July 23-25, 2010
McKinley Grand Hotel, Canton, OH
Three days of incredible seminars and trade show featuring the Best of the Industry, from Tom and Pam Newell of the Gift Basket School!
Early Bird Special Price: $249 includes 3 day Convention Passport, Trade Show and Basketology
SPECIAL PRICE FOR PIONEER WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS: $199!
Marketing Idea – Flowers for Single Women!
October 31, 2009
I got to think about how many of my single girl friends buy themselves flower to decorate up their homes. Most of them buy their flowers at the grocery store because they are there anyway, so some of you may never meet them. But how about marketing specifically to single women? Think about it.
1) Most women like flowers. It doesn’t take a boyfriend/husband to acquire that taste.
2) There is a growing segment of the population of young, professional single women out there with good jobs, and no family responsibilities to spend their money on. Therefore their finances are less restricted.
3) Some young women actually like to buy their gal friends flowers for different occasions. A few years back my car got stolen. My friends came over armed with beautiful roses to try to cheer me up.
So here’s a marketing concept – Single Girl Bouquets – remove the stigma of them buying themselves flowers!
THEN you can also market to young women to buy their friends flowers. I can see the design names now…
The “He’s Just Not Into You” bouquet – for when your friend gets dumped
The “You Can Do Better” bouquet – for when your friend gets rid of the loser she has been dating but is sad anyway.
The “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” bouquet for any multitude of tragedies… stolen car, sickness, lost job, pet died, etc…
The “You Go Girl” bouquet for when your friend gets a promotion, or accomplishes a goal.
For an upsell – offer a box of chocolate. Chances are very good you will make the sale!
There’s a market out there for this demographic. I promise you!
New Glass Shipping Program at Pioneer Wholesale
September 14, 2009
Pioneer Wholesale Announces NEW Truck Shipping Rate Program for Glass!
Shipping rate of ONLY $49 PER PALLET shipped anywhere in OH, PA, MI, IN, KY, WV. Valid only on glass.
Minimum 40 cases of glass per pallet. Can be mixed styles.
Special shipping rates can be negotiated to other states. Call Dave at 888-234-5400 with questions.
You’re Invited to the Pioneer Wholesale Basket Bash!
July 24, 2009
You’re Invited to the Great Pioneer Wholesale Basket Bash!
Sunday August 23, 2009!
Enhance your gift basket skills and increase sales! Two different classes, beginner and advanced. Guest Speakers: Tom and Pam Newell of the Gift Basket School will be sharing their 30 years of experience in our industry. They have taught in 19 states, including at the Atlanta Mart and Columbus Gift Mart.
If you are tired of attending BORING seminars, this is the class for you! We promise to have fun and learn at the same time!
Includes a Hands On Make and Take Basket Class – Take home a basket valued at $75!
Visit www.pioneerwholesaleco.com/gbbash.htm.
Call me if you have any questions! 888-234-5400, ask for Sarah. Or e-mail srbot@pioneerwholesaleco.com.
Florists CAN use Video to Enhance Their Websites!
July 7, 2009
We all hear about YouTube, and videos on websites, all of the time. What you may not realize is the value these items have value for FLORISTS!
Listen to how Adam Pomerantz, of Belvedere Flowers (www.belvedereflowers.com) in Havertown, PA, uses video to enhance his website and sales. I have nicknamed Adam the King of Flip. Adam loves his Flip Video camera. These simple, easy to use video cameras, start at $149.99 ea. (www.theflip.com) Adam takes a video each week of what he has fresh, in stock, and posts on YouTube. This two minute walk through his store advertises his flowers in ways that static photographs cannot. He puts a link to the YouTube video on the home page of his website. He also has over 60 other videos on his YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/user/BelvedereFlowers
Kudos to Adam and his “Outside the Box” thinking. Something to think about if you are looking to increase sales, and reach Generation Y, who lives on the internet! For under $200, you can reach a whole new group of flower buyers!
Are you in the gift basket industry? If so, we’d like to invite you to participate in the 2010 Gift Basket Association Trend Report Survey. Click Here Now: http://www.giftbasketassociation.com/trend.html! Just a few minutes of your time will help us greatly! Thank you!
Outbound marketing is out… inbound marketing is in.
