MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY A SUCCESS!

Just about the time when you think if I have to look at one more red arrangement, I am going to go crazy! Well, you may not want to look at another red arrangement, but many of your customers do because Valentine’s Day is in the air and out in the stores already! We too need to be getting geared up to make this holiday a success!
Many retailers of past always had the mindset that it was not necessary to do any advertising because their customers were loyal and they would come to them no matter what the other retailers advertised. They were also of the mindset that it was ok to take the phones off the hook days in advance because their customers would stop by and purchase their products no matter what. They also believed it was better to wait to place their order for fresh flowers the week of the holiday because was always plenty of product no matter what was being forecasted. By the way, those traditional retailers are probably no longer in business as the market has changed both in the way the customer buys and the availability of flowers currently.
Savvy retailers recognize the importance of advertising in a many formats. Your website is one of the most cost effective ways to reach your current customers and those who are browsing for creative ideas, levels of service such as delivery and business hours, and of course pricing information. Imagine the frustration you would experience if you were trying to gather information about a product, level of service and pricing in an area you are not familiar with. The frustration many websites create drive potential customers away by being too vague and uninformative. While the mindset may be that if you put your prices out for your competition to see they will know what you are charging and will under price you. You have to know what your prices need to be and assess the correct costs to maintain a profitable business no matter what your competition does. Your business is just that; it is YOUR business! Know what you do well and what your prices need to be to make it profitable. Believe it or not, not every customer price shops. Many customers value their time more than spending hours on the internet to save a couple of dollars. It is important to offer pricing at all levels so everyone from kids, to young people, to adults have options of price points and choices within those price points.
Being prepared for the busiest single day holiday is a huge undertaking! It just doesn’t happen by chance. It takes weeks and weeks of preparedness to make it a success. Like any major event such as a large party or wedding, the success comes prior to the event because of accurate planning. This year with Valentine’s Day being on a Tuesday, it will be far busier as there are less options such as weekend getaways, late night dinners and hotel packages to compete with. The flip side is that many people will want their deliveries early to places of employment, so it adds pressure to have early morning delivery service available. Preparing means having prototypes designed, recipes in place, sufficient product ordered to produce the forecasted numbers needed, adequate sales, design and delivery help in place to handle the high demand of customer requests. You work hard all year long to entice, and keep your customer base intact. Having the phones off the hook or being off line is the best way to send your customers to your competition or worse, away from the floral industry for good! Not being prepared to handle the volume is not something to brag about, but rather a wake-up call for the lack of customer service available. Whether extenuating circumstances prevent you from offering all the services you might normally offer, at least maintain customer contact and offer same day pick up or next day delivery options. Learn from last year’s history. Expand on the good points and make a plan not to repeat the shortcomings of prior holidays. Customer loyalty is as good as your last opportunity of performance.
In years past, there was often a glut of product that made its way to market at the last minute. Unfortunately, this product was often inferior quality and not something you would want to send out to your best customer. All your customers are “your best customers’ so treat them all fairly. Quality floral product is spoken for by the wholesalers early, so you want to make sure you are covered and supplied with the best product available. By committing early, you know you will be covered and not have to worry about if the product is going to be available and what price you might end up paying for it because of high demand. Get in early, make your commitment to your Account Manager and move on to other areas that need your attention. Use your past sales history to make intelligent buying decisions for this holiday.
With all the attention in all the areas of your operation, interface with staff persons from all departments to make the best plan of attack. Make your plan and then work your plan. Then when those unexpected surprises that Mother Nature may send your way arise, you will have time to deal with them in a calm and logical way. Check with your Wholesale Floral Consultant today to get your game plan set.