Most FloristWare users want to take advantage of the advanced e-mail marketing features contained in the software. Unfortunately in order to take advantage of these features you first need to have customer e-mail addresses on file.

So, the process of e-mail marketing typically begins with the process of collecting e-mail addresses. This is something that is usually best done on an ongoing basis - each time you make a sale or take an order you should be collecting (or confirming) the customer's e-mail address.

I think you always have to look at is a little negotiation. The customer has something you want (the e-mail address) but - given that most people are tight with personal information in general and e-mail addresses in particular - they're reluctant to give it up.

You need to "buy" it from them by giving them something they want. And - of course - you want to pay as little as possible!

All of the ideas above are excellent. Here are the things I can think of, some of which overlap with what has already been said:

1. Points/Incentive Program

If you are running a points/incentive program you can explain that a customer has to share their e-mail address to take part. You can even copy the credit card companies (very good at this kind of thing - it never hurts to copy what works!) and offer something like a "new customer sign-up bonus points" - extra points for customers who are joining the program for the first time and sharing all of the information that you want. The thing I like about points is that they are "cheaper" than a straight up discount and tend to keep the customer involved.

2. Fundraising Program

Same as above - if you have a fundraising program and the customer wants to take part explain that your system requires you to enter their e-mail address for record keeping.

3. Reminder Service

If you offer an electronic reminder service to your customers (reminding them about birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) then present it is a valuable service you are offering them free of charge - once that requires you to collect their e-mail address.

4. Electronic Receipt/Invoice

When dealing with phone orders an electronic receipt/invoice sent to the customer can be very appealing. Not just for the records but to catch any mistakes. Tim Huckabee - a sales trainer I really respect - encourages shops to tell the customers to review the receipt/invoice for potential errors (delivery date, address, card message, spelling of names, etc.) very carefully. It's a great idea and you know what? It works - the customers often catch something!

5. Photograph of Product/Delivery

You can also use photographs to get their e-mail address. You might want to e-mail them photos of products they should consider during the sale process or you could promise to e-mail them photographs of the actual finished product and/or delivery.

6. Delivery Confirmation

Explain that if you have their e-mail address you can automatically send a delivery confirmation once the flowers have been delivered.

Over the years we have noticed that a surprising percentage of the most successful use postcards and other direct mail campaigns as a very effective means of increasing their sales.

When we see a pattern like this we want to help. So, in this case, we are making enhancement that will allow FloristWare to integrate with the best print and mail service providers to make things easier for the users. The long-term goal is to allow our users to send a list of names/addresses right from FloristWare to their print/mail provider who will take care of the rest.

After a great deal of research we have selected three different print/mail service providers that we will be working with. As we continue development in this area we urge you to check these vendors out - they offer excellent quality, service and value. They can help you be more profitable.

Lately it's been great to see so many users preparing for the busy season with the marketing features in FloristWare. We have had a lot of inquiries and traffic on our new support site about generating customer lists for email campaigns and physical mailings.

We often get included in the emailings. We love to see what the users are up to but it can be surprising to see how often florists lead with price. Price can be a powerful motivator but please don't cheapen what you do. There are other vendors out there that can always be cheaper but they will never be able to match the quality and service provided by a real local florist.

The MarketingProfs.com website has a great article on the downside of leading with price. Please take a look.

There is a very good article on the Amex Open site called How to Take Advantage of the Holiday Sales Frenzy.

Points two and four offer great tips for users who plan on taking advantage of some of the marketing features in FloristWare to maximize holiday sales.

Please think about number four first:

4. Offer an anti-frenzy experience.
One thing that online retailers are pushing hard right now is the idea that you can shop from the comfort of your own couch and simply choose the products you want...

How do you take advantage of this? Any advertising you do for the holidays should stress convenience. You don't have to sell on price right now. Instead reinforce that the customer can take care of their Christmas shopping with a simple phone call or visit to your website.

Number two is also relevant:

2. Use more limited time offers.
Thanks to all the other retail offers in the market right now, people are more willing to see and respond to offers with a deadline. Deadlines can also help to create urgency for your offers. This doesn’t mean you need to be a dictator about sticking to the timing, but using the idea of limited time promotions may be more likely to work now.

When you are pushing the convenience of your service also stress that time is precious! Yes, you can take care of the customer but you need to do it now because you won't be able to take any more deliveries after December XX. Don't make it too easy on them by promising you can take orders right up until the last minute. Reinforce that your service is valuable and in demand - something that they need to take advantage of immediately.

Good luck!

We heard from a few FloristWare users today who were looking to send one more e-mail blast prior to Christmas.

This is a great idea. Until recently many shoppers seemed to believe they had more time to shop than they actually did. Now they realize time is running out and they are starting to panic. This is the ideal time to catch them - you can make all their shopping problems go away with a quick phone call.

But there isn't much time. You will need to get the message out asap. At this point - two days before Christmas - that means e-mail.

Fortunately FloristWare has great tools for creating lists of customers and then sending them marketing e-mails. And, in a situation like this, there are some advanced features that can really help. For example:

1. When you create your list consider excluding people who have already purchased in the last week or so. If they have purchased that recently there is a good chance they already bought something from you for Christmas and you don't want to risk alienating them by seeming greedy.

2. Look for customers that are flagged as being interested in Christian holidays - there is a feature for this.

When it comes time to write the content there are some great e-mail marketing tips here. This section in particular is very good:

Instead of pitching an blatant sales message you use a gentle tone so the email marketing message reads like a customer service-oriented message.

Don't go with a "Buy! Buy! Buy!" approach. Instead explain that you are ready and able to help make their last-minute shopping problems go away!

Good luck.