Raising Your Invisible Ceiling on Growth

by Sid Raisch

Do you have a plan to break through your Invisible Ceiling this Spring?

Telling the Story - the Standard of the Superbowls Past

by Danny Summers

Robert is always pushing us to "tell a story". He says every ad needs to tell a story. Looking back at some of the best of previous Superbowl ads, it seems there are a few common threads the very best share that come to mid... puppies and kids of course. And there are others that really just tell an inspiring story.

Before we step back in time, I want to share just one from this crop of Superbowl ads. It is the Kia 2 minute spot. It begins with a young boy in a cowboy hat telling the story about a small town in west Georgia. It really is a true story of a small town of "unknowns" creating something special.

Simplify (one word says it all)

by Danny Summers

simplify [sim-pluh-fahy]
verb (used with object), sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing.
    •    to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier

It is a very basic, two syllable word but the process of simplifying something is not always easy. Building on what I started at the top of this GROUPtalk (One-Man-Band), I want to share some thoughts on this challenge. For many of our centers today the above graphic could easily represent a flow-chart of operations. Adding complexities throughout time just piles on layers of things to do. These are things you most likely feel are important and are "must-do's. At the same time the graphic also could represent your job responsibilities.

If you are an owner or manager, you have the power and ability to change this picture. Some months back I reminded you of the ultimate "Gatekeeper" and I showed you a picture. Do you remember who is was? It was The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Remember anyone wanting to enter Oz had to come through him. That's the position I see many of our center's owners or managers in today. This has to change. It is called Team-Building and Delegation!

The PRICING PROCESS... for FUN and PROFIT

by Sid Raisch

This is perfect timing as you prepare for spring and set your pricing strategies. 

The Forecast – Outlook for the Spring Season

featuring Dr. Charlie Hall and Dr. Marco Palma, Texas A&M, College Station, TX

The SNA Conference was held January 7-8, 2019 in Baltimore, in conjunction with MANTS. Dr. Charlie Hall, the nation's foremost green industry economist, teamed up with Dr. Marco Palma to provide insight on the outlook for the spring season.The following is the recorded presentation. Whether you were there for the event or not, this is an important 29 minutes for you and your management team to see again!

Should you hold back, stand status quo, or see this time of uncertainty as a time of opportunity? What impact will housing trends have on the economy? How will Generation X impact the market as the Baby Boomers are retiring? What will the 2019 spring season look like and how will it impact your business? Structural changes in the industry will also be discussed, along with strategic implication for growers, service providers, and retailers.

What Happens If We Don’t?

by Sid Raisch

It’s time to get some things done, don’t you think?

Trends - an interesting observation.

by Danny Summers

Recently I participated in a webinar covering a collection of "trends" across the globe. It was produced by an international company in the business of collecting a tremendous amount of data and trying to put a sense of order to what they see. At first glance, it appeared to be all over the board. Of course, there were lots of modern, high tech gadgets and activities and some trends you recognize as "way-out-there," but one observation began to appear throughout that we should appreciate and leverage in your business. The first comment that led me into this path of thought was:

"We're the same old humans with the same old human needs."

Wow! That, in the middle of a bunch of high-tech, "way-out-there" trends, grabs you and brings you right back down to earth. As you see so many weird new trends, this type of very basic statement brings a sense of grounding. It's a very organic statement if you think about it.

We Sell Fresh Air!

Observations by Danny Summers

I recently subscribed to a publication devoted entirely to Visual Merchandising and Store Designs for retail (actually its name and acronym is VMSD) and in its December issue that arrived last week, the cover story's headline was "FRESH AIR." You can see the front cover below right.

At first glance you have to ask yourself... "Are they selling plants or other things?"

Van Wilgen's Success of PW Store-in-a-Store

by Jessica DeGraaf and Meghan Owens, Proven Winners^®

Loyalty Programs - Group Sharing Footnotes

The following footnotes have been collected by Danny Summers from The Group during discussions on this subject at the time of developing this story. We plan to add additional ideas from others over time. These notes provide important additional Group guidance in developing or evaluating your program(s).

