Dior Intro

[Dior]

1. None currently.
2. Wire services, and ribbon/pottery sales since 1987.
3. No.
4. Other members.
5. To learn what florists are experiencing and thinking, and to keep abreast of new trends, and what is impacting the florists at any time.
6. I can offer tips on a variety of subjects from wire services to holiday prep, marketing, sales.
7. Residence.

 

[Connie]

Dior, if you don't mind my asking, will you describe what you do?

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Hi there and welcome.

Please tell us a little more about your tie to the floral industry - if you are a conultant, what your consulting firm is called; if a sales rep, what companies you represent etc etc. This is not meant to be intrustive; we try and have only members who are legitimately tied to the floral industry. More specific answers will greatly help the process.

thanks!

 

[Victoria]

Hi and thank you for your interest in our community. You mention in your intro that you were directed here by other members. It would be a help to know who these members are.

And please expand on what you hope to gain by being a member and conversely, what do you hope to share.

I see you operate from your residence. Is your business a registered one?

Again, please don't take offense at the questions, we work hard to maintain the professional integrity of our place.

Thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions.


V

 

[Dior]

Good morning!

I have been in the floral industry for 20+ years. As a former field rep for the wire services, I have recently become an independent business consultant to florists. I have decided to do this because the role of the field rep has changed drastically over the years. In the past the rep would sell a membership to a florist, and then visit them frequently to serve them, train them on their computer or credit card terminal, help with marketing ideas, questions, issues, etc. Today, the rep's role mainly consists of selling the membership, and then the florist has to deal with in-house customer service staff for all of their issues. To get answers can be daunting to say the least.

Depending on the length of my visit or phone consultation, one of the main goals of my meetings with florists is to go over their wire service statements, and help them cut fees they are paying for programs that are not working for them, or that they did not even know they were paying! The wire service statements are as confusing and ambiguous to florists as my IRA statements from Merrill Lynch are to me! I have helped florists cut hundreds of dollars of fees from these monthly statements, as well as suggesting they drop w/s that are doing absolutely nothing for them. In addition, I offer advice on other facets of your business such as marketing, websites, and holiday preparation.

I hope to help florists survive in these horrendous economic times.

Thanks for asking!

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Hi again Dior,
Thanks for taking the time to exlain your business.

What is your business name, or website?

thanks

 

[Dior]

I was invited to join Flower Chat by Ryan F. and spentflowers, both of whom I've spoken to regarding my new venture into independent floral consulting.

 

[Dior]

Hi Tracy,

I don't have a website as of yet. I am still testing the waters to see how much response I receive to my venture, before I sink a lot of capital into it. I have many, many contacts and great relationships with florists in CT, RI and MA, and am starting there.

I have high hopes, not only for me and my new venture. So many florists and industry people I speak to tell me that florists do need this service, both new florists just getting in, as well as established businesses who may have become complacent in their day to day operations.

 

[Victoria]

A recommendation from Ryan (our big cheese), is a pretty strong case for a yes vote.

V

 

[BOSS]

G As a former field rep for the wire services, I have recently become an independent business consultant to florists.

So then, one could assume you'll be telling florists the "real truth" about wire services

Welcome to FlowerChat... if Ryan sent you, then that's good enuf for me.

 

[Dior]

Yes absolutely, I tell the real truth, I have no bias, nor do I have a "favorite" or "worst" wire service in mind. All I wish for now is to see the REAL florists be profitable and successful.

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

I was invited to join Flower Chat by Ryan F. and spentflowers, both of whom I've spoken to regarding my new venture into independent floral consulting.

That would have been helpful info in your first post

Hi Tracy,

I don't have a website as of yet. I am still testing the waters to see how much response I receive to my venture, before I sink a lot of capital into it. I have many, many contacts and great relationships with florists in CT, RI and MA, and am starting there.

I have high hopes, not only for me and my new venture. So many florists and industry people I speak to tell me that florists do need this service, both new florists just getting in, as well as established businesses who may have become complacent in their day to day operations.

While I appreciate that you are hesitant to invest financially in a website yet, I don't understand participating in here without your business name, or personal name attached to your profile or user info. I hope that is something you'll change very shortly. Most of us here operate very transparently in the forum, and I would think/hope a consultant would do the same, if for no other reason than to validate his experience / existence as a bona fide business.

welcome to the community.

 

[Dior]

That would have been helpful info in your first post


While I appreciate that you are hesitant to invest financially in a website yet, I don't understand participating in here without your business name, or personal name attached to your profile or user info. I hope that is something you'll change very shortly. Most of us here operate very transparently in the forum, and I would think/hope a consultant would do the same, if for no other reason than to validate his experience / existence as a bona fide business.

welcome to the community.

Having never been part of an online network community such as flower chat, please understand that I was not quite sure how much information I should publicize, including mentioning other member names, since I noticed members using "pet names" when I first entered the site...I have much to learn here. My name is Diane O'Rourke, from Milford, CT and from 1987 thru 2008 I worked at FTD Headquarters as Manager of Membership Promotion, then as an FTD Rep, followed by Redbook Florist Service's Educational Specialist, then repped for Teleflora when Redbook was sold. Then Designer Dispatch Ribbon repping southern New England, followed by Bloomnet.

I hope this information answers anything that you may find puzzling about my initial intro. This is all new to me.

 

[BOSS]

Diane...welcome to the community.

You'll have to excuse our "ambush" as we're pretty gun shy when it comes to folks that claim to be consultants...

Sounds to me like you have a wealth of experience to base judgments on, and experiences to match that could be of help to our community.

Welcome...

You'll find your way around the "streets" here soon enuf.... Enjoy~!

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Diane - thanks so much for the further info, it does help.

I think the "stigma" about sharing personal identities in online communities is overrated, especially so within industry specific communities like Flowerchat, SAF forum etc etc. I remember when I drove to meet Ryan F. because he happened to be in NJ - my employees were more than a little skeptical of me meeting a friend I met online. Now I routinely try & meet florists in real life who I've met on here ... Flowerchat is a safe place, except maybe for the political forum .

welcome again - you'll soon catch right on and be hooked like the rest of us :>

tracy

 

[Dior]

Thanks Boss and Tracy! Oh, no offense taken, I can imagine some of the people that apply. Plus, I bet some w/s employees get on just to seek info about their competition or perhaps to give a viewpoint slanted in their employer's favor... which doesn't help anyone!

Glad to be aboard! Wow, I sent a flyer to CT florists last Thursday about my new business, and already got 8 back from the PO, out of business, no doubt! Sad!

 

[Victoria]

Hi Diane. Now that you have "exposed" yourself as it were, and now that you are a fully registered member of this great community, you may want to change the information on your profile.

Generally the other services who have become members here are lurkers... no more no less. Glad to know you'll participate fully.

V

 

[spentflowers]

I can speak to the reputation DIOR has established for herself. She's a very reputable, honest and seasoned floral rep. DIOR can help market your store or help analyze where the holes are, she's got years of experience and knowledge. Her florists love her! She grew tired of trying to sell the "stuff" the WS try to spew out there and decided it's better to sleep at night then earn a living selling for the WS. But her ability to look at a business in very analytical terms and help the owner turn it around has been proven over and over. I highly recommend her to this community. As a former WS rep, she's one of the "good guys."

 

[Carol Bice]

Sounds like Dior will be a winner. Welcome
Carol Bice

 

[sharonbrannigan]

yes, as boss says, the "real truth" about wire services is a grand topic here.
welcome to fc...