January 2021 - 32

DIRTY SECRETS
Rev Up an Exhausted
Customer Base with
New Varieties
New plants are the undiscovered starlets
and handsome leading men that no one
has ever seen on the red carpet before.
Give them a venue to shine bright!
By Christina Salwitz
C
ollectively, we've been through a lot in the last year.
Whether you're a business owner questioning your
own future, an employee with kids you're trying to
teach at home while working full time, or a loyal customer
who just needs to visit a garden center for a peaceful refuge
in the houseplant department, it's been a challenge we've
been forced to accept.
While the new year always offers up the latest and
greatest new plant selections, many times we in the
industry would see them in person at events such as
Cultivate, California Spring Trials or maybe just online via
articles written to feature and highlight particularly great
options. But our favorite customers aren't privy to the
inside scoop we get every year, so how do you get that same
enthusiastic momentum for new plants?
Back when I used to speak at Cultivate or similar regional
events, one of my favorite things to do is visit the New Plant
Showcase, because everyone's take on which plants are
" great " or " top performers " would vary from place to place
and climate to climate. It really got me inspired thinking
about how I could use some new cultivars in unique and
creative ways in my own sales.
So, what's your plan of attack to introduce brand new
plant ideas to your customers and employees? This is the
point in the article when you're thinking, " Seriously? I'm
just keeping my head above water here. How can I possibly
add one more thing to my plate? "
I hear you - believe me, I get it. But hang in here
with me just a bit and let's see if we can make this a fun
32 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | JANUARY 2021
opportunity to get your creative juices flowing because the
benefits far outweigh the challenges.
When you see these " Top Picks " lists, the first thing
that comes to mind for me is " Does anyone really need yet
another improved petunia, gerbera, begonia, etc.? " Well,
actually if you read into the improvements on many new
introductions, there's some seriously cool breeding that
indeed does make a big difference in performance, heat
tolerance and disease resistance. But, is that the sexy
information that sells them when they're sitting on the
table? I'd wager no.
5 Ways to Promote New Varieties
1. Create buzz. In your morning team meetings, are you
outlining the sales benefits of selling the newer petunia
versus the old one? When employees are armed with strong
sales " talking points, " they are proven to sell more plants,
faster and easier. Often the feedback from employees is
something like this: " It was SO easy to sell, they practically
sell themselves! " I hear that over and over.
If you're a grower-retailer, are you still growing the " old
version " as well as the " newer version? " Helping your
employees understand why or why not is a great education
point for sales. If new things just suddenly appear on the table,
there's no excitement nor any context, they're simply " there. "
2. Make it a challenge. Once enthusiasm is built up to sell
a great new plant, why not make it a contest? A sales goal
to sell out a table full of X plant by 2 p.m. is pretty doable
when a gift card is on the line. How about a challenge
between employees to plant up a three-plant combo pot
and the customers judge their favorite?
Not only are there new annuals, but there are new
perennials, trees and shrubs, too! So before you think
that the only benefit is to the " fluffy " annuals department
and those colorful tables, think again. Employees in those
January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021
