Tim Huckabee will detail the processes that will improve your shop’s customer satisfaction on May 20 during the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast in Detroit. Register by May 16 and tickets are just $139 for members and $189 for non-members.
The calendar may read September but according to one floral industry expert, it’s high time for florists to be thinking Christmas. And that means it’s also time to train your staff in best practice sales techniques — to ready your business for the holiday rush and keep the momentum going all year.
“Too often I see the holiday season catch florists off guard,” writes Tim Huckabee of FloralStrategies LLC, a featured presenter Oct. 7 at the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast in Portland, Oregon. “Tough love is the hallmark of my approach to motivating you to become a more proactive owner/manager, and October is the perfect month to get sales ready for the fourth quarter.”
Huckabee’s “Smart Selling” session will bring together advice and practical tips based on his experience visiting more than 6,000 shops as a consultant. During his session, attendees will learn:
- How to teach your team how to give exemplary service on the phone and on the floor;
- How you can easily increase nearly every sale by 20 percent or more by simply listening better, and;
- Where to find hidden profits in the items and services your staff aren’t offering shoppers now.
Huckabee will also conduct mystery calls and discuss some of the major mistakes he sees shop owners making every day — including under-utilizing (or not using at all) must-have tools such as point of sale system.
“It’s 2018. Any shop, regardless of size, should be on a POS system,” Huckabee said. “There are myriad options to suit any budget and size of shop. Shifting to running a technology-driven shop increases profitability. The old adage rings true: You need to spend money to earn it.”
Jen Linehan, CF, CFD of Beautiful Blooms by Jen in Sylvania, Ohio, attended the 1-Day Profit Blast in Detroit earlier this year and said the time away from her business was worth the investment.
“I love attending 1-Day Profit Blasts because it’s the perfect amount of information to come back and instantly implement things in your shop and what you change instantly pays for the conference,” Linehan said.
Sponsored by Frank Adams Wholesale Florist, SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast in Portland features popular floral industry speakers including social media expert Crystal Valkaitis who will talk about making better connections in “What’s Up (and Coming) with Social Media“; Floral Management contributor Derrick Myers, CPA, CFP, PFCI, who will discuss profits in “Treasure Hunt: Finding Your Hidden Profits“; and Derek C. Woodruff, AIFD, CFD, CF, PFCI, who will be on-site to dish about design and bottom line considerations during “M3: Money Making Mechanics,” sponsored by Syndicate Sales.
Register for SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast in Portland today for just $139 for members (early-bird discount valid until September 27). And you can save when you sign up employees and coworkers as well, with $99 tickets for additional registrants from the same company.
Anne Holub is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
