Here`s the - Garden Centers of Colorado

Here’s the
Scoop
2009-10 Board of Directors
Officers:
Bert Gallegos
President
Nick’s Garden Center & Farmers Market
(303) 696-6657 Fax (303) 696-1694
Shelley Breitenbach
V. President
Garden Country
(303) 466-6761 Fax: (303) 469-3777
Sue Wilson
Treasurer
Hilltop Garden Center
(303) 465-2226 Fax: (303) 465-4775
March, 2010
Product Knowledge &
Tie-In Sales Training
April 6 at Echter’s Garden Center
9170 W. 52nd Ave., Arvada
Class is from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m.
Shrubs & perennials-tried and true varieties and planting tips
by Monrovia-Jeffrey Hess
Directors:
Jim Wilson
Assoc. Rep.
Organix Supply
(303) 659-6003 Fax: (303) 659-2463
Hydroponics supplies, fertilizer & soil products
By American Clayworks-Tom Epting
Giovanna Romero
Assoc. Rep.
Welby Gardens
(303) 288-3398 Fax: (303) 287-9316
Hanging baskets, great varieties, care & maintenance
by Center Greenhouse-Patti Pfeifer
Mike Gomez
Assoc. Rep.
Gard’n Wise
(303) 371-9790 Fax: (303) 371-4729
Tips about growing vegetables, herbs & geraniums
by Brown’s Greenhouse-Dan Bush
Dr. James Klett
Educ. Rep.
Colorado State University
(970) 491-7179 Fax: (970) 491-7745
Loren Baumann
Jared’s Nursery
(303) 979-6022
Fax (303) 979-4233
Alehandro Mateo
Gulley Greenhouse
(970) 223-4769
Fax (970) 226-2763
Board Position vacancy
Wayne Fisher
P. President
Good Earth Garden Center
(719) 473-3399 Fax: (3719) 633-3833
GCC Office
6456 S. Niagara Ct.
Centennial, CO 80111
Phone: 303 850-7589
Fax: 303 220-5833
donna@mngmntplus.com
Light meal refreshments provided.
Cost $15 for first person, $10 additional people ,$20 non-member
President’s Message
Bert Gallegos
2010 is rolling right along and hard to believe it’s already March.
GCC has already had a great educational program in late January, ProGreen is behind
us, and we are all preparing our stores for spring sales. If you missed our winter
speaker here are a few highlights from what I think was one of the best programs
we’ve had.
Our winter education seminar featuring Richard Fenton and his ―Go for No‖
concept was a success. We had pretty good attendance and Mr. Fenton could not have
been a better speaker. His ―Go for No‖ concept is something we can all use in our
businesses to drive sales from customers already in the store. It’s not always easy to
step out of our comfort zones but hearing ―No‖ can be a good thing if it leads to additional sales. One question Fenton asked was ―how will you know a customer is done
buying if you don’t ask and maybe ask again?‖ I know it’s not always easy but the
ability to face rejection is the number one quality of a salesperson, according to Mr.
Fenton.
A major concept that I left with was shifting attention from results to behaviors. Oftentimes folks concern themselves so much with a particular result that no
energy is spent on the behaviors that drive those results. All garden centers have operation policies implemented that are black and white such as theft, tardiness, and job
description, but too often there are no policies for the sales process.
Fenton pointed out that the behavior of selling is so important it must have
its own policy, such as ―must see‖ behaviors that every associate must ...cont. pg 5
Hydroponics Class
A special class was held on
Tuesday March 9 from 10 to 12
noon at Tagawa Gardens open to all
GCC members concerning issues
related to the increased emphasis on
hydroponics supplies.
Warren Edson, a Denver
attorney, spoke about Colorado law
and Federal law, and he gave this
advice to store personnel: be very
firm about not allowing customers to
bring in or show off any samples,
pictures, or video. Never give advice
about growing the ―tomatoes.‖ Customers who bring up that subject
matter should be told that they will
not get any information or advice
from the sales person. The attorney
suggested handing the offending customer a business card stating the garden center’s policy about that crop
and telling them that the store is unable to help them. If the customer
persists, they should be asked to
leave the premises. In short, the GC
should not appear to be helping
ANYONE grow a potentially illegal
crop. Mr. Edson worked on the
Colorado constitutional amendment
(Amendment 20) that was passed in
2000.
In addition to the attorney,
three panelists gave helpful incites
about this new customer as well.
