in Boston in 1970 and grew up in Roslindale. As a child, we were fortunate enough to be able to walk or ride our bikes to our friends' houses, play baseball by ourselves at Healy Field and street hockey at Fallon Field. Our bikes were like our own cars and gave us a freedom that almost no Boston child can experience today. With a pocketful of change, we could go to the local store and fill our pockets with bubble gum, baseball cards, candy cigarettes, and jaw breakers. Stores like the Town Spa, Florence Street Variety and many other corner stores kept a close eye on all of us as we gazed at all the goodies under the glass.

Imagine seeing a kid with a candy cigarette today. Not only not cool, but you would think it was a joint. Candy stores today are few and far between and the ones we find today are like Candy Kitchen in Delaware.

While the average corner store candy sale was less than a dollar, a candy store today must average twenty dollars per transaction to stay in business. As we appoach Sweetest Day on October 19th, 2013 we are reminded how candy stores have innovated and struggled to remain relevant.

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of October. In 1921, a group of Cleveland candy makers brought the event to the public. The idea is to celebrate someone sweet with something sweet. Sweetest Day was started to gain some commercial recognition for the confectioner's craft and flourishes in cities like Cleveland and Detroit. Although not that popular in Boston or New York, many college students will bring their traditions to the northeast to celebrate loved ones with candy, cards and even flowers. Why not start your own tradition and this Sweetest Day ?

At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we admire those trailblazing confectioners of Cleveland. As smart businessmen, they grouped together to keep their business relevant. Florists throughout the world can learn from these men. Teleflora makes an attempt with National Make Someone Smile Week and FTD tries with Good Neighbor Day. In 2013, the floral industry needs some trailblazing flower shops to adopt an idea to keep our business relevant.

Night Train Veeck -

 I ordered flowers yesterday for same day delivery (in the Chicago area) at just after 1 pm. Moment was lost, they didn't get there, she still hasn't received them, and I have received practically automated responses from their end haha. I'm disappointed, but still optimistic they will make it right. Anyway, this is the email I sent.

Hello Jocelyn,

I appreciate the email -- I have been in contact on the phone and emailing with several different people now, and I still haven't gotten any sort of confirmation or status. You say it was attempted, though, the recipient was at work all day yesterday until six pm, and she mentioned she never received. Maybe it was attempted shortly after then, but wouldn't that still be late by your standards?

I had someone named April call me yesterday that left a message, and I called back only to get another person that told me to call back in the morning. I called this morning (very early, around eight, so I didn't expect the florist to be open, which I totally understand) and she mentioned she made a note to follow up ASAP when they opened. 

As of now, I haven't heard anything back from any party, and am really starting to wonder if she will ever get these flowers. I tracked on your website, and there is no confirmation. When same day, and freshness is touted as much as it is on your website, and neither quite happen, it is a little disappointing, I must admit. 

I do appreciate, though,  that you guys have been in contact with me, and I actually have one phone call that was missed from a "No ID" number. Who knows whether that was someone on your end getting in touch or another person, but there was no voice mail, so I really have no way to tell who it was. 

It's similar to ordering a pizza. Ordering a pizza that you don't get until the next day still will be pretty good when reheated because, hey, it's pizza! And Pizza is great. Who doesn't enjoy a good pizza? But when you ordered that pizza (with enough time and within all of the parameters!), and you get it late (a whole day!), and have to see that it is reheated, you sort of miss that pizza moment, and the enchantment is lessened, and all that wonder, beauty, excitement and happiness that you get from seeing, smelling and biting into your first bite of said delicious pizza is just not the same. 

As you can see, I really enjoy pizza, so my apologies for the lengthy email and analogy (especially if you don't eat pizza!, yikes!), but I just want to make sure that much like beautiful pizza, that this very special woman, and even though the moment is lost, gets her beautiful flowers.

Is there any chance that you can help?

Thanks again for everything, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Just in time for Halloween parties in Salem, Boston and New England, Exotic Flowers in Boston has partnered with Teleflora of Los Angeles to offer the Spooky Surprise Bouquet. 

This festive arrangement arrives in a ceramic keepsake pumpkin and serves as a great conversation piece. The fresh arrangement features miniature roses, safflower and curly willow along with a spooky ghost. Available in Boston for same day delivery, Exotic Flowers can also send this flower arrangement nationwide.

The Spooky Surprise Bouquet retails for $59.95, $74.95 (as shown) and $89.95.