IT’S ALL IN PRESENTATION

We work very hard in the floral industry to make our daily sales goals happen. We advertise our products in many ways, we take pride in sending out our best work with the freshest product from Florabundance, and we offer exceptional service in all areas…except one; that one being the selling process. The way a floral arrangement is sold either over the phone or across the counter makes all the difference to you and your customer and will be remembered from that time forward.
All retail wants to increase their sales. We want to be able to increase our average sale to maximize the advertising dollars that it took to gain those customers. You can increase the average sale without spending any money simply by harnessing the power of language!
Some words grab your attention immediately. Words such as “Caution”, “Warning”, “Do Not Enter”, all get your attention immediately. We are aware of these and what they mean. But words such as “Nice”, “Pretty”, and “Standard”, all ring hollow and empty. Yet, these empty and meaningless words are the descriptive language used in flower shops across the country to describe one of the most beautiful things on the Earth. That being flowers!
Think about what is pretty to you. It may not be pretty to another person and what does that really mean when it comes to floral arrangements? Are the colors balances? Does it have a color harmony? Does it contain interesting forms and blend textures in a pleasing way? The word ‘pretty’ really doesn’t tell anyone much. “I’ll make it pretty” is a phrase overused in most shops across the country. The same goes for ‘Nice’. What does that really mean to a customer? These are words that are like marshmallow cream, sweet but not very satisfying.
Working with your staff to include better descriptive words is a great way to involve everyone in this process. Descriptive words that one person might be comfortable using may not be as comfortable for another to use, so brainstorm to have a list of ‘comfortable’ descriptive words that everyone can draw from. Make a list of words and hang them by the phones so when a customer calls the words can be seen and will help jog everyone’s memory. Words such as “Lush”, Accented with”, “Classic”, “Most Popular”, “Stylish”, “Keepsake”, “Impressive”, and “Fragrant” are a few words to get the thought process moving. Having adjectives that conjure an image or emotion work best. Think of how a restaurant describes food. You can’t see the food, but when you get done reading the description on the menu, you might be swayed by the description to give it a try. Many wait staff hear the phrase,” That sounds interesting, I think I’ll try that”. Most of the time it is because of the way the words were used to conjure the image.
Training the sales staff to include adjectives will help take you from ordinary to extraordinary! It’s all in the presentation. Close your eyes and try to get a visual image of what or how a floral styling is being described the next time you hear a co-worker guide a customer through a sale. Then, ask yourself if I didn’t know what he or she was talking about, would I be motivated to buy it based on the description I just heard?
Words are your most powerful tools in the flower shop. Use them to your advantage to increase your sales. It is often the words you choose that sell the arrangement or service. Choose them wisely and make them work for you!