Loren Bauman from Jared’s Nursery
discussed sources for purchasing
hydroponic supplies, Mike Estes
from Rick’s Garden Center gave
tips on displays and pitfalls of attracting new customers, and Mike
Gomez from Gard’n Wise Distributors discussed what products to carry
in the store.
Winter All Day Program
On January 26, GCC sponsored a program for owners and managers on ―Go For No‖ about getting your customers to buy more.
Richard gave an entertaining presentation with some very helpful hints
about selling styles, how results follow behavior and establishing goals
and non-negotiable standards for employees. He discussed why owners and managers must celebrate failure as well as success if you are
going to increase sales and keep your company afloat.
The afternoon program included info from Tommy Stover from
Hydrofarm about equipment to sell and some tips on what works best
and the importance of ―doing it right‖ if you are adding a hydroponics
department to your store line of products.
A third speaker, Josh Palmer from Grant Farms near Ft.
Collins, discussed the Community Supported Agriculture program and
how they use stores and other locations as distribution points for ―food
shares of vegetables and produce‖ purchased by customers that is delivered weekly. About 55 people attended the seminar.
Changing behaviors to get better results was one theme promoted by Richard Fenton as he engaged the audience in a ―red ball‖ game.
Thanks to Wayne Fisher,
Good Earth Garden Center in Col.
Springs, for coordinating this very
informative class.
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Recycle Trailers
GCC has finally received the 2 recycling trailers that we ordered with the grant money received from the Col. Dept. of Health &
Environment. Signage for the trailers is nearly complete so they can be
placed at stores or other locations for collections drives.
Tip for this month
From John Stanley
A customer recently
went into a hardware store in
the USA. They were annoyed
at the approach of the cashier, who processed the whole
operation without making eye
contact and kept talking to
her friend on her phone.
When she gave her customer his change he said
“Aren’t you going to thank
me for shopping here?” The
cashier looked up and said “It
says thank you on the receipt.” This happened in Connecticut and was reported on
the Home Channel News
(15th Feb). Is this a typical
consumer experience? Is customer service dying?
Did you know?
 Most companies lose 4550% of customers every 5
years
 Getting new customers
costs 20 times more than retaining one
 5% reduction in customer
defection can increase profits
between 25-85%
Two special events are planned for our new recycle trailers this
spring. On Sunday, April 18, it will be at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science from 9 to 3:00 p.m. and on May 1 it will be at the
Mulch Give Away at the Havana Nursery on Smith Road, Denver
sponsored by the Denver Recycles program. On July 22 the trailer will
be at DBG for their Free Day. Master Gardener volunteers will assist
with the collection of garden plastic at each location.
As part of our grant, a colored educational brochure is being
produced to hand out at the above events, other public events and
through stores participating in our recycling program.
The trailers will be available for member stores to ―book‖ for
special promotions at your store starting this winter/early spring. If
you are interested in using one of them for a special promotion, please
call the office to book your dates. Your store would be responsible for
either getting it to your store or moving it to the next location.
It is not too late to sign up to participate in the recycle collection program. We can now accept cardboard in a separate bin/bag and
of course all types of garden plastic pots, trays, and hanging baskets.
Call the office to sign up.
Are your employees saying
“Thank you for shopping
here” ?
Ref: B2E International Customer Satisfaction
Research Feb 2010.
3
THE UN-COMFORT ZONE
with Robert Wilson
Sometimes You Have to Rip the
Cover Off the Book
was the cutest little building I’d
ever seen. Rounded roof, little
windows, bright colors and lots
of lacy gingerbread all around.
On a summer weekend in
1977, my friend Tony and I made
plans to go waterskiing. When he
picked me up there were two people in the car that I did not know.
He introduced his new girlfriend
Sue, and her brother Bubba.
―Where’d you get this?‖ I
asked. ―I built it,‖ replied
Bubba.
Bubba was the quintessential redneck. Within minutes of
getting on the boat, he stuffed a
wad of chewing tobacco the size
of a baseball in his cheek, then
chugged several beers. In less
than an hour we were dealing
with an irritable drunk. He
belched loudly, spit constantly,
complained incessantly, and
couldn’t string two words together without inserting a profanity. In short, Bubba made our
visit to the lake completely unpleasant. Eventually he passed
out in the back of the boat and we
enjoyed the rest of the day.
For the first time that
day, I was impressed by Bubba.
When we went inside, the first
thing I saw was a display case
full of blue ribbons. Dozens of
them. These were first place
awards from around the country
that Bubba had won for his
chickens. Then he started showing me his chickens and telling
me about them. Suddenly the
cussing and complaining Bubba
became eloquent.
