Teleflora's Christmas Success Guide

CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

TREND REPORTS | ASK A FLORIST | TOP 12 BEST SELLERS | COST SAVINGS HOW-TO

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

NOVEMBER MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY 2

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Special Holiday auctions are held every Tuesday/Thursday at Flowerbuyer.com.

3 Display merchandising items from Teleflora’s FSG Marketing Kit.

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6 Place your AutoBid on Flowerbuyer.com for Thanksgiving.

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Finalize your lineup.

See Teleflora’s projected bestsellers on page 9.

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Thanksgiving (U.S.)

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DECEMBER MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY 1

Confirm Christmas temps and delivery drivers.

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4 Send Christmas direct mail.

Christmas prep staff meeting.

11 Upload custom Christmas SKUs on your eFlorist site.

6 Place your AutoBid on Flowerbuyer.com for Christmas.

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Order using Flowerbuyer.com’s Buy the Bunch® to complete your Christmas bouquets!

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Post, tweet and blog behind the scenes Christmas bouquet creations.

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26 Hold an after-Christmas clearance sale

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It’s the last Tuesday/Thursday Flowerbuyer.com special auction. Grab your floral favorites before it’s too late!

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Last day to use priority overnight to order Christmas flowers through Flowerbuyer.com!

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

CONTENTS 4

TREND REPORTS: What do champagne and bears have in common? This year’s Christmas décor trends! Check out how to incorporate these trends into your holiday merchandising.

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ASK A FLORIST: NEW! Learn top sales techniques and open house tips for the holidays from fellow florists.

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CONSUMER CAMPAIGN: LOVE OUT LOUD Our new brand campaign encourages consumers to show their love in a big way.

TOP 12 BEST SELLERS: Find out which bouquets will be a hit with your customers this season.

SOCIAL MEDIA: We highlight five easy tasks to boost your results.

MARKETING: Try our email tips and discount ideas to bring in orders this holiday season.

FLOWER SAVINGS HOW-TO: Discover four easy ways to save on flowers.

EVENT PLANNING: Need help managing holiday events?

Use these digital tools to get ahead!

MANAGING ORDERS: DovePlus is now mobile - see what it can do for you.

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

TREND REPORT CHAMPAGNE SPARKLE

MERCHANDISING TIP: Go monochromatic with a display of white, cream and champagne-colored items on a table.

Teleflora’s Winter Pines Centerpiece

IN WITH THE OLD

Thomas Kinkade’s Family Tree Bouquet

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MERCHANDISING TIP: Create a pinboard display that allows customers to add notes with their favorite childhood holiday memories.

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

LIVING LODGE

MERCHANDISING TIP: Create faux presents wrapped in burlap and decorated with natural elements like evergreen sprigs.

Teleflora’s Vintage Sleigh Bouquet

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS

MERCHANDISING TIP: Set up an ornament-themed tablescape with the “Teleflora’s Classic Pearl Ornament” as the centerpiece and ornaments as place card holders.

Teleflora’s Classic Pearl Ornament Bouquet

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

TREND REPORT BEAR NECESSITIES

Send a Hug Bear Buddy Bouquet by Teleflora

MERCHANDISING TIP: Fill a terrarium with small plants, faux snow, and polar bears exploring their new habitat.

FOREVER SILVER

MERCHANDISING TIP: Display jewelry or ornaments on branches sprayed with silver spray paint Teleflora’s Woodland Winter Bouquet

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

ASK A FLORIST What is your favorite holiday sales technique?

“Each holiday season we host a DIY class like ‘Table Centerpiece’ in N ovember and ‘Mantel Décor’ in December. This has gotten to be a tradition that our customers look forward to every year and results in a boost in holiday orders.”

Jenny Thomasson Stems Florist Florissant, MO

Debbie Gordy

“If a customer is ordering a centerpiece at Thanksgiving either for a gift or for their own table, we offer a discount if they order their Christmas flowers and gifts at the same time.

