Mandy Majerik, AIFD, PFCI, tells her female customers to print out “hint cards” to remind their guys to order flowers early and in their favorite style.
Do an onslaught of last-minute orders drive you bonkers every February 14? You’re not alone. In recent years, “procrastinating customers” has been a common comment on the Society of American Florists’ post-Valentine’s Day survey of retail members.
Here are a few tried-and-true tactics some florists have used to get customers to commit earlier, thus allowing them adequate lead-time to accurately forecast how much product to buy and people to staff.
Host a Shopping Party
A few weeks before the big day, the staff at Wascana Flower Shoppe in Regina, Saskatchewan, invites men to come in for an evening of pizza, beer and shopping. In the casual, comfortable environment, owner Petra Janssen and her daughter, Tanya Anderson, help guide guys to make a personal choice that their ladies will love. The event, advertised in a newspaper flier and on social media, gets customers in the door well in advance. In addition to the free refreshments, the men appreciate the camaraderie (they find they’re not the only ones clueless about flowers!) and the expert help.
Print “Hint” Cards
Mandy Majerik, AIFD, PFCI, gives men in Birmingham, Alabama, a little push in the right direction with “hint cards” that spell out their loved one’s personal tastes and remind them to go ahead and order.
In past years, the owner of Hothouse Design Studio created a style cheat sheet — a checklist with nine adjectives, such as “traditional,” “vintage,” “exotic” and “edgy” — that women can give their significant others. She also included a blank line, for those who want to write in their own style description, a “Mandy knows me” option, and choices for add-ons (“+chocolate” or “surprise me”).
Majerik has posted her hint cards on social media as early as January 5 with the following message: “It is NEVER too EARLY to leave a HINT! February is quickly approaching and I want to be sure your Valentine knows where to get YOUR flowers designed in YOUR style!” She added her own hint: Print it out and place in a wallet or a lunchbox or send it to his inbox.
Sweeten the Deal
People love to feel like they’re getting a deal. Many florists have successfully encouraged early orders by offering an incentive such as free delivery, 20 percent off or a complimentary add-on of chocolate, plush critters, gift cards or other keepsakes.
Push the “Be a Hero” Message
The benefits of delivering flowers to the office are obvious to you but they might not be so intuitive to your customers. Now’s the time to give them a good nudge through social media and e-mail marketing. Here are a few sample messages that extoll the value of the Feb. 12th or 13th valentine:
- Be THAT guy: Have her flowers delivered Tuesday or Wednesday. Because she’ll never expect you to do something BEFORE you’re supposed to!
- Surprise her! Have her flowers delivered early…because the best way to a woman’s heart is through her jealous co-workers.
- Don’t let this be your girl! (show picture of woman in empty cubicle surrounded by coworkers with their flowers) Send flowers to the office.
Lyn Santamary, owner of Santamary Florist and Greenhouses in Middleton, Ohio, trains her sales staff to pitch early Valentine’s Day orders (and deliveries) when talking to late January/early February customers. They talk about how everyone in the office will “ooh” and “ahh,” which convinces the vast majority.
Don’t Wait for the Phone to Ring
Cold calling may not be fun, but it pays off for The Blooming Idea in the Woodlands, Texas. “In our case, 80 percent of our Valentine’s Day revenue is provided by about 20 percent of our customers,” said owner Brian McCