SYMPATHY MATTERS

As the floral industry starts into its typically slow season, this is a good time to examine where there might be additional resources for rounding out the summer slows. While there may still be event work in some areas of the country that the heat is not too intense, there still needs to be a way to even out the highs and the lows for several reasons.
First it is a matter of cash flow. While the feast times are just that, they are few and far between the famine times. If you sit down and count up the feast times and then compare them to the famine times, you will probably notice that there is a 30% to 70% ratio. That means a little over 1/4th of the year is considered lean for cash flow.
The second big reason has to do with staffing. Staffing is one of the biggest drains on most flower shops. Considering that staff costs generally run anywhere from 30-45% in many retail shops, this tells us that most shops over staff 70% of the year. That can lead to an expensive drain on a shops cash flow. The answer is one of two. Either reduce staff during the lean times or generate additional income. This additional income may be as close as your local funeral director’s door.
Start by making a personal visit. You may see the director when delivering flowers for a visitation, but his focus at this time is the visitation at hand and probably does not want to stop and chat about future business. Your chances will be much better if you stop by when he or she is not busy with a client or pending service. Most directors like to snack, so perhaps a small goodie basket of fruit and some easy to eat sweets might be a nice gesture to take along. Keep it simple and not overwhelming. You don’t want to appear to be buying his or her loyalty or as a bribe.
Ask the questions that you would want to be asked of you if someone was trying to win you as a customer. Ask if they are pleased with their current level of service they are receiving from their current supplier and what you might be able to do to gain additional referral business. Be ready to tout your strengths and how it can best benefit their business. Keep in mind that if you cannot offer anything better for service, price will not matter. You and your staff will need to be in the 24/7 exceptional service mode. This means weekends and holidays as well, so be prepared to have the staffing necessary to perform at all times and for every request.
Along with exceptional service is the ability to provide quality work. This is one of the few times that people can AND DO compare your work with your fellow florists. Your work will be seen by more people than at most any other and compared against each other. Although we know how important price is, the customers think they spent the most and should be the best in show. This does not mean that you should over-compensate or supplement the arrangement from your own profit, but you do want to make sure you are extending full value for the customer. Good designs that are fresh and sturdy make a good impression. Know what your market expects for style and for presentation. We never want to disappoint a customer by under-performing or making unauthorized substitutions. This is a very emotional time and the least little mistake can come back to haunt you; however, the good business and high level of service can come back to reward you with future business.
When you prove yourself during the challenging times, customers will remember and reward you during the good times as well. Sympathy flowers have a long history in the industry. Be aggressive and ready to ask for sympathy business. Don’t be hesitant to let people know you are in business for them for every occasion.