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Owning a flower business is definitely not easy. One of the hardest parts is acing your floral client consultation. Consultations are certainly a make-or-break moment for a potential client especially in the floral industry. The people you’re meeting with need to feel like you are an expert who will take care of all their needs during their planning process. Below are our top 4 tips and tricks, gathered by experts in the floral business, for acing your client consultations.
Create a process, don’t just wing it!
Set up a plan with a list of important questions to ask your client. talk through your design ideas and inspiration, discuss your specific needs, and then talk about the budget. This will ensure that you and the client are on the same page as well as show them that you are well organized and know what you’re doing. This will also allow for a tailored proposal suitable for your clients specific needs and requests.
Set clear deadlines.
Set a clear expectation in your consultations that once your client receives their proposal, they have a week to make their decision before their date is released on your calendar and is not available anymore. You can also make note of this on your website and social media to make sure deadlines are met. Even if you might make accommodations for yourself and your floral business needs outside of those timelines, it will help encourage people to sign the proposed contract and pay their deposit in a timely manner without any further issues!
Don’t forget to follow up.
Make sure you follow up with your potential client to seal the deal. Setting deadlines as in the previous tip will definitely help with this, but a reminder every now and then won’t hurt! It will reassure you and set your mind at ease. In any post-consultation dialog, speak to your potential floral client as if they have already booked you! This simple mind-set shift will make clients feel like you are already working together. They will feel excited to begin the process and will more likely remember to sign their contracts and provide their deposits without an overdue wait!
Personal gift!
When the floral consultation is complete whether your client ended up booking with you or needs more time, now is your opportunity to leave a long lasting impression. Have a set of floral business consultation gifts ready that you can give your clients as their send-off. The purpose of this small gift is for your floral business to resonate with your client and encourage them to get back to you!