My opinion of Bubba’s
character, talent and intelligence
could not have been lower. I
looked upon him as a total loser.
A dimwit who would never
amount to anything.
At the end of the day,
Tony drove Sue and Bubba home
first. When we arrived at their
home, Bubba was awake and
somewhat sober. Sue asked Tony
to come inside and see the new
dress she’d bought. Then she
turned to Bubba and said, ―Why
don’t you show Robert your
chickens?‖
We walked around to the
back of the house and Bubba
pointed toward a minature barn. It
―From a kit?‖ I asked.
―No, I built it after my grandfather’s barn.‖
As we walked around the
barn he showed me more than 50
of the most beautiful and exotic
looking birds I’d ever seen. Unusual looking birds that I would
never have known were chickens. These were not birds for eating or laying eggs – these were
prize show chickens.
He explained to me that
chickens originated in the jungles of Asia. He told me how he
bred and raised them. What he
did to make their plumage bright,
colorful and plentiful. I was
amazed by the extent of his
knowledge and I listened eagerly
to everything he said. He spoke
with an enthusiasm and energy
that I could not have imagined
earlier. The difference was that I
had entered his real world. The
world he loved and was excited
about. Here was his hobby, but
4
he was so motivated by it that it
brought out the very best in him.
I learned a big lesson that
day. I’d always heard my teachers say, ―Don’t judge a book by
it’s cover,‖ but until then I had
not witnessed the truth of that
proverb. I decided then and there
that I would never judge another
person completely by my first
impression. That if time and opportunity allowed, I would look
further, deeper.
When you discover someone’s passion, you have discovered what motivates them. And,
that is the key to communicating
with them in the most productive
way possible.
Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works
with companies that want to be more
competitive and with people who want
to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit
www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.
GCC website codes
The member section of
the GCC website requires user
name & password. It is GCC and
GCC. Go to the website at
www.gardencentersofcolorado.or
g and access the members only
section. You’ll find the association newsletter, benefits of membership, and association events
there. Why not try it!
If you have suggestions of information that should be on the
website, please contact the office
or Bert Gallegos at Nick’s.
Please note a new email for the GCC
office:
donna@mngmntplus.com
Dig In TV Show
The Dig In TV show staring Keith Funk and MJ Thomas
will be aired this summer starting
April 10 running through Sept.
18 on Saturday mornings at 6:30
a.m. The show will be featured
on Fox network this year and
will promote the consumer shopping at independent retail garden
center stores. Scott’s is a sponsor and will feature coupons
good only at independent garden
center stores. Try to catch an
episode or two and be sure to
have on hand the products that
are featured each week.
Featured Annuals & Perennials
GCC will again promote
a featured annual and perennial
and woody plant or Plant Select
in each of the 14 weeks of the
Denver Post GROW section
from March 26 through June 25.
We have created 8X10 colored
fliers of each of the plants to use
in your POS promotions. See the
attached list of these plants and
the dates each is featured so you
can be prepared to serve your
customers.
This is a joint program
with CNGA.
Job listings on Website
At a recent board meeting, a motion passed to allow
job listings to be posted on the
GCC website. It will be free to
GCC members, $50 for nonmembers and listings would stay
up for one month. You may call
the office to post a job listing.
President cont. from page 1
do every time with a customer.
If every associate asked for additional
sales every time I’m sure we would all
sell more, adding to the bottom line! We
could all be ―lions‖ of the selling process if we sell with high regard for our
customer relationships and ―go for no.‖
In all, Fenton put on a great seminar and
thanks to GCC and our sponsors he was
brought to Denver.
Let’s have a great spring with
lots of sunshine and eager customers!
CSU offers Masters Program
The Colorado State University Dept. of Horticulture and
Landscape Architecture is now
offering a Master of Landscape
Architecture program. For info
on the program scheduled to start
in fall 2010, please go to http://
larch.colostate.edu/grad/ The
college is hiring a full time tenure
track faculty member –those interested and qualified may find
details for the position at http://
www.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/
cgiwrap/cwis202/db.cgi?
Subscribe to
The Green Scene
Subscribe to the Green Scene
Newsletter written by CSU Cooperative Extension Personnel.
This timely update on research
and technical issues is produced by GreenCO Foundation
eight times a year, March
through October. Call 303 850
-7587 to subscribe for a fax or
email copy at the member rate
of $25.00. It is no longer
mailed.
