August 2020 - 21

DIRTY SECRETS
1. Potting soil.
2. Fertilizer.
3. Plants, of course!
4. Maybe some kind of container insert for the pot like an
" Ups-A-Daisy " , DrainIt! or Drain-Smart Disc.
5. Pot feet.
6. Maybe rock or some kind of mulch to dress the top up if
soil can be seen.
7. Garden art to go in the container as a design element.
Glass? Metal? Wood? Miniatures?
Yet I am ever mystified as to why garden centers try to make
it such a dry and complicated transaction when it should be
SUPER fun! How many of us in our daily life get to customize
such things regularly? Your car? Not likely. Your furniture?
Maybe once in a while.
Putting a Price on Inspiration
But on such an overall low-ticket item that only brings
happiness for a short period of time? Other than ordering food,
it's a rarity! Why are we making it a dry and mathematical
equation standing at the counter adding up the cost of soil
by the scoop? Or, just as bad, pricing your designs by the inch
diameter of the pot and listing it on a sheet above the potting
table? Talk about a downer!
Pricing has many facets and MORE than just slapping a price
on it and walking away. We are in the business of selling the
customer inspiration. Making a great return on the container
category means more than just the numbers you see when the
container empty or planted goes through the checkout.
You must be able to understand how all of the dollars earned
from ALL of the parts of the container sale come together
to be able to fully appreciate that pricing isn't just about the
price. Just don't get too mired in it and lose all the sex appeal
of that exciting sale. Because believe me, the customer is just
tickled and can't wait to get their " specially planted just for
them design " home. So, let's make an effort to make them feel
special about giving us their money, too!
If your customer comes in and sees your display of
containers with all of the fixins and then the planted-up
containers and they buy one of the pots empty, they may also
buy a few of the display plants and then springboard to others
on your tables and create their own designs. Still a huge win!
The next step is to help that customer understand that now
that they have bought the " room " (container) for their plants,
how " we would LOVE to help them choose seasonal furniture
to change it out regularly. "
GARDEN CENTERS ARE
IN THE BUSINESS OF
SELLING THE CUSTOMER
INSPIRATION.
LGRMAG.COM | 21
Getting Creative
Fortune favors the bold, and it's no different in garden center
sales. What if you also offered this customer the option to prepurchase
a subscription for " slipper pots " that can be slipped
into their container two to three times per year? Each season
can be based on a " fresh sheet " that the grower plans ahead
with the buyer for some specialty or pre-booked plants. But
what about potting up larger items like shrubs and trees?
Containers with exciting new ideas encourage customer
experimentation, too. As long as you can access enough stock
at any one time to make enough of those pots to have an
impactful show, you can mix it up, get more creative, and make
higher-dollar value sales.
How about saying, " I understand that you have been working
on upgrading bits and pieces of your landscape over time.
Have you considered buying trees, shrubs and perennials to
go in your containers for a season or two before transplanting
them into the landscape? It's a wonderful way to extend your
gardening dollars. The bonus is that you get fun containers
where we just add in a few annuals, so you throw away fewer
plants. It saves you quite a bit of money. "
http://www.LGRMAG.COM
August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2020
