Be a Regular Guy or Gal

by Gail Vanik

This is a tale of two Garden Centers. I’ve owned both of them. The first was a small Garden Center in a rural area in small town America. Although we experienced some success along the way, it seemed like we weren’t able to grow sales the way I had hoped and projected. Since I had simply continued the marketing efforts of the previous owners – newspaper, a paper newsletter that was mailed monthly (sometimes), and a few print ads here and there, the frustration of “why isn’t this working when it worked so well for them” continued for several years. Overwhelmed with all of it, I admit I wasn’t much of a “regular gal” back then.

The second Garden Center was that same small Garden Center a few years later but by now the world had changed. Our sales numbers reflected that the previous owner’s methods were no longer effective. I switched things up, but more importantly, I made a firm commitment to a consistent schedule, even during times that were slow or when we had bad weather. Once I became a “regular gal,” things improved.

The important lesson learned through all of this was, that the media I chose didn’t matter nearly as much as the consistency with both the message and the frequency. While this might seem to be a given, I still see a lot of Garden Centers employing the “come buy our stuff” method, or only advertising when they discover that sales are down, or they have product to move.

Of course, the key lies in knowing what and how to use different media effectively. For example, print materials can still have relevance. Postcards, for instance, need to arrive in your customers mailboxes like clockwork. They will soon come to anticipate them and believe me, I heard about it when they didn’t!

Radio works to create top of mind awareness long before people need your products. Think about the jingles you remember from long ago:

Nationwide is on your side.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid.

You remember them because, not only were they catchy, but you also heard them repeatedly, time after time after time until they were stuck in your head and impossible to forget. That repetition is key so that whenever a gardening related question or need arises, customers immediately think of you.

E-mail newsletters should be sent on a regular basis, even during the off-peak months.

You will always be able to find something of interest to talk about. For example, during our slowest month in August, I used our E-newsletter to give a shout out to the local garden club and the County Fair. Was that of interest to most of our agriculturally based farm and ranch customers? You bet! Of course there are also many other electronic options, but no matter which method of digital delivery you choose, be sure you are doing it consistently.

In light of the recent thread in GroupE’s regarding email frequency and which is the best day to send, I think consistency trumps the choice of any particular day because you will train your customers as to when they should expect your emails. After all, Danny has us trained to expect GroupTalk every Monday morning, even though research suggests Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays have the highest engagement rates.

I know that in the rush of a busy spring season it can be tempting to let your marketing slide as that “one more thing” that’s on your to-do list, particularly if you are small Garden Center. Consider the example of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, who collectively own the soft drink market, yet they still continue to advertise religiously.

This spring, make the commitment to be a “regular guy or gal” – Your Sales, the WDR/Tim Quebedeaux, and Danny will thank you!

Gail Vanik is passionate about helping our smaller Garden Centers who struggle to have effective and consistent Marketing efforts.

Connect with Gail: Tel: 970-749-0453, or eMail

Gail and Vic Vanik say, "Seasoned Gardeners Consulting was born of our desire to guide others as we were once guided. We may have made it look easy, but we know what you’re going through because we’ve been there too."

With a similar enthusiasm for marketing and a keen eye for detail, Gail shines when focusing on advertising and management challenges. Read more about Gail and Vic HERE.