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Interviews (Interview Archive)  Terry Johnson is the President of Horticultural Marketing Resources in Mission Viejo, California. He has been in the floral industry for 23 years and is a featured speaker, writer and consultant on post-harvest flower care and handling, marketing and the Internet for industry organizations.GW: What one thing do you attribute your sales success to? (Or what would you consider your most significant sales success?) TJ: Early in my career I was one of 50 salespeople working for a company that had just introduced a new line of products. After several months, none of us had had any success selling the line. The company, concerned about the future of the line, flew us all into their headquarters for a sales meeting in an effort to figure out what we needed to do to sell this new line. The company President challenged us to do whatever it took to get these products sold, and I left the meeting determined to make something happen. It was this challenge that motivated me to develop the knowledge and understanding to finally break through the sales barrier, and as a result of my success, I was asked to share my knowledge with the rest of the sales force. They, in turn, began to experience great success with the line and I was promoted to sales manager of a new division created to market and sell this line, which currently represents more than $50 million in sales. GW: How has the arena of sales changed over the years? TJ: During my 25 years in sales and marketing in the floral industry, several important changes have occurred. First, we have moved from a smallish $5 billion domestic-oriented industry to a $50 billion global industry, with tremendous growth in the number of flower growers world-wide and retail outlets for floral products here in the U.S. Second, we have gone from a "relationship" buyer/seller environment to a "bottom line" buyer/seller interface that has resulted in what I call a "commodity mindset" with an over-focus on price as the primary element in buying and selling. Third, the most significant change is the intense level of competition, especially from industries that are not floral, but still compete with floral products for consumer discretionary spending. GW: What do you see as current trends in sales? TJ: While I can't speak for trends in other industries, the most important sales trend in floral is an increasing focus on the consumer in the buyer/seller interface. Although flowers are ultimately a consumer product, up until now the floral industry has focused only on the immediate customer. This has resulted in a huge marketing disconnect between flower production and the floral retailer and consumer. Increasingly we are seeing more and more interest in training salespeople to sell well beyond their immediate buyer. Another significant trend is identifying and selling value during the sales process. This positive trend is combating the tendency to sell floral products based on price alone. This trend is truly an important element in the future growth of floral sales and profits. GW: Terry, thank you for sharing your experience and insight into the floral industry. TJ: You’re welcome; I hope that my experience helps others. Contact us By Email: info@GregWinston.com By Phone: 949.388.2545 Thank you for your inquiry. |
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Terry Johnson