Stop and Sell the Roses

Lessons from Business and Life

Everybody knows Jim McCann. He's the "flower guy," the CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS, who appears in all those terrific television ads. McCann is actually a unique corporate leader who in less than a decade took his company from the verge of bankruptcy to a $300 million business that ranks as the world's largest florist. Now in this upbeat, engaging book, McCann tells the amazing story of how he bootstrapped his way to phenomenal business success--and how you can do it too.

Forget the hard sell, the killer instinct, the power suit, and the iron handshake. If you want to make a business take off these days, you need to base it on relationships--warm, real, human contact with the people you work with and sell to. McCann says it best: "Like all human relationships, business involves a need to make contact. Satisfy that need and the money will follow."

In Stop and Sell the Roses, McCann shares the secrets he learned along his unique road to success, a journey that began in one of New York's toughest neighborhoods and resulted in a multimillion-dollar business. Learn from McCann how to:


Build invaluable loyalty through emotional bonds
Pick the technology that frees up your creative time
Harness the awesome power of the brand
Prepare for crunch times and stay tough when business is slow
Make money on the Internet by reaching beyond the computer screen
Hire passionate people
Leap-frog from job to job with an eye to your long-term success

And much more!

Funny, insightful, brimming with McCann's irresistible wit and street-smart wisdom, this is a business book like no other you've ever read--a book that will make you laugh as it gives you the tools you need to build your own winning business today.

Jim McCann is the president of 1-800-FLOWERS, the world's largest florist. Prior to becoming a florist more than twenty years ago, he was a social worker in New York City.

Jim was recently named Toastmasters International's top business speaker. His other honors include the Entrepeneur of the Year Award, the Retailer of the Year Award, and the Direct Marketer of the Year Award. He is also active in numerous business and community organizations, including the board of directors of Gateway 2000, OfficeMax, the National Retail Federation, PETCO Animal Supplies, and Very Special Arts. Jim lives on Long Island with his wife and three children.