Merchandise and sell plants and other relevant products

This standard is for those who merchandise and sell plants and other relevant products.

The standard involves ensuring that you understand the products you are merchandising and selling. To sell plants and relevant products successfully, you must be able to inform your customers about the requirements of the product, e.g. what condition it is to be kept in, storage requirements, watering methods, general care and maintenance, life cycle and how to establish a plant to achieve optimum growth.

Successful selling relies on attracting and retaining customers. In this environment you will need to be able to care for your customers and merchandise and sell your plants and relevant products. In order to do this successfully you must be actively involved in a selling role.

You must carry out your work in a way which will minimise the impact on the natural environment.

1. merchandise plants and other relevant products in a way which will attract customers and maximise sales
2. maintain optimum conditions for the plants as far as possible within the available facilities
3. provide food and water as required to maintain the condition of the plants
4. identify any plants or products that should be removed and take the required action
5. carry out stock rotation of plants and other products
6. monitor the development of new plants against the stock rotation plan and take action if there are any problems
7. use point-of-sale materials and labels effectively
8. promote linked sales
9. communicate well with customers
10. provide information to customers about the plants or other products you are selling
11. open and close sales satisfactorily
12. carry out your work in accordance with relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and organisational policies

1. how to merchandise plants and relevant products in order to maximise sales
2. the importance of plant location and the effect of heat and cold
3. how to maintain the condition of plants and other relevant products
4. different pests or diseases which affect plants and the appropriate action to take
5. the different ways plants are sold e.g. root wrap and containers
6. the principles of stock rotation
7. the value of point-of-sale material and the range available
8. how other sales can be linked to plant purchases
9. different methods of communication with customers and when to use them
10. who your customers are, what they expect and why they may not come back
11. the products you are selling
12. how to provide information to customers
13. the principles of good customer service
14. how to open and close sales satisfactorily
15. how to deal with queries and complaints
16. the importance of following relevant environmental and ecological best practice to help minimise the impact of your work on the environment
17. your responsibilities under relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, codes of practice and organisational policies

A.         display the following products to merchandise and sell:

1. growing media
2. containers
3. plant feed
4. plants
5. seeds
6. bulbs