HOW STRESS CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER, NOT WORSE
Mother’s Day has come and gone, but in flower shops across the country, the springtime madness marches on.
“We are still full throttle with proms, graduations, weddings, Memorial Day, garden center sales and Dominican/Haitian Mother’s Day,” said Rick Canale of Exotic Flowers in Boston, Mass.
In spite of the heavy workload, Canale’s staff remains upbeat. That’s not just because good customer service requires positivity (as every Exotic Flowers employee knows) or that a lengthy to-do list means the money’s flowing.
It’s also because the Exotic Flowers team makes a point of “breaking bread together and sharing laughs.” The staff has turned stress into a positive thing, using it to tighten interpersonal relationships. As a result, shop morale improves.
Stanford University health psychologist Kelly McGonigal explained this phenomenon during a recent TED talk. more…
WERE THEY REALLY SATISFIED? HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS’ CANDID OPINIONS
The dust is settling after Mother’s Day week, which means this is the time when florists will be reflecting on and examining the week that just went by. Smart florists will be following the advice of guys like Tim Huckabee and Bill Schodowski who routinely preach having a prompt post-holiday staff meeting to discuss and compare notes while memories are fresh.
But navel-gazing can only get you so far. While a staff meeting will help you identify strengths and weaknesses within your organization, you are still missing an immensely valuable piece of the equation. Customer feedback – detailed customer feedback! more…
HOW TO CRAFT ATTENTION-GRABBING EMAILS
Email marketing isn’t necessarily easy. Even if you have something of value to offer to your list, it may not even matter. There are countless other companies and marketers that are vying your customers’ attention. People are spammed relentlessly and recklessly. There is a sea of white noise that you must escape if you want your campaign to be successful. more…
GOOGLE SHOPPING CAMPAIGNS TRANSITION TIPS
Google has officially announced that the current Google Shopping product ad format will be fully replaced by Google Shopping Campaigns in August.
Online advertisers who were part of the Google Shopping Campaigns beta program have had a year of experience with the program. But for the majority of advertisers, Google Shopping Campaigns has only been available for a month, and will take overa large part of their Google ads in less than four months. more…
3 ECOMMERCE MISTAKES TO AVOID, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE
A few years ago, two marketing professors conducted a study involving jams. It’s since become a landmark. The researchers set up a tasting booth in a supermarket and offered jams to customers. On one Saturday, they offered 24 flavors. On the next Saturday, they offered 6 flavors.
What happened? more…
There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. – C.S. Lewis
DELIVERY COSTS: HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Florists weigh in on what’s an appropriate charge for a hand-delivered floral gift. more…