Together We Grow Spotlight on Regional Vice President Wendy McGoff

Together we grow — Working together for our mutual benefit is the foundation of how we believe our partnership with florist members will be the most successful. In a series of articles, FTD is featuring various associates who work behind the scenes to ensure that the programs, services and experiences a florist has with FTD are exceptional.

We recently chatted with Wendy McGoff, Regional Vice President at FTD, to learn about her and what motivates her every day. Wendy has worked at FTD for nearly 18 years, primarily overseeing a team of Field Service Consultants and a Marketplace Sales Specialist who cover FTD Florist accounts in 14 states. Read on to discover how Wendy and her team work to support growth for their FTD members.

Developing a Winning Game Plan
Most people who know Wendy recognize that she is all about teamwork, but they may be surprised to learn that she is also super competitive—on and off the FTD “court.” She explains, “When I’m not competing to be on the sales board, I’m competing on the pickleball court or disc golf course!” But it’s that competitive drive that helps florists, too. She knows that teamwork requires hard work and collaboration to achieve a common goal—and that goal is for FTD Florists to be successful.

Can you summarize your professional experience?

My entire career has been in outside sales, and nearly 18 of those years have been at FTD. My FTD career began on April Fool’s Day 2003 as a Field Business Consultant for the Philly market. Two years later, I was promoted to Regional Vice President, the position that I currently hold.

What does your FTD team do?

My team consists of seven Field Business Consultants and a Marketplace Sales Specialist. We promote and sell products and services: point-of-sale, websites, fresh flowers, as well as marketplace and ecommerce advertising. With that, we work to establish, build and strengthen relationships by maintaining a high level of customer service with our members. We are also responsible for bringing non-member florists into the FTD family. If you know a flower shop that is not an FTD member, send them over so we can reach out and bring them onboard!

What is your top goal for members?

My ultimate goal is to be a useful resource to help our florist members grow their business.

What is your top tip for florists?

I think it’s important for florists to continually adapt and change. This includes learning new technology, and staying on top of consumers’ expectations—and then over deliver.

What are you most proud of in regard to your work at FTD? How do you think you can help members the most?

I’m proud that I can share nearly two decades of experience with my FTD Florists and be a helpful resource. I also try to help members by sharing what’s working for other florists. I always ask: “How can they grow? How can we push them to make positive changes?”

I heard you have great relationships with members. What makes you go the extra mile?

My relationships with our FTD Florists are based on respect and trust. I admire that our FTD members are resilient and dedicated small business owners. They work hard, and I have to work just as hard to provide a great experience and help them generate additional revenue.  I’m also a direct communicator. When I promise a member that I will take care of a request, I own it. I go the extra mile for my members, because when it’s crunch time they are also there for FTD. I love working with my florists. We’re friends—I know their families, their staff and in some cases even their pets!

How has COVID impacted the way you do your job?

COVID has really changed the way we interact with florists. We are usually in the “field” every day and our “office” is normally our car and flower shops. I miss the in-person interactions, but we’ve transitioned to the phone to keep our employees and florists safe. Working this way allows us to still stay in contact, but now it is over the phone, email and text.

What is your philosophy in work and life?

This is simple: Be Kind, be humble and treat others the way that you want to be treated. I also believe it’s important to be thankful and compassionate towards others.

What drew you to the floral industry? What do you like most about this industry?

Before I joined FTD, I was in sales at Verizon. We sold tangible items. I’m dating myself, but we sold packet data and tracking, pagers, and mobile phones installed in cars. It was boring. I thought it would be “fun” to work in a floral or gift store (before I knew how hard it was). After a really tough sales day at Verizon, I thought I would throw my pager out the window! That same day, my husband saw an ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer for a Field Business Consultant for FTD. The rest is history.  I love the floral industry! When we’re in the field, we get to visit so many beautiful flower shops. It’s awesome to be surrounded by such creative and dedicated people.

Do you have a favorite flower?

My favorite flower is dark purple mini calla lilies.

Together We Grow
FTD is continuing to grow and make changes. Our ultimate objective is to focus on the success of our members by identifying opportunities and providing the tools to help them achieve their goals. We want to improve your business and create exceptional customer experiences to grow the floral industry. We are excited to get back to our heritage and focus on our floral businesses – just like we did more than a century ago. When we collaborate with our Florist Partners, we are working towards our mutually beneficial success.