Make your cells sell

Have you ever sat at your computer screen and been faced with almost an entire screen of database cells? Some of these cells are filled with data, some are tragically empty and all of them are looking at you for attention. These cells aren’t magical; they will not fill themselves with the wave of a wand. It’s your responsibility to fill them with your own sweat and determination. Each little cell can be seen as a gift box, wrapped up like little presents perched under your Christmas tree. These boxes, however, aren’t like a Pandora’s Box, full of mystery and surprise, or a Jack-In-The-Box – they don’t just spring up and bring profits when the time is fit. These boxes are yours: your information storehouse, your precious database. With the right organizational skills and a little bit of patience, you can turn these empty boxes (formerly boring old database cells) into a little bit of all three - magic, Pandora and Jack all rolled into one easy-to-sort database.

If you’re new to the technology sector, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many garden centers are just now getting into the concept of keeping all of their customer information in a structured, computerized database. In days of yore, databases were just about useless unless you were sending out mass mailings or a printed newsletter of sorts. Times have changed, and you can now implement your database into much more exciting and practical endeavors, making your garden center flourish like a ballerina in step. If you don’t have a basis to start with, don’t worry. Building a strong database isn’t as daunting as it may sound, and if you do it properly it can be extremely rewarding and fun!

Do you fit in my magical box?
When you ask people to sign up for your newsletter/email/internet magazine list, you’re basically asking them to give you all of their personal, sometimes sensitive data. Nowadays, there are multitudes of opportunities for this information to fall into the wrong hands and ruin lives. Assure your customers that the data that they are divulging to you is going to be kept secret, and follow through with it. Keep all record of your databases on removable thumb drives and away from your employees. As much as you want to trust your employees, you simply cannot risk having data fall into the wrong hands and have your business associated with spam. If you promote your lists in store, make sure you spend a little bit of face time with the person signing up. Some people are uncomfortable providing information like that, and in those circumstances, don’t make them feel like a criminal. Remind them that all of the information sent out of your store to them is special, and you don’t want the customer to miss out on upcoming events or sales.

Why won’t you sign up for my list?
There are also many other reasons people will resist signing up for your list. It could be that they’re already overwhelmed with junk e-mails, and the thought of another one might put them over the top. This is where you have to get a little crafty. Get out your hot glue guns and creativity and make signing up for your list exciting, trendy and potentially contagious.

• Make the log book inviting and always have a working pen handy.
• Offer an incentive for signing up, something as simple as a coupon or a small gift item (seed packets are great).
• If possible, keep the sign up book directly next to the register and offer it to everybody old and young alike (don’t profile).
• Assure customers the email list is going to have great benefits such as gardening tips and sales.
• Don’t make it seem like you’re just trying to sell something.

Can you sell your cell?
Now that you’ve established a running start, it’s hard to know exactly what direction suits your needs when it comes down to implementation in a business sense. You can streamline all of this new found data into easy-to-use categories depending on what you’d like to focus attention on easily, and without too much effort required. Get as much information from the person signing up as possible. Although it may seem like just an e-mail address is sufficient, it won’t give you quite what you need to make your lists worthwhile. By categorizing every single email address, you’ll be able to focus attention on certain people and leave others alone. Use categories and catchy titles for each group, such as:

• Annuals: “Annual Tribe”
• Perennials: “The Repeats”
• Trees and Shrubs in the Landscape: “Woodies”
• Birding: “Tweets”
• Statuary and Gift Items: “Hardcore Store-ies”
• Pest Control and Treatments: “Buggin’ Out”
• General Information: “The Whole Shebang”
• Sales and Promotional Events: “The Beat”

By tailoring your emails or mailers to certain people at certain times you avoid giving the recipient contact overload. Keeping in touch with your customers is great, but beware. If you start filling up your customers inboxes with a bunch of impertinent information, chances are they won’t give it as much focus as they would if it seemed like it was designated for their eyes only. When having people sign up in store, have them check boxes or write down their interests next to their information. If you have a direct link on your website, make sure there are opt-in subjects to check off as your customers interest delegates. Imagine that you frequent a store that sells both cereal AND swimming pools. You don’t know how to swim. Would you read anything coming from that store with a bunch of swimming pools on the cover? Chances are unlikely, and that store has just wasted time and effort sending it to you. Not only that, they’ve created the idea in your head that will make you more than likely to skip right past the next thing they send you, assuming it will be about something you’re not interested in.