Loyalty Programs to Drive Sales & Customer Engagement

By Sam Kirkland, National Accounts Manager, Epicor Software
  ...with Group discussion footnotes added

[Footnotes have been collected by Danny Summers from The Group during discussions on this subject at the time of developing this story and are located at the end of this article. These notes provide important additional Group guidance in developing or evaluating your program(s).]

Group Client Advisory: I-9 Compliance

by Seawright & Associates

On Wednesday, November 7th, Seawright & Associates' Jean Martin presented a GROUPtalk-Live webinar for Group Clients titled "Winter is Coming... Prepare for ICE!" This was one of the largest attendance for any GROUPtalk-Live sessions and for obvious reasons. This is a very important subject and it also underscores the importance of having the talents and resources of Seawright & Associates for our Group Centers (a huge benefit of being in The Group). Prior to the session, Jean had supplied both the current I-9 Paper Version Form and Instructions for each participant for note taking.

YES! You can Leverage the Network

by Sid Raisch

Undeniably, the best part of The Group is YOU, when connected with other members. At Fall Event 2018 I shared with the group a presentation on connecting with each other at a deeper level in order to achieve the full benefit of this best part of The Group. Please read the rest of this, then review the presentation slides at the link provided below, before acting on the ideas I’m asking you to implement today and tomorrow.

Making the "Emotional Connection"

by Danny Summers

Robert Hendrickson has pushed The Group for years now on some of the very best ways to tell your story and build that unique, emotional connection with the customer. This is the extreme opposite of selling by price and certainly much more effective than selling by the old standard of "feature and benefit" marketing.

Selling to Different "Tribes"

by Bill Calkins, Ball Seed

[Danny] During The Fall Event 2018, Bill Calkins of Ball Seed shared a link to a podcast/blog he is producing. He said, "I have a new podcast called STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros that covers greenhouse Production but it also has plenty of RETAIL TOPICS." He has produced a number of STEM podcasts this year and this one is an excellent message to our Group Centers! Here's a text from this edition of STEM podcast:

Cold as ICE!

by Jean Seawright

IMPORTANT: Don't miss the next GROUPtalk-Live session on this subject. Details are below!

At the federal level, things have been relatively quiet on the regulatory front with the exception of one agency, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Affectionately known as ICE, this federal agency has an annual budget of approximately $6 billion and employs more than 20,000 employees in over 400 offices in the United Stated and 46 foreign countries. ICE's mission is to "protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety."

Overtime Rule Update

by Jean Seawright

It's been over one year since the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) solicited written comments from the public about potential changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) White Collar overtime exemptions for administrative, executive, and professional workers. One year and no action . . . until this month that is.

Employee Handbook Relief

by Jean Seawright

Employers are finally getting a reprieve after a series of restrictive employee handbook policy decisions and guidances issued by the prior Administration's democratic majority of the five-member National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

#TheFallEvent2018 - Garden Answer's Laura and Aaron present...

"YES YOU CAN Reach Your Customers through Social Media!"

Laura and her husband, Aaron, started Garden Answer, a YouTube how-to gardening channel filled with style, expertise and helpful gardening knowledge, in 2014. Today, they attract over 300,000 YouTube channel subscribers and have generated over 25 million views of their YouTube gardening videos. Garden Answer has 2.2 million followers and over 450 million video views. Garden Answer has become quite a sensation in just a short  time, and the numbers are continually growing!

Their tremendous popularity has prompted industry brands like Proven Winners, Espoma, Gardener's Supply, and others, to partner with Garden Answer to reach consumers.

New John Kennedy - On Demand Video Series

The Customer Experience added to LeaderShift and TeamShift Series

NOTE: A Special Offer for Group Clients Only - DEADLINE September 30, 2018

Greetings to all Clients of the Garden Center Group.