This has worked very well for us.”

Compton’s Florist La Porte, TX

Cindy Reynolds

Flowers Make Scents Midlothian, VA

“At the holidays, we create vignettes in the store, especially at Christmas, so our customers can experience a look all put together: Coordinating decorated trees, wreaths, garlands, centerpieces, even gift items in all price ranges. Most of our customers want a coordinated look, so having those companion pieces ready to sell is important and helps promote the ‘add on’ sale.”

What’s your top tip for hosting a memorable holiday open house?

Gary Snow

“We are fortunate to have a group of florists that hold our open houses on the same day every year, the 2nd Sunday of November. It is called the Florist Stroll, and this is our 38th year. We serve treats, give away roses and have drawings. For a minimal cost, we will see between 150 to 200 people on this day.”

Always In Bloom Florist, Inc. Vero Beach, FL

Kay Schlaefli

Expressions Flowers Fort Smith, AR

“Host an open house at the same time each year so customers know when to expect it and will plan to attend. Advertise any special deals, discounts, sales or gimmicks with an email blast to all your customers, post on social media, use your website to promote, and mail hand-written invitations to your top customers. We also give away a door prize each day of the open house.”

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GET READY TO MAKE A SCENE

More than a slogan, “Love Out Loud” is a rallying cry to consumers to show their love in a big way! In today’s digital world of emojis and texts, people are holding back from showing real emotions to people they care about.

Whether it’s romantic love, friendship, a family tie, or just an important person in their lives, the campaign seeks to remind people of the power of a hand-crafted bouquet to wow and impress, and does it in a way that creates urgency to order a Teleflora bouquet NOW! As our partner, you are an integral player in the movement for putting love front and center. With every delivery of a gorgeous bouquet arranged by you, you will give someone a chance to show their “Love Out Loud”.

See the new look and feel of our marketing materials in the posters, countermats, and merchandising standee included in your Holiday FSG Kit, and see our first Love Out Loud national marketing campaign this December.

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

TOP 12 PROJECTED BEST SELLERS

Teleflora’s Winter Pines Centerpiece T17X100A

Thomas Kinkade’s Family Tree Bouquet T17X200A

Teleflora’s Vintage Sleigh Bouquet T17X300A

Teleflora’s Classic Pearl Ornament Bouquet T17X400A

Send a Hug Bear Buddy Bouquet by Teleflora T17X500A

Teleflora’s Woodland Winter Bouquet T17X600A

Christmas Wishes Centerpiece T127-1A

Let It Snow T128-1A

Christmas Treasure T126-1A

Make Merry by Teleflora TWR04-1A

Family Celebration T123-1A

Holiday Splendor T119-1A

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

5 THINGS IN 5 MINUTES TO BOOST YOUR HOLIDAY MARKETING RESULTS

By Crystal Vilkaitis, Founder Social Edge, Retail Social Media Expert, and Speaker

You DON’T have a lot of time during the holidays. You’re worrying about merchandise, displays, traditional marketing, employee relations...not to mention your life outside of the store!

But chances are, you DO have five minutes to spare. Here are five things that you can accomplish in five minutes that can get you better results during the holiday season.

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RUN A FACEBOOK AD Ads can be SO beneficial for your business, and they really don’t take much time to create! We recommend doing what we call a “Most Recent” ad, where you repurpose your latest post as an ad so that you’re always putting out fresh content. If you’re not sure how to place a Facebook ad, use Teleflora’s Facebook Ad Guide for a step-by-step tutorial. You can start for as little as $5.

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

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CREATE AN EVENT PAGE Most of the shops we work with have some sort of event during the holidays. But many of them completely forget to create an event page! Event pages are great because: 1. They keep all of the event information on one page. This comes in handy when you need to make changes to the event or add important updates.

2. They are a great place to put teaser photos and videos.

3. You can advertise your event page to get more people to attend! Run an ad to people who already like your Facebook page and users in your area.

