August 2018
No. 7
|
This is the seventh in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Tricky Sales Made Simpler
Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
July 2018
No. 6
|
This is the sixth in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Stay on Target
Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
June 2018
No. 5
|
This is the fifth in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Summer School for Florists
Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
April/May 2018
No. 4
|
This is the fourth in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Spring Tuneup
Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
March 2018
No. 3
|
This is the third in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Your Voice is Your Best Tool
Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
February 2018
No. 2
|
This is the second in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Let Your Customers spend more!
This is a continuation of the content in print. Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
I love waiting on walk-in customers. You simply never know what’s going to come out of their mouths and so very often their profile doesn’t fit their spending patterns. And there’s an interesting point to discuss with your team…
Age profiling is a HUGE mistake that is rampant in our industry. In walks a teenage boy, asking about flowers for his mom’s birthday. What too many staff will do is assume that he has little money and offer him a bud vase or starting-point arrangement. Until I hear differently, I think EVERY customer wants to make a splash on birthday flowers and I would offer him a large design to celebrate her birthday. For all we know he has saved up his lawn-cutting money and has $150 burning a hole in his pocket! Another version of that scenario is assuming that the proverbial little old lady who came in to send congratulations flowers to her niece only wants to choose or spend the minimum. Not in my book! I never sell to a customer’s age, I sell to their needs. In the same way that I would have offered that young man a large design for his mom, I would have offered this older customer an appropriately large design for her needs. If the customer does not want to spend that much they will tell us. We cannot determine their budget for them. That’s not fair. And it’s bad business. The other component of selling on the floor that you should discuss with your team is how they greet customers. The standard, outdated approach is to simply ask, “How can I help you?” or “What are you looking for?” and then to escort that to the cooler and stand there like a lump on a log while the customer desperately tries to choose the best option. There is a better way…INTRODUCE customers to what you feel to be the best choice for their needs. I greet customers by asking, “What is it that you’re celebrating today?” or “Are you shopping for birthday or get-well flowers today?” Then I say, “Let me introduce you to a perfect design…” as I walk with them to the cooler. Let’s get your staff thinking about better options for walk-in customers. Download TOOL 1803, an exercise to explore why customers are shopping and how to come up with some clever options. We need your feedback! Drop me a line on how your first meeting went at [email protected] |
Tool 1803 PDF
Tool 1803 WORD DOC
|
January 2018
No. 1
|
This is the first in a 10-part series aimed at empowering Floral Management readers to build a foundation month by month, sale by sale, for higher sales, more confident employees and happier customers.
|
Let Your Customers spend more!
This is a continuation of the content in print. Download the latest print article below.
|
Tim Huckabee, FSC, is the president of FloralStrategies, which provides customer service, sales and POS system training to retail and wholesale florists. [email protected]
See SMART SELLING LIVE at the following SAF Profit Blast one-day regional workshops (CLICK HERE)
|
> When I started my career in our industry at a retail flower shop in New York City 25 years ago, meetings were a huge part of the culture: we had them on a regular basis and looked forward to them! Over the years we experimented with holding meetings at different times, before and after store hours. The advantage of the morning was that we knew we had to cover it all in time to open the doors. That advantage of the evening was that we could take our time and delve deeper into certain topics. Try them both to see what’s the best fit for your staff.
Another reason our meetings we’re so fruitful was that everyone knew that we would have a voice in the meeting and be able to share our feedback and opinions. To facilitate that dynamic, we had an agenda posted on the wall in a common area where we could jot down our ideas, thoughts, and observations over the week. For example, if we had customers repeatedly asking for something we did not carry, we would write it down. Likewise, if we noticed repeated complaints about a vase or plant, we would share that information. You can download a sample agenda for your next meeting (TOOL 1801 at right). The final element in the success of our meetings was the follow up and follow through. There would be a designated note taker at each meeting to capture the key points and turn them into bullet point minutes, so we remembered what was covered as well as what we had to do and change. An easy 21st century workaround is to simply place your phone on the table and record the session, facilitating the writing of the minutes by anyone. Timing is crucial: get that simple recap in the hands of all staff within days. Download a basic template for your store minutes (TOOL 1802 at right). We need your feedback! Drop me a line on how your first meeting went at [email protected] |
Tool 1801 PDF
Tool 1801 WORD DOC
Tool 1802 PDF
Tool 1802 WORD DOC
|