11 Proven Ways to Make Prom EASY!
FlowerChatters are full of great advice on all floral-related matters. Prom is no exception. So when a few members posed questions about the annual teenage rite of passage, fellow florists were happy to offer their tips.
Following, then, are just a few of the ideas gleaned from the FlowerChat forums that may help you turn prom from being pesky into being a pleasure:
1) Set up a corsage “bar.” Include every wristlet, rhinestone and ribbon on display. Create an order form with all the options. Set a base price and then charge separately for each accent. One florist last year said she priced an elastic band with roses at $35 and orchids at $40. “Some specialty bands were $10, but we had a few (our bestsellers) that were $15 each. Other add-ons were $1.50-$4.50 each. The customer saw the prices and the product and created their own order. NO ONE [complained] about the price. I was in shock! That has never happened before. Our medium price was $50-$55 per corsage this year, and that has never been the case.”
2) Limit flower choices. For example, only offer roses, dendros or a combination. Don’t open up your full cooler to indecisive teens.
3) Stay organized with baggies. Place all nonfresh elements for each order into a plastic bag, including a copy of the form. If time permits, make the bow and place it into the bag, also. Drop each bag into a box for the specific prom day.
4) Make a sample corsage (or two). Keep it in the cooler during the two weeks before prom. “When someone is being really anxious about what it will look like, I take it out and let them see the exact size,” wrote one FlowerChatter. “ I hate when someone freaks out when they pick up. They usually do it in a store full of people, and they get everyone worked up. This system has kept me sane and has educated our customers. I love when they come back and tell me that they ‘won’ the corsage competition because ours was the nicest in the group! It is very competitive socially around here, and the moms feel the pressure.”
5) Be patient—but charge for it. Keep in mind that, usually, the more time a customer (the girl or the mother of the boy) spends deciding on the different options, the more money she is probably willing to part with. So whatever time you spend in consulting, charge accordingly.
6) Make orders as “self-serve”as possible. To do so, develop your form with simple pricing and check-off boxes for options such as colors and whether they want to choose all the options themselves or leave it up to the designer (“designer’s choice”). Limit the number of bracelets, rhinestones, feathers, etc., and put all ribbon on display. Add signage, a measuring tape and a pair of scissors and have the customer cut her own 2 yards of ribbon to put into a bag with her selected options. Then simply ring up all the options in her bag.
7) Hire an extra hand. (Remember that college student mentioned in the story “Profitable Proms? It’s Possible!”?) Train her in the basic techniques. If she’s especially good, set her up at a table in the front of the shop so customers can watch her in action.
8) Don’t hover. If a customer is taking too much of your time in making her choices, excuse yourself with a simple, “Please keep picking out your options, and I’ll be back in just a few minutes. I’ve simply got to finish up an arrangement that needs to go out the door right away.” Usually, by the time you return—10 or so minutes later—most choices will be finalized, and you can ring up the order.
9) Request a photo. Ask each customer to text or email a photo of her dress to you and put that with the order. “We have fun taking elements from the dress and putting it into the corsage,” said one florist. “Everyone loved theirs. Instead of fighting them, we used color hues from the dress as an extension of the dress.” Similarly, another florist suggested adding “lots of bling and fun, twisted wire; pieces of this and that; sparkles, etc... The girls love it, and business has been skyrocketing every year simply from word of mouth.”
10) Focus on offering unique designs. “Our cheapest corsage is $25, but most are in the $30-$35 range,” said one florist, adding that if the customer chooses a higher-end bracelet, then profits increase accordingly. Despite being located in a low-income area, she says, “People are willing to pay more if they get more. We hear many, many comments about the ‘junk’ made by the competition. People are so happy with the unique, fun, one-of-a-kind pieces we do that they happily pay a little extra.”
11) Encourage callers to come in. Suggest that call-in orders visit the shop in person to choose their colors or risk a remake fee (such as $10) if they decide at pick-up that colors don’t match. Alternately, offer call-in orders limited accent options such as silver, gold or an irridescent hue. (Getting them in the door serves the dual purpose of exposing them to all of the other merchandise you have on display and exposing them to the beauty of flowers in general.)
Have any tips to share? Send a note to [email protected] so your fellow florists can benefit from your advice!