4. They help you actively track how many people will be attending your event.

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SCHEDULE YOUR POSTS Use Facebook’s scheduling feature and a third-party app like Hootsuite to schedule on Twitter and other sites. By taking some time to schedule, you save yourself a LOT of time later trying to come up with something to say!

DOUBLE CHECK YOUR STORE INFO It seems like one of the most simple things on this list, but it is often overlooked: Go through your social profiles and make sure your website (if applicable), phone number, address and email address are ALL listed. Do you have extended hours during the holidays? Be sure to list them. Are you closed additional days around the holidays? Don’t leave customers in the dark! This is also a good time to make sure that your About or Story section includes the keywords you need.

SNAP PHOTOS OF YOUR HOLIDAY BEST SELLERS Walk around your store and snap a photo of each item that is a best seller or anything you think would make a great gift. Upload the photos to an album and add rich descriptions, including brand and price. Title your album as a gift guide!

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YOUR HOW-TO GUIDE FOR

HOLIDAY EMAIL MARKETING Bring in more orders by taking full advantage of holiday email campaigns.

TIP #1: DRIVE MORE SALES WITH AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY OFFER

• 70% of consumers open emails from a brand or company in search of a deal, discount, or coupon.* eFlorist shops that offer price promotions receive significantly more orders than shops that do not provide offers.

TIP #2: SHOW OFF YOUR BEST ARRANGEMENTS

• Email marketing is one of the best ways to reach your most loyal customers, and email campaigns deliver a great return on investment! Differentiate yourself from the competition by featuring your best seasonal arrangements.

TIP # 3: CUSTOMIZE YOUR EMAIL SUBJECT LINES • Write subject lines that are unique and grab attention.

Keep it under 40 characters (five to seven words.)

EMAILS WITH 6-10 WORDS IN SUBJECT LINE

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HAVE HIGHEST OPEN RATE WITH 21%

Feeling pressed for time or unsure about sending email campaigns? Let eFlorist do it for you. eFlorist has the most robust email program in the industry, sending more unique emails to your customers during the holiday season. eFlorist partners who participate in email marketing saw an increase of 23% more orders over the previous holiday season.

CALL OUR eFLORIST MARKETING EXPERTS AT 866.983.3932 OR EMAIL eFLORISTHELP@TELEFLORA.COM AND GET STARTED TODAY! 12

*Source: https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2017/32413/119-facts-about-email-marketing-infographic

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

SAVE ON HOLIDAY FLOWERS Flowers represent the largest part of your cost of goods sold. Get savings of up to 20-30% with Flowerbuyer.com on quality-guaranteed flowers this Christmas. See chart below to understand the variety of purchase methods available and the savings you can find.

WAYS TO BUY

HOW IT WORKS

WHEN TO USE IT

AUCTION BUY NOW PRIORITY OVERNIGHT

BUY THE BUNCH

Prices drop 10% every 7 seconds! Spend the amount you want on the flowers you love.

Purchase on-demand flowers: what you need just when you need it.

Get your products shipped to your door the very next day – shipping included!

Mix and match a box by selecting only the stems you need! Fill the box for free shipping.

You can plan ahead and want the best prices possible.

You want a quick and easy way to shop for product and purchase immediately .

You need flowers in a pinch or just can’t wait.

You want flexibility to order the varietals you want, in any quantity, all at once – direct to your door.

PRIORITY OVERNIGHT PRICES*

BUY THE BUNCH PRICES*

NATIONAL AVERAGE PRICING

$1.30/STEM

$0.82/STEM

LIVE AUCTION PRICES*

BUY NOW PRICES*

RED ROSE 60CM

$0.62/STEM

$0.64/STEM

HYDRANGEA WHITE 60CM

$0.71/STEM $1.07/STEM $1.87/STEM $2.67/STEM

$2.65/STEM

CARNATION RED FANCY 55CM

$0.18/STEM $0.22/STEM $0.36/STEM $1.47/STEM

$0.35/STEM

$0.76/STEM

*Prices displayed are 2016 average Christmas pricing for each specific purchase method. Average prices are calculated from sales between November 21, 2016 -December 21, 2016. Prices do not include any depot fees, per-box fee, or per-shipment fee.

