LivRio June - Issue No.6 - Pre 4th of July Issue

E-MAG

JUNE

2017

ISSUE No.6

in this issue:

ROSE MONTH - FLORISTS & FUNERALS - NEW COLLECTION

LIVRIO THE E-MAGAZINE OF RIO ROSES Issue No.6 JUNE 2017 IN THIS ISSUE: People of Rio – Sales 4t h of Jul y P.R.E.P. Da y - Time Wedding Collection Rose Mont h Flor is ts & Funerals Community Outreach FOR INQUIRIES marketing@equiflor.com

WHITE MAJOLIKA

PORCELINA

CHABLIS

PINK MAJOLIKA

ILSE

SWEET SENSATION

B a b y R i o S p r ay R o s e C o l l e c t i o n Unique collection from one of our farms

Baby Rio’s are non-disbudded, providing more volume and therefore, greater market value for your business.

BLUE MOON

LOVELY LYDIA

RED MIKADO

ORANGE BABE

YELLOW BABE

SNOWFLAKE

PEOPLE of RIO

Orchestrating Rio’s tour de force selling team OSCAR FERNANDEZ IS CURRENTLY THE DIRECTOR OF SALES. A GRADUATE OF THE FIRST EVER MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM AT RIO IN 1994, OSCAR HAS BEEN WITH US FOR OVER 23 YEARS. WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN TO INTERVIEW THE RIO LEGEND HIMSELF AND REALLY GET TO KNOW HIM. Hey, Oscar. Let’s start with the basics: Married? Kids?

Yes, three beautiful kids ages 14, 17, and 19, and I’ve been happily married for 23 years.

Wait, the same amount of years you’ve been at Rio? Yes! Raul actually came to my wedding. Subsequently, I can say I’ve been very blessed for the last 23 years.

What’re you passionate about?

My families: my wife and kids, and my Rio Roses family. < GIOVANNI AGUIRRE

Great answer. Let’s talk about your work family.

Director of Quality Control What’s your favorite trait in a sales person?

I have a few. The most important to me is a great attitude, but I’m also big on honesty and punctuality.

What’s the sales motto you live by?

The sale begins when the customer says “no”, that’s one of our many mottos that we constantly repeat in our daily morning meetings.

Do you guys meet every day, each morning? Tell me what those are like.

I like to meet every morning with the sales team, before the day starts, while we’re enjoying our morning coffee. We discuss many things such as industry trends, weather updates, shipping changes, customer testimonials, and daily goals.

What’s something people might not already know about you?

I would definitely state, as a fact, that I get much more satisfaction from seeing others around me succeed.

Favorite rose variety?

That’s easy: Corazon. It truly excels at standing out with its fullness and rich pigmentation. It’s also my wife’s favorite rose, and she’s my favorite rose, so it’s an easy choice.

To close: What do you like to do in your free time?

When I’m not with my work family, I love spending time with my wife and kids. I also really enjoy boating, golfing and reading.

BLOOM of the MONTH handpicked, fresh from our farm

Porcelina

A popular wedding variety; the Baby Rio Porcelina Spray Rose is enchanting and gracefully perfuse. The center opens up to delicate peach/pink hues with a gradient transition to a cream-powder color all enveloped in light green guard petals.

Porcelinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elegant and captivating nature makes it a popular variety to grow across our farms.

FLOWERS AND FIREWORKS: Fourth of July P.R.E.P.

(PLAN, REVIEW, EXCECUTE, PROFIT)

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite summer holiday is just around the corner. This season, why not entice your clients to brighten up their barbecues with a patriotic arrangement?

Here are a few ways to increase revenue around Independence Day:

1

Focus on red, white, and blue flowers, including arrangements designed

like the American flag. These can include wreaths or centerpieces to spruce up any table, and blue or red vases to match.

2

Promote specialty items for barbeques and picnics, including floral ar

rangements and gourmet treats for host gifts. Some examples are cured meats and quality cheeses, bottles of wine, or specialty baskets.

3

Partner with local restaurants, bars, and country clubs that might need

floral decorations for their Fourth of July parties. Offer a free raffle of a flower arrangement at the location so that customers become familiar with your brand.

4

Make sure all marketing materials and social media posts are creative

and eye-catching, perhaps offering discounts on red, white, and blue roses.

Engaging with followers around this time is importantâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;consider offering a discounted arrangement to whoever posts the best photo of a fireworks display!

80%

Percent of people who attend a barbecue, picnic or cookout.

DAY-TIME WEDDING COLLECTION

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something enchanting about varieties that boast hues of pinks in the center surrounded by cotton-cream colors enveloped with light chartreuse guard petals. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve paid homage to this natural spectacle in this collection.

ROSES: 1. Sweet Dolomiti 2. Marzipan 3. Pink Mondial 4. Quicksand SPRAY ROSES: 1. Porcelina 2. Chablis RANUNCULUS 1. Pink

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…”

With such a versatile presentation of colors, shapes, and sizes, it’s no surprise that roses have adopted many meanings throughout history—love, peace, beauty, even war—and they have been prized throughout history by poets and lovers alike.

