July at Palmer Flowers in Fort Collins, Colorado, is anything but laid back. It’s when key personnel gather to map out holiday displays. Read about their efforts as well as those of other florists who use the summer to prep for the holidays, in the July issue of Floral Management.
If your showroom is quiet lately, you might be tempted to simply write off the laidback vibe as your “slow season,” but that’s a mistake, according to Jeff Pruitt, chairman and CEO of Tallwave.
“Whether your company is brand new or you’ve already experienced some success, the fact of the matter is that situations beyond your control — including weather and current events — can send you into a temporary sales rut,” Pruitt writes for Inc.
Still, too often, business owners accept a slowdown as inevitable, when some extra hustle and innovation can bring in new work down the road, even when the current calendar is completely devoid of special events or floral occasions. (We’re looking at you, August.)
Here are some of Pruitt’s top tips on how to leverage down days:
Make noise when everyone else is quiet. “Try a strategy of over-delivering at a time when no one is expecting it,” Pruitt suggests. “Companies can become so locked in trying to make the biggest splash among all the pool-divers (during holiday season, big cultural events, etc.) that they miss the everyday opportunities to make an impact and stay more consistent throughout the year.” Try this: “Reach out to your current crop of customers to check in, make sure their needs are being met and (tactfully) ask for referrals, and your older leads to revisit the conversation,” Pruitt says. “Don’t think quick fix during slow times, think about laying the groundwork for the seasons ahead.”
Do a little summer cleaning — physically and mentally. Walk through your store as a customer might and critically evaluate displays and flow. What works? What could be better? In Fort Collins, Colorado, Tim Jordan and his team at Palmer Flowers start setting up their elaborate Christmas vignettes around the middle of July; that sets them on track to be ready for crowds of up to 2,000 for the shop’s popular open house. Summer can also be a natural time for the boss to focus on tasks that seem less pressing during busy times. “When things are rolling, it’s hard to keep all ducks in a row,” Pruitt says. “Slower seasons can be stressful, but they can also provide business owners with some clarity. Look inward during this time so you can re-evaluate some of your internal processes and tighten up parts of the business.” Try this. Make a list of tasks that keep falling down your list and then get to them, Pruitt says. “When was the last time you updated your email list? Your database can degrade by as much as 20 percent in a year, so use this time to prepare it for the next big rush.”