FLOWERBUYER.COM CHRISTMAS AUCTIONS ARE HELD EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY STARTING OCTOBER 31ST AT 2 PM (EST)/ 11 AM (PST).

CALL 877.625.3243 AND SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY FLOWERS! 13

2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

EVENT PLANNING MADE EASY From holiday parties to winter weddings, there’s a lot to do this holiday season, but help is available.

If you’re a Dove POS user, the free Event Manager module will quickly organize and seamlessly track all of your event details.

USE IT TO: • Schedule consultations and appointments • Create notifications for important dates • Customize the design and terms of your Event Proposals

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• Manage points of contact and their roles, equipment rental details, delivery schedules, and locations for multiple venues • Increase your event planning network by recording your own venue and vendor reviews to reference during customer appointments

Best of all, Event Manager is FREE and comes already installed on your Dove POS system!

To get started or for training, call Dove POS Support at 866.444.3683.

DON’T HAVE DOVE POS? CALL 800.615.8229 TO LEARN MORE

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

DovePlus IS MOBILE AND BETTER THAN EVER Get anytime, anywhere access on DovePlus today! Our latest upgrade now allows you to take DovePlus with you on-the-go on your tablet or mobile device.

You can also access DovePlus mobile on more browsers, including: • • • •

Internet Explorer Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Safari

In addition to going mobile, DovePlus also has a whole new look designed to simplify and enhance your user experience: • Navigate more quickly around the website • Access DovePlus utilities directly from the navigation bar • Get automatic alerts on important messages and transactions For training or to learn more about the latest DovePlus mobile technology, contact Support at 800.720.9410 or visit MyTeleflora.com.

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IMPORTANT HOLIDAY REMINDERS With Christmas fast approaching, we wanted to take a moment to share some tips to help make the holiday a success.

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NON-DELIVERY ISSUES & CHARGES If you forget to refuse an order, it results in a non-delivery order charge.

Simply refuse an order in a timely manner and you guarantee no extra charges.

DELIVERY CONFIRMATIONS Great customer service makes for a successful holiday, and a great way to increase customer satisfaction is by sending delivery confirmations as soon as possible.

The deadline is 9 p.m. (local time) the day of the delivery.

FLEXIBLE CODIFICATION Flexible Codification gives you real-time control over your delivery areas, allowing you to switch on and off specific delivery ZIP codes any time you like. The Holiday Delivery tab will become active in mid-December. To add or delete your delivery ZIP codes, visit MyTeleflora.com.

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2017 CHRISTMAS SUCCESS GUIDE

TOP TAKEAWAYS PICK A TIP TO INCREASE SALES Our Teleflora partner florists divulge their holiday sales techniques and how to host a memorable holiday open house. (p. 7)

LOOK OUT FOR TELEFLORA’S “LOVE OUT LOUD” CAMPAIGN

As our partner florists, you are integral players in the movement for putting love front and center. (p. 8)

TAKE 5 MINUTES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Edge gives 5 ideas to boost your social media presence before the holidays hit! (p. 10)

EMAIL YOUR CUSTOMERS

eFlorist provides proven sales-driving tips for a successful holiday email campaign. (p. 12)

FOLLOW OUR TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CHRISTMAS

How to use flexible codifications and delivery confirmations to boost customer service. (p. 15)

HELPFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

Teleflora’s Swirling Desire Bouquet

Customer Service: 800.421.2815 U.S. 800.668.5770 Canada Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (CST) Saturday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (CST) eFlorist: 866.983.3932

DovePlus: 800.720.9410

Products: 800.333.0205 Flowerbuyer.com: 877.625.3243

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