In fact, the rose was designated by President Ronald Reagan as the National Floral Emblem of the United States in 1986. At Rio Roses, we celebrate our hand-grown, premium roses year round, but June brings with it an even better reason to brighten up your home with a bouquet.

June is recognized as National Rose Month, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with your own specialty arrangement of Rio Roses—perhaps a Pink Floyd will catch your eye, or you might even surprise a friend or loved one and brighten up their day with a Brighton.

In honor of this special month, here are some interesting facts about this popular flower: • The scientific name (or genus) of the flower is Rosa.

• There are more than 150 species of roses throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

• In Ancient Greece, the rose was associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, which might explain why roses are often linked to romance.

• The famous Medieval “War of the Roses,” which served as inspiration for the Game of Thrones series, was so named for a clash between English royal families each symbolized by a different rose.

• George Washington was the first breeder of roses in the United States.

• There is no such thing as a black rose—it is simply very dark red or tinted!

• Different rose colors have specific meanings: red means love, pink means grace and admiration, dark pink means gratitude, white means innocence and friendship or secrecy, yellow means platonic love, orange means passion, and purple means protection.

Ways to Celebrate National Rose Month 1. Brew your own rose hip tea, which is rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins.

2. Plant your own rosebush, or add to a local community garden by planting your favorite variety.

3. Host a garden party with friends and let Rio Roses choose your decorative arrangements!

4. Indulge in a rose-based beauty product: rose water is a refreshing addition to any skin regimen, used to lighten dark circles and diminish redness.

Providing Sympathy Service: Florists and Funerals

Florists are an integral part of their customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most joyous events, but they are equally present during their most sorrowful ones. Since flowers are a common choice for expressing love, sympathy, and respect, people often look to the flower industry when a relative or loved one has passed away.

A funeral may be the most difficult day of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, and a successful florist will help clients navigate those times.

Here are a few ways to more successfully manage the funeral and sympathy aspects of your business: Develop a relationship with area funeral homes.

Make it easier on clients by working with funeral homes to offer floral arrangements as part of a funeral package. That way, clients only have to go to one place to organize their ceremony. Offer a guide that includes photos and explanations of typical flower arrangements, as well as silk boutonnieres for pallbearers. As an added bonus, offer a fresh arrangement for the funeral home’s lobby each week, with business cards or contact info nearby.

Cultivate lasting relationships with your elderly clients.

Now more than ever, senior citizens are planning their own funeral arrangements, and people are more likely to turn to familiar companies in times of need. Establishing a presence at local assisted living facilities is an excellent way to get the word out about your services, as staff members often make recommendations for funeral arrangements when the time comes.

Stay up to date with the latest trends.

While the traditional casket and standing sprays are here to stay, there are new options to consider. There is a growing desire for original, personalized sympathy arrangements, or eco-friendly and seasonally-themed arrangements. Furthermore, with many funeral services now asking for “donations to a charity in lieu of flowers,” it might be wise to keep the client’s business by offering other items, such as sympathy baskets for the grieving family.

Most importantly, make it easy on your clients.

Sympathy business doesn’t have to be so daunting. Offer a specific catalogue of arrangements for guests wanting to express sympathy, as well as a selection of sympathy cards and small gifts to send. Keep an updated list of local funeral home protocols when it comes to floral deliveries. Ensure that your staff is trained in customer service for such delicate situations, particularly with families who have just lost a loved one.

With a helpful florist on hand, clients will have one less thing to worry about when planning a funeral, and they are more likely to remember the care they received when choosing flowers for their next wedding or birthday!

COMMUNIT Y OUTREACH

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS FOR BRIGHT MINDS On May 25th the “Center for International Education” high school hosted it’s “2017 C.I.E. Awards” honoring those students whose academic achievements have excelled expectations. Rio Roses donated 150 roses for this special event, the room was filled with our beautiful blooms, roses were incorporated into the ceremony as well.

ANNIVERSARIES + BIRTHDAYS “Thank you for your years of dedication to our team.

You are terrifically tireless, exceptionally excellent, and abundantly appreciated”

“Happy Birthday, may all your B-day wishes come true on your special day”

Raul Marrero Emilio Martinez Eileen Crago Pedro Muro

6/03/1991 6/29/2015 6/06/2016 6/26/2016

26 yrs 2 yrs 1 yr 1 yr

Steven Steinberg 06/01 Sr. Account Excecutive Aerlim Diaz 06/08 CFO De La Cruz Eliezer 06/09 Traffic coordinator Duban Builes 06/17 Warehouse Maya, Sagastume 06/17 Marketing Manager Carlos Roa 06/23 Director of Sourcing Annmarie Neira 06/27 Farm Sourcing Manager

T H A N K S

S E E

F O R

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R E A D I N G

N E X T

rioroses.com

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