FlowerChatters are full of great advice on all floral-related matters. Prom is no exception. So when a few members posed questions about the annual teenage rite of passage, fellow florists were happy to offer their tips.
Following, then, are just a few of the ideas gleaned from the FlowerChat forums that may help you turn prom from being pesky into being a pleasure:
1) Set up a corsage “bar.” Include every wristlet, rhinestone and ribbon on display. Create an order form with all the options. Set a base price and then charge separately for each accent. One florist last year said she priced an elastic band with roses at $35 and orchids at $40. “Some specialty bands were $10, but we had a few (our bestsellers) that were $15 each. Other add-ons were $1.50-$4.50 each. The customer saw the prices and the product and created their own order. NO ONE [complained] about the price. I was in shock! That has never happened before. Our medium price was $50-$55 per corsage this year, and that has never been the case.”
2) Limit flower choices. For example, only offer roses, dendros or a combination. Don’t open up your full cooler to indecisive teens.
3) Stay organized with baggies. Place all nonfresh elements for each order into a plastic bag, including a copy of the form. If time permits, make the bow and place it into the bag, also. Drop each bag into a box for the specific prom day.
4) Make a sample corsage (or two). Keep it in the cooler during the two weeks before prom. “When someone is being really anxious about what it will look like, I take it out and let them see the exact size,” wrote one FlowerChatter. “ I hate when someone freaks out when they pick up. They usually do it in a store full of people, and they get everyone worked up. This system has kept me sane and has educated our customers. I love when they come back and tell me that they ‘won’ the corsage competition because ours was the nicest in the group! It is very competitive socially around here, and the moms feel the pressure.”
5) Be patient—but charge for it. Keep in mind that, usually, the more time a customer (the girl or the mother of the boy) spends deciding on the different options, the more money she is probably willing to part with. So whatever time you spend in consulting, charge accordingly.
6) Make orders as “self-serve”as possible. To do so, develop your form with simple pricing and check-off boxes for options such as colors and whether they want to choose all the options themselves or leave it up to the designer (“designer’s choice”). Limit the number of bracelets, rhinestones, feathers, etc., and put all ribbon on display. Add signage, a measuring tape and a pair of scissors and have the customer cut her own 2 yards of ribbon to put into a bag with her selected options. Then simply ring up all the options in her bag.
7) Hire an extra hand. (Remember that college student mentioned in the story “Profitable Proms? It’s Possible!”?) Train her in the basic techniques. If she’s especially good, set her up at a table in the front of the shop so customers can watch her in action.
8) Don’t hover. If a customer is taking too much of your time in making her choices, excuse yourself with a simple, “Please keep picking out your options, and I’ll be back in just a few minutes. I’ve simply got to finish up an arrangement that needs to go out the door right away.” Usually, by the time you return—10 or so minutes later—most choices will be finalized, and you can ring up the order.
9) Request a photo. Ask each customer to text or email a photo of her dress to you and put that with the order. “We have fun taking elements from the dress and putting it into the corsage,” said one florist. “Everyone loved theirs. Instead of fighting them, we used color hues from the dress as an extension of the dress.” Similarly, another florist suggested adding “lots of bling and fun, twisted wire; pieces of this and that; sparkles, etc... The girls love it, and business has been skyrocketing every year simply from word of mouth.”
10) Focus on offering unique designs. “Our cheapest corsage is $25, but most are in the $30-$35 range,” said one florist, adding that if the customer chooses a higher-end bracelet, then profits increase accordingly. Despite being located in a low-income area, she says, “People are willing to pay more if they get more. We hear many, many comments about the ‘junk’ made by the competition. People are so happy with the unique, fun, one-of-a-kind pieces we do that they happily pay a little extra.”
11) Encourage callers to come in. Suggest that call-in orders visit the shop in person to choose their colors or risk a remake fee (such as $10) if they decide at pick-up that colors don’t match. Alternately, offer call-in orders limited accent options such as silver, gold or an irridescent hue. (Getting them in the door serves the dual purpose of exposing them to all of the other merchandise you have on display and exposing them to the beauty of flowers in general.)
Have any tips to share? Send a note to [email protected] so your fellow florists can benefit from your advice!