"The Power of Suggestion" 



Wise Old Marketing Tool 



a By Una Sawtette 

 I ^ k| t's not newIBut it's easy! 

 I I And it worics! Yet many 

 I I still don't take full 

 I I I advantage of it! What? 

 ^■^■■i The mighty "Power of 

 Suggestion!" 



In a marketplace where the majority 

 of families have two workers, increased 

 disposable income, their own homes, 

 and less shopping time, the Power of 

 Suggestion works better than ever. 

 Show customers a great idea and they 

 will buy! The gardening industry is 

 supplying consumers with instant grati- 

 fication and instant beauty! That's what 

 they're looking for ! Show them you 

 have what they need! 



On the retail front, customers can 

 be encouraged to buy more through 

 creative techniques such as showing 

 new and beautiful arrangements of plant 

 material in patio planters, live demon- 

 strations of containerized gardens, 

 planting instructions, and design ideas 

 using new varieties or outstanding color 

 schemes. 



Sounds straightforward, right? But 

 how many retailers put 100 varieties of 

 perennials out on the tables without sug- 

 gestions? Suggestions can range from 

 the simplest form of signage with 

 suggested uses or a poster with pictures 

 of plants in bloom and their characteris- 

 tics, to a more creative approach such as 

 perennial show gardens utilizing the 

 plants being sold. Add a sign in the 

 promotional garden, "These Plants for 

 Sale In Our Greenhouse Area." Perhaps 

 even more creative is to team up with 

 local landscapers who would like to 

 plant and maintain some gardens in 

 exchange for advertising and referrals. 



Suggestive use promotions need to 

 be placed as close as possible to the 

 products being promoted. A suggestive 



design for a planter will be much more 

 effective if placed next to the plants that 

 are used rather than in a different 

 location where the customer has to 

 make the connection on his own. Tell 

 the customer what you want him to do 

 and make it easy! 



Wholesalers can and should utilize 

 the Power of Suggestion as well. As a 

 wholesaler you can ultimately increase 

 your own sales by offering some 

 marketing tools to your resale accounts. 

 Offering point of purchase sales 

 materials for the plants and other stock 

 you sell is a widely needed customer 

 service. Following are some ideas for 

 the wholesaler to utilize: 



• All stock needs colored identifica- 

 tion tags with brief descriptions and 

 characteristics. This includes all 

 hanging plants, house plants, annuals, 

 perennials, and nursery. 



• Develop instructional sheets for 

 planting and caring for annuals, 

 perennials, and nursery stock. 



• Develop garden or planter design 

 sheets utilizing the plants you sell. 

 Customer should be able to get all the 

 items needed to put the garden or 

 planter together in one stop. Make it 

 easy for people to buy! 



• Provide value-added products 

 such as preplanted patio pots for quick 

 pickup and instant gratification or 

 mixed gardens such as herb gardens, 

 low light gardens, or patio vegetable 

 gardens. 



• Offer companion planting ideas 

 for the customer. 



• Provide ideas to the retailer for 

 design techniques. 



• Have special holiday preparations 

 or design ideas. Nontraditional ideas 

 are great. Customers are always 

 looking for alternatives to the traditional 

 gifts. 



• Provide off season fillers to the 

 retailer with ideas for promoting their 

 use such as indoor herb planters, 

 hanging plants, or larger annual and 

 perennial slock. 



These promotional ideas are an 

 added service the wholesaler can offer 

 the retailer. There are companies who 

 specialize in some of these point of 

 purchase materials. You may be able to 

 obtain some of the items from these 

 companies in addition to developing 

 some of your own unique materials. 



By combining these suggestive 

 techniques with your products you can 

 enhance your sales and profits. This 

 service may be the edge that sets you 

 apart from the rest. And the Power of 

 Suggestion sells! 



Remember, BE FIRST OR BE 

 DIFFERENT. What do you have to 

 offer that makes you unique? Utilizing 

 the Power of Suggestion tool may be 

 just the thing for you! 



Tina Saw telle, principal ofSawtelle 

 Marketing Associates, consults with 

 Agricultural Direct Retail Businesses 

 on marketing and merchandising. In 

 addition, she teaches Agricultural 

 business management techniques to 

 students at the Thompson School at 

 UNH. For more information call (603) 

 659-8106 in Ue. NH. 



NURSERIES 



a division of Culbro Corporation 



Find out more Write lor a Catalog or Conact 



Sales Rep Doug Lentz at (617) 933-6184 



PO BOX 120. 90 SALMON BROOK STREET, GRANBY, CT 06035 



(203) 653-4541 



KRAUSLAND FARM. ROUTE 90. QUINCY. FLORIDA 32351 



(904) 627-7501 



PO BOX 1288, SANDY, OR 97055 



(503)66&«)32 



Wholesale Nursery Stock that looks good and sells well... 



Container and B & B Shrubs 



