To drive sales during this period of chaos and confusion, it’s key to embrace a variety of tactics — including those that occur offline. During a recent Society of American Florists webinar, a trio of florists shared some “old school” strategies that have helped them stay on customers’ radars.
SAF Director of Career Development Kate Delaney, AAF, moderated the session, “How I’m Doing It: Low-Tech Ways to Stay in Front of Customers and Drive Sales,” which featured SAF Board member Michael Pugh, AAF, of Pugh’s Flowers in Memphis, W. Kurt Schroeder, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of Tiger Lily Flowers in Sarasota, and Monty Pereira of Watanabe Floral in Honolulu. The three shared some inexpensive tactics that have been around for many years but work swimmingly, especially during this crisis.
Here are a few of their tips:
Update your signage. Pugh’s four locations in Memphis now feature giant signs on the front doors that reads, “WE’RE OPEN!” The marquee signs also feature this message, along with the shop’s phone number and website, prompting people to order online or over the phone. “I think this cost us about $45 at Vistaprint,” Pugh said. “It is so important. People don’t know if you’re open. This will catch their attention while they’re driving on their essential errands.”
Embrace snail mail. Raise your hand if you got hundreds of emails from companies sharing their plan for handling COVID-19. “People have email fatigue, especially now,” Pugh said. “They do, however, seem to open physical mail.” The trick is to personalize materials so that they don’t look like junk mail, he explained. Every Wednesday, he prints letters on Microsoft Word that go out to past customers who have ordered birthday or anniversary flowers the following week. His POS lets him produce customized letters that include the order number from the previous year, which makes it easy for the customer and sales team alike. “It costs us .75 to $1 a letter, but we get a 60 percent return on investment,” he said. “It’s well worth it and people appreciate the reminder.”
Pick up the phone. Like Pugh, Schroeder knows that “the easiest sale is a current customer.” That’s why he has his staff calling clients, letting them know they are open and eager to help bridge the distance between loved ones with flowers. “It’s easier to delete an email than it is to hang up during a personal call,” he said, adding that people really want to talk right now. While he provides a script for employees to ensure they sound professional (a sample of which he shares during the webinar), Schroeder encourages them to chat with “talkative” customers. “You will have more success if you have a conversation rather than if you rush the call,” he said.
Befriend the media. Following weeks of back and forth with the governor trying to receive an exemption to open, Watanabe Floral finally prevailed on April 28. There was a front-page news story about this, as well as broadcast coverage. “That was huge!” Pereira said. “We’ve cultivated a relationship with the media over a long period. As a result, there was a news crew parked outside our shop the day before we reopened.”
Bartering has helped Pereira connect with news and radio stations. “They all want to do things like giveaways for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day,” he said. “While it might seem like a pain to participate during your busiest times of the year, if you come through for them when they need help, they will do the same for you.” (For more tips on getting media coverage, check out this recent webinar.)
Right now, Pereira suggests reaching out to your local T.V. and radio stations to inquire about advertising opportunities. “They are hurting, too,” he said. “You might be able to get an ad for pennies on the dollar.” He recommends introducing yourself as a small business owner, stating your budget and asking if they can work with you. “You might be very surprised with what you can get!”
For more tips, click here to watch the full webinar.
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing writer and editor for the Society of American Florists.