June 12, 2009
A couple months back I took a very interesting seminar from hubspot.com. In this seminar, Mike Volpe explained the difference between inbound marketing and outbound marketing. Consumers are very resistant to outbound marketing. They throw out marketing flier that come in the mail, they get caller id so they don’t have to accept telemarketing calls etc. But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t buying products. They are using the internet to to find merchandise on their own terms. So what do you need to do? Shape up your inbound marketing plan! Organic SEO, Pay-per-click accounts, Twitter, Facebook, etc. For more information, please see some of the GREAT, FREE webinars at http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-webinars. You can also follow Hubspot on Twitter – @hubspot.
The Gift Basket Association
June 2, 2009
The Gift Basket Association was founded by Debbie Quintana, owner of two gift basket companies in San Jose, California and a 19 year gift basket professional. Listen to a personal invitation from our founder, Debbie Quintana.
What is the Gift Basket Association?
GBA is an association designed to bring the gift basket industry together with the ultimate goal of increasing sales in the gift basket industry. We are a centralized portal of information with a sincere, genuine and honest passion to help professionals and suppliers grow their business. We are building a community.
How will GBA benefit my business?
Community. Be a part of a new community that will work together to help everyone understand new market segments. For example, if you’re looking to get into the hotel industry, work with other companies to see what their achievements and challenges are; if you’ve already done it – help someone else. Start working with other professionals that are doing the same thing you are!
Networking. We’re building a networking organization that will meet once a week for an hour to discuss various topics such as social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc), website optimization, new product introductions, marketing, technology and much more. We even have a referral program for members to refer clients if and when its appropriate.
Discussion Forum. We support The GB Exchange for daily discussions around the industry and the GBA Google Group (for members only) where we discuss more specific topics and bring in professionals to help us. For example, if you’re interested in hearing from a professional photographer on how to take good pictures, we’ll have that resource available for you – FREE!
Visibility. You’ll receive a large listing on www.findyourgiftbasket.com as well as the categories such as birthday, sports, gourmet, etc. Customers looking to find gift baskets will have an opportunity to find you on this site. We’ll be highlighting members with public profiles, newsletters and more.
Resources. Whether your new to the industry or just starting out, we’re centralizing as many resources and partners as we can to join us so you can have everything you need in one location. From training materials to gift basket supplies, we’re working hard to bring everything you need into one location. Receive access to our annual trend report, quality recommendations and hear from industry experts on a regular basis.
Have fun! We’ll hold an annual contest to encourage your creativity. Participate in our annual GBA Creativity Program and you could win an award and be recognized as a creator of the year!”
Pioneer Wholesale Co. is now a proud sponsor of the 2009 National Gift Basket Professional Convention being held at the McKinley Grand Hotel in Canton, OH on July 9-11, 2009.
The convention starts out with a 3 Hour Seminar Called “Basketology” that teaches structure, technique, wrap, ship, and design. Other classes include Shameless Advertising, Dazzle You with Flare, Understanding Dates & Storage, Pricing Your Design, Growing Your Business, The Art of Selling, Preparing for the Unthinkable, The Art of Photograph, Market Till They Buy, Treasure at the End of the Result. There is also a trade show connected with the convention.
This is the first annual Gift Basket Professional Convention, hosted by the Gift Basket School – Tom and Pam Newell. Other presenters will include Mary Ann Jacobs, Derek Theitke, Emmitt Holtzclaw, Tim Andreotti, & Ben Jacobs.
This convention is a convention everyone can AFFORD to attend – the complete 3 day event, including a reception and the Basketology seminar is only $225! If you are just interested in the Basketology seminar, you may purchase the ticket to that for ONLY $59!
If you are already a gift basket designer, this convention will help you improve your skills. If you are a florist – EXPAND your business by adding gift basket sales! If you are THINKING about starting a gift basket business, this seminar will help you have all the tools you need to start out solid.
Click here for more information, a complete schedule, and to sign up! http://www.giftbasketprofessional.com. Tell Pam that Sarah sent you!
What are Terrific Twitter Tuesdays?
They are ONE DAY ONLY SALES that are available ONLY to our Twitter Followers! Follow Us Now!
When are Terrific Twitter Tuesdays?
Date: Every Tuesday!
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Look for our special offer Tweet every Tuesday morning on Twitter!
How to Get it:
1) Follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/pioneerwholesal
2) Check your Twitter on Tuesday at 10:00 AM EST to see the special of the day.
3)Call 888-234-5400 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST THAT DAY to order. You must mention “Twitter” when placing your order.
These offers are ONLY available to our Twitter Followers! Follow Us Now!
