Will You Be Ready?

by Danny Summers

These are the weeks of preparation. For the Garden Center, it's like the late summer practice for the football team just before the first season game. Or, the late weeks of track work for the thoroughbred before the big race.

Years ago, a great friend, Louie Hillenmeyer, took us to Keeneland early one fall morning. Keeneland is Lexington, Kentucky's famous horse racing track, with stables and a training center. In comparison to Louisville's Churchill Downs, you might say Keeneland is the aristocrat. In a quick search I found this amazing description of the two...

"If you’re from Kentucky, you’ve definitely heard of Keeneland and Churchill Downs – the two biggest names in horse racing. They’re both legendary, but they couldn’t be more different. Keeneland is calm, classic, and beautiful, while Churchill is loud, exciting, and full of energy.

If you’ve ever been to Keeneland, you know it’s all about tradition. The stone buildings and rolling hills of blue grass make it one of the prettiest places in the state. People dress up in suits and dresses, and the whole vibe feels fancy but friendly. It’s more about the experience than just betting on horses.

Churchill Downs, in Louisville, is totally different. It’s bigger, busier, and built for crowds. The Kentucky Derby packs in more than 150,000 in a single day. The energy is crazy. Between the hats, the infield, and cheering fans, it feels more like a huge party than a quiet day at the races." (This excerpt is by Wyatt Graven. You can read his full article here.)

That morning, Louie wanted us to leave early enough to be there to see early practice runs. I remember it was a little foggy and cool. As we parked and started walking through the stable area, we could see a trainer and jockey preparing their horse for its daily practice run. As we got closer to the track, we could see a horse in full stride run right by us at the fence, and another in a slow gallop on the far side after a strong sprint. We were seeing true athletes at their best.

Just like sports teams at their best practice sessions, or some of the world's best thoroughbred horses during their morning runs, this preparation brings the very best talent into position for the big game or race day.

We all know, for the Garden Center, the big game or race day is another way to describe the 12 weeks of Spring. Some might consider that a long game or race. In the world of retail... it is short!

You have early warm-up (practice) days as you begin to see early-season customers arriving with that look on their faces. Then it slowly progresses each day until that first glorious full spring Saturday. And you can almost hear the starting bell... the race is on!

Will you be ready for the race? Make sure your team is trained to...

• Greet every customer when they arrive.
• Seek to find what their interests are and what can make their day the very best.
•  And remember, you have the power to ensure your Center has Dependability and Integrity in the customer's eyes (something seldom seen from large retailers).
• You are their best connection to gardening!

Be ready to help every customer have their very best spring. If you do, your Center will have a great spring as well.

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, John Kennedy, Seawright & Associates, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!