PROM TIME

Prom is the event in a young girl’s life that she looks forward to from about the time she is eight years old. If you ask a young girl about what her prom will be like, she will be able to share all the hopes, dreams and desires of what this special day will be like. We want to be part of that dream come true. Not only does it bring you a satisfied client, but that young lady represents about $35,000 in future business. Not only does she attend multiple proms, but also will be getting married, sending flowers for both personal and professional reasons over her life time. Unless she moves away or something is not to satisfaction, this young lady is a customer for a lifetime!
The average couple in the United States spends just over $1,800 on prom. That includes the dress, shoes, tuxedo, hair, make-up, nails, tanning, limo, prom tickets, dinner, and yes, flowers. The question you want to ask is how much of that budget are you getting? It is important to connect with the girl when selling the flowers because she will spend more because she has ‘the look’ in mind that she wants to create. This vision can and should include a total look. A hairpiece, a wrist corsage or bouquet, perhaps a necklace trimmed with flowers, a small floral accessory for her handbag and don’t forget the shoes! This month’s Flower’s & magazine from Teleflora shows lots of great ideas for proms.
One thing you want to ask yourself is,”Am I in the prom business”? If the answer is yes, then start looking internally to see where you are going for this year’s prom season and then start figuring out how you are going to make the goals happen. For instance, one goal might be to increase your corsages by 50 more this year than last year. How are you going to make that happen? One way is to WOW your store. Make up examples in permanent botanicals for the girls to be able to try on when they come in to place their order. Put up a display that shows a prom dress and tuxedo that could be borrowed from your local dress and tux shops in your market area. As a return gesture, make up some examples for them to display in their stores along with your contact information. While you are making those contacts, don’t forget to stop by the limo companies in your area, hair salons, nail and tanning salons to ask if you can put some examples and literature in their store and be sure to reciprocate the favor by collecting their information for your display. You will want to display a few high end corsages in the $75.00 – $100.00 range for ‘those girls’, the majority in the middle range of pricing from $30.00 – $50.00 and then a few lower ticket items as well. What you will find in most customers pick the mid-range price point, so you probably just increased your bottom line without even trying. Also take a look at wowing your website to make sure you are attracting the eye of the casual shopper and those who like to investigate on line prior to making the in-store visit. Do encourage photos of the dress and some will even make an appointment to have your undivided attention for a personal consultation. Remember, it is THAT important for a young lady’s dream to come true.
When it comes to selling flowers, make sure you have an adequate selection of all the different types of flowers you might want to suggest. Cymbidium Orchids, Mini Spray Cymbidium Orchids, Spray Roses, Gardenias. Stephanotis, Roses, Dendrobium Orchids, and all the other popular varieties that will entice your customer’s interest and give your shop a bit of distinction are what you will want to showcase. If you are only stocking the same flowers as the other shops in your area, then you can only compete on price and no one wins that war. But, if you have the most unique and different flowers, then you set yourself above the ordinary.
Make the commitment to have fun this prom season, do your homework to know what colors and styles are the most popular and be prepared to have the best prom season ever!