5
Growing Green Give Away
Garden Centers of Colorado is
sponsoring a great give away program in 2010. Sponsors for the 6
items to be given away and the
dates are:
March 26
$500 retail value
of Trees/Shrubs donated by Ft.
Collins Wholesale Nursery
April 9
$500 retail value
of Ceramic Pots donated by
Denver Pottery
April 23
$500 retail value
of Hard Goods donated by
Gard’n Wise
May 21
$500 retail value
of Annuals & Perennials donated by Hardy Boy and Power
Flowers ($250 retail value each)
June 4
$500 retail value
of a Fountain donated by Henri
Studio
June 18
$500 retail value
of a Grill donated by Weber Grill
Company
This program will be promoted in
the Denver Post GROW section
and in each of the stores. Customers can bring the registration
form to the store or get one at the
store. One store winner will be
eligible for the grand prize each
time and the donor will reimburse
the store for the $250 wholesale
value of the item given away that
week. Cost to the store is only
$75 to pay for the contest materials.
Stores that have signed up to participate include:
Arapahoe Acres Nursery, Country
Fair, Country Fair at Westwoods,
Creekside Gardens, Garden
Country, Echter’s Greenhouse,
Groundcovers Greenhouse, Highlands Garden Center, Jared’s
Nursery & Garden, Nick’s Garden Center, Tagawa Gardens,
Wilmore Nursery.
Calendar of Events
March 18-11:00 a.m. ProGreen
Expo management team meeting
at ALCC office. Call 303 7561079.
March 22-11:30 a.m. GCC Education Committee meeting at
Welby Gardens. Call 303 8507589.
March 22-1:30 p.m. GCC Board
meeting at Welby Gardens. Call
303 850-7589.
March 24-6:30 p.m. Welby Garden Open House. Call 303 2883398.
April 6-5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Hands
on Training for new employees at
Echter’s Garden Center. Call 303
850-7589.
April 14-2:30 p.m. ProGreen
Expo seminar planning meeting at
ALCC offices. Call 303 7561079.
April 15-2:00 p.m. GCC Board
meeting at Center Greenhouse.
Call 303 850-7589.
April 18—GCC Recycle Collection Drive at Denver Museum of
Nature & Science. Call 303 8507589.
May 1-GCC Recycle Collection
Drive at The Havana Nursery
with the Denver Recycles Mulch
Give Away. Call 303 850-7589.
Chuckles:
A smile goes a long way, but usually comes back.
Good humor is the health of the soul.
The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up.
Happiness is one thing that multiplies by division.
Get happiness out of your work, or you may never know what happiness is.
The great trouble with an idle rumor is it doesn’t remain so.
Some people have eyes that see not and ears that hear not, but never
tongues that talk not.
Soil Test Kit
Quikrete Discount
CSU Extension and the
CSU Soils Lab have made some
nice revisions to the soil testing
program that allows the general
public to have soil testing done
for a small fee. A FREE kit is
available to all GCC member
stores that you can give to your
customers that explains the process and provides a screw top bottle to use to send in their soil sample. The cost to the customer for
the test is $28.00 plus shipping.
To order your FREE supply of the
kits with instructions, contact
James Self, Soil, Water & Plant
testing Lab Room A319
Natural and Environmental Sciences Bldg, Ft. Collins, CO
80523
Phone: 970 491-5061.
jimself@lamar.colostate.edu
A new partner with GCC,
stores can now purchase Hardscapes by Quikrete from this new
member company at a 5-10% discount on the initial order placed
before May 1, 2010. Stores also
get a Hardscape banner for POP.
May 8-GCC Recycle literature
handed out at the Denver Botanic
Gardens Plant Sale Day. Call 303
850-7589.
July 22-GCC Recycle Collection
Event at DBG’s Free Day. Call
303 850-7589.
Please note a new email for the GCC
office:
donna@mngmntplus.com
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The Hardscape Product
line includes stones, pebbles &
rock; specialty paver sands, and
play sand. These products are
sold only to independents. To
see these products or place an
order, call Jeff Warren at 800282-5828 or 303 319-1697. You
may want to join with another
GCC member store to get the
best freight deal.
Ceramo Company
A new supplier member
has joined GCC:
Ceramo Company
Joan Binnie
P.O.Box 485
Jackson, MO 63755
Phone: 800 325-8303
Fax: 573-204-8427
info@ceramousa.com
Www.ceramousa.com