Where do I put all this stuff?
Using your customer information database, you can tell a lot about the demographics of your customers. In turn it will help you know who is knowledge and attention thirsty. There will be some people who will not select any boxes and just want to get notification if there are upcoming sales. There are also people that will check every single box with the intention on knowing everything that is going on at your store. That’s fantastic, but without sorting these two types of people out, you’ll be at a loss. Setting up proper databases using Excel or your personal favorite database software is simple, and once you get the templates in order, you’ll be able to do mass mailings in no time. Just remember, you’ve worked hard to obtain each and every one of these customers’ information, now it’s time to make them work for you! Set up several sheets within your file to sort out who’s who in your magical box of customers.

• Create different sheets with varying topics as listed above.
• Place your contacts on the applicable sheet. It is possible for somebody to be on two sheets at once.
• Make sure all email addresses are valid, and if you get one kicked back, delete it immediately.
• Have the last sheet contain every single contact so that if you have to contact everybody about something (like a sale), it will be as easy as selecting one whole sheet.

After you’ve sorted all of your contact information, the art of data basing really begins. Looking at each of your topics, get creative on what kind of push you want to put on each category. When you send out information to the “Annual Tribe,” have continuity with every piece of information they receive. This can be as simple as having the same letter head on each email or creating a catchy little mascot for each department. It doesn’t have to be worthy of the walls of an art studio; it can be as easy as something like a sketch you’ve done on a scrap paper or a piece of clip art that you’ve customized to reflect your store’s personality.

Creating a mascot or logo for each department also gives you the ability to advertise for your list in your store using strategically placed signage with your little mascot or logo on it. Remind people that you offer “More information online” and coax them into signing up on their own. People signing up for things under duress are more likely to overlook any correspondence with your company.

Make your data box worthwhile and fill it with surprises
When putting together information to send out to the people on your database, assure those people that the information they’re receiving is something unique to people signed up for the list. When the time comes to send something out to, say, the “Annual Tribe,” make your message personal and make it shine with care and enthusiasm.

Don’t pull the stresses of running a garden center into your customer relationship. If anything, include photos that you’ve taken yourself (not just something you’ve grabbed from the internet) and if at all possible, give your message some character. If you’re not a charismatic sort, perhaps you should look to some of your more colorful employees for some guidance. If you look hard enough, there is always a joker in the bunch.

Once your information gets sent out to those on your database, the best thing you can hope for is some synergy from those who’ve read and enjoyed your correspondence. Once a year, you might consider doing a “referral drive” for those that have already signed up for your list. These people tend to have friends with similar interests and similar incomes - hopefully income that they’d be willing to share with you by visiting your garden center. 

Start today - it can be as easy as finding an old legal pad laying in the back office and a pen that you’ve affixed a fake daisy to (so that it doesn’t grow legs and walk off). Pump up your customers with enthusiasm about the benefits of being on your list, and then follow through. Make sure you contact each and every one of the people that have signed up with a personal message from you, the business owner. Show your gratitude and promise that you’ll only offer them the best and most up-to-date information available from the industry. Take the unknown out of Pandora’s Box, spring that Jack out of the box and work some magic. Make your cells sell!

Nikki Weed is a horticulturist and professional adventurer who uses her experiences and knowledge to manage a successful garden center in Greenville, S.C. She can be reached at pepitaweed@gmail.com.