Need a little sales-pick-me-up around your business this summer? Um, yes, please! Look to grooms and in-store workshops if you want to leverage “new” sales opportunities.
That’s according to Jody McLeod, AIFD, NCCPF of Annie V’s Floral Design Studio in Clayton, North Carolina, who shared design tips and advice on how to streamline operations and run a more profitable business during the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast in Boston.
Two of his top tips:
Cozy up to grooms (and their moms). Of course, you’re meeting with brides and their parents for wedding consultations, but are you also reaching out to the mother (and father) of grooms? They want to look good, too, McLeod said. “I did weddings for 20 years before I started thinking about pitching flowers for the rehearsal dinner,” he lamented. He suggests gently pulling out information on the groom during each wedding consultation (his likes and hobbies), making it easier to follow up with ideas on how to personalize the rehearsal dinner (traditionally paid for by the groom’s family). “We’ve increased our average wedding sale by $1,500 just by doing rehearsals,” he said.
Bring activities in-store. Paint nights and ceramic parties are all the rage in cities and towns around the country, and florists are perfectly positioned to host exactly these kinds of experience-based events in-store, McLeod said. Some topics that he’s found particularly popular: Urban gardening and DIY terrarium bars. “These are concepts that are huge with both millennials and seniors,” he promised. “People are looking for family-friendly activities to do and these can be perfect for customers of all ages, especially if you add refreshments.”
Read more about DIY terrarium bars and how you can make money off the plant craze.
SAF’s next 1-Day Profit Blast is scheduled for July 21 in Kansas City, Missouri. Find out more and register today.
Mary Westbrook is the editor in chief of Floral Management.
