Sponsored by Jacobson Floral Supply, SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast in Boston features Laura Daluga, AIFD; Paul Goodman, MBA, CPA, PFCI; Tim Huckabee and Crystal Vilkaitis
Fresh flowers and beautiful design alone do not make a successful florist. It’s that reality that’s driving veteran florist Carolyn Gulbankian dedicate her entire Saturday to honing her business skills and trends expertise.
“You can have the freshest flowers in the world, but to remain in business, you need a constant stream of new ideas to market your products and make money,” said the owner of Gulbankian Florist and Greenhouses in Southborough, Massachusetts.
Gulbankian is attending the SAF 1-Day Profit Blast in Boston on Sept. 23, where the Society of American Florists has assembled a lineup of experts ready to dispense proven techniques to increase florists’ profitability. Sponsored by Jacobson Floral Supply, the 8-hour program features presentations from experts on design profitability, money management, customer service and social media marketing.
Laura Daluga, AIFD, headlines the event with a lively demonstration, “Exceeding the Design Demands of Today’s Gift Givers,” sponsored by Smithers-Oasis. A fourth-generation florist and the owner of Department of Floristry in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Daluga will focus on how to charm millennials (now the most populous demographic in the U.S., with a purchasing power topping $200 billion a year). From embracing sustainability to choosing products with nostalgic details, she brims with strategies for appealing to customers’ ideals and emotions to drive sales.
During “A Roadmap for Profitable Deliveries,” Paul Goodman, CPA, MBA, PFCI, Floral Management columnist and author of “The Profit-Minded Florist,” dives into the nitty gritty details of one of your most valuable services — identifying tips to minimize labor and vehicle costs, increase volume and turn last-minute orders and other special requests into money-making opportunities.
Typical, tired sales habits (“our designs start at $29”) will go under the microscope when FloralStrategies President Tim Huckabee takes the stage. Hear why they fail and learn language that makes you sound more polished and professional in “Build the Perfect Sales Script.”
Crystal Vilkaitis, the owner of Social Edge and Floral Management’s “Your Digital Brand” coloumnist, has worked with thousands of business owners to help them save time, gain confidence and increase local exposure, foot traffic and sales via social media. Vilkaitis will present “The Social Selling Mindset,” which addresses the traits of retailers who succeed at social selling and how to turn employees into passionate ambassadors.
The diverse curriculum convinced Gulbankian to sign up for her first SAF event. She’s eager to learn anything she can to be “a top notch florist who fulfills customers’ new wants, like entertainment.”
The event’s focus on business lured Lori Kunian, AIFD. “I know how to design. But I can always use tips to improve how I operate,” said the owner of Affairs to Remember in Melrose, Massachusetts. She’s most excited for Vilkaitis’ presentation. “I seem to struggle with social media selling and am hoping to learn lots about the psychology behind it,” she said.
Goodman’s expertise hooked Judy Pyszka. “He is so familiar with the floral industry and his methods work,” said the general manager of Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, New Hampshire. “I was so excited to see this event was coming to my area!”
Thomas Massingham looks forward to his first SAF event in several years. The president of Garrison Hill Florists, Inc., in Dover, New Hampshire, used to attend the annual convention and Congressional Action Days, but found in recent years found budgeting and scheduling several days away from the shop too burdensome to continue. “A compact program in my geographic area is exactly what I’ve wanted,” he said. He’s bringing two employees with him, in large part to hear Huckabee’s presentation. “Tim’s a definite draw,” Massingham said. “We had him in the store for training a couple of years ago and a refresher is due.”
Massingham also anticipates a lot of valuable networking during his day in Boston.
“Sitting together over a meal or drinks, we always learn new things from each other,” he said. “Long ago, I was amazed to find that, large or small, wherever we were located, however long we’d been in business, we all had the same problems. We shared our problems, and we shared our solutions, and we were all better florists for having had that experience.
On-site registration for SAF 1-Day Profit Blast in Boston opens at 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 23 the Boston Marriott Peabody.
Save the Date: SAF 1-Day Profit Blast in Louisville, Kentucky is Saturday, Nov. 4 and is underwritten by the Bill Doran Company.
