Great Ideas — Twenty Ways to Promote Your Shop

Summer is the best time to begin promotions that can stimulate repeat business, generate sales and increase profitability all year long.

This summer, get busy promoting your shop. Pick a few of the following ideas and focus on repetition. Keep trying new approaches until you have several effective promotions to counter the slumps between holidays.

1. Use attention-grabbers in your shop.

Draw attention to products with signs, posters, danglers, banners, custom display racks, special lighting and balloons advertising your products and services to walk-in customers. Although someone may have stopped in to order an arrangement for Father's Day, he or she may notice a sign promoting your greeting cards, giftware and other items for sale.

2. Stimulate sales with point-of-purchase displays.

Attractive in-store posters, clear window posters and counter displays will plant ideas and help your customers decide on which arrangements to purchase. Teleflora provides a number of decorative posters advertising holiday arrangements in the Merchandising Kits, which are sent to all Teleflora members twice a year. Also included are colorful workroom posters that specify the recipes for standard arrangements.

3. Display good news about your shop.

If you or your shop have received any awards or certificates, or have been written up in a local newspaper or magazine, display this information prominently for your customers to see.

4. Hand out your business cards.

At every opportunity, hand out your business cards. Give several to your satisfied customers to pass along. Put your card in every bag of merchandise, stick your card on bulletin boards and reciprocate referrals with other businesses, including wedding photographers, caterers, etc. Consider rubber stamping a discount offer or other incentive on the backs of your cards.

5. Ask for referrals.

Don't be bashful about asking for referrals, especially from satisfied business customers — hotels, restaurants and banquet halls, for example. Most people are happy to recommend a good supplier to a friend or associate. They consider that they are doing them a favor.

6. Use traveling billboards on your vehicles.

Paint attractive signs on your delivery truck. Purchase removable magnetic signs to attach to other company vehicles and your personal car. This will not only help authenticate your delivery people, but it will spread your shop name all over town.

7. Use employee uniforms or imprinted T-shirts.

T-shirts are great signs that, if attractive enough, even your customers will purchase and wear.

8. Place a reader board (sign) outside your shop.

Reader boards can be changed to reflect seasonal offerings as well as specials. Depending on your local zoning ordinances, you may even be able to light them so they can be seen at night. Change the messages often and avoid misspellings.

9. Place brochures on your counter.

Place brochures or fliers advertising your products, services and specials on your front counter. You can purchase a number of very attractive 4-color brochures from Teleflora: an 8-Panel Brochure featuring 15 of the most popular arrangements and an All Occasion Mini-Guide featuring 16 pages of the most popular arrangements and keepsakes. Call Teleflora Customer Service at 800.421.2815 for information.

10. Turn mail into advertisements.

Every time you put a stamp on an envelope leaving your shop, consider including a direct-mail piece. Teleflora's 3-1/2 inch by 6-inch colorful statement stuffers are one inexpensive solution for this.

11. Use bag stuffers.

Insert a brochure, flier or stuffer in each bag before the customer leaves.

12. Print your name and logo on bags or sacks.

Every time a customer leaves your shop with merchandise, put it in a bag or sack imprinted with your logo, name of your shop, address and contact information.

13. Build a direct-mail list.

Use every opportunity you have to create your own direct-mail list: customers, prospects, people you deliver arrangements to, referrals and even business cards placed in a fishbowl drawing. Mail something to people on your list every month. Alternate among newsletters, postcards, fliers, announcements, holiday reminders and brochures.

14. Send reminders to customers.

As a service, offer to send reminders for birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. Include a four-color, wire-service brochure to give them ideas about what they can order.

15. Offer gift certificates.

If a customer is satisfied with you, it will be easy to sell them a gift certificate which they can use the next time they want to give a present: for a birthday, new baby, graduation or holiday celebration.

16. Use door-hangers to target a specific audience.

Print fliers that can be delivered to homes in a target neighborhood. Make sure they're printed on heavy stock so they won't blow off and litter the neighborhood. Add a coupon or some other incentive to stimulate immediate action.

17. Give away small traveling billboards.

Key chains, pens, pencils, calendars, packets of floral preservative and cut flower care tips cards are items that people use repeatedly and often save. Consider giving them to your regular customers as a token of your appreciation. And make sure your company name, logo and contact information are clearly printed on the item.

18. Send calendars annually.

It may seem like the oldest trick in the book, but a calendar with beautiful floral arrangements and holiday reminders is one of the most successful marketing tools ever made.

19. Prospect your local calendar of events.

Many times you can obtain a calendar of events for celebrations and activities in your community. Contact the organizers in advance to see if you can provide your products or services for the event. If you're too late this year, make a tickler file to contact them well in advance next year.

20. Sign up for Teleflora's co-op advertising.

Teleflora's national advertising campaign refers consumers to their local Teleflora florist. You can piggyback on the campaign by participating in Teleflora's co-op advertising program that reaches potential customers through television, local newspapers, Parade/USA Weekend and TV Guide. Co-op charges conveniently are billed on your clearinghouse statement the month of the holiday you're promoting. Contact Teleflora at 800.421.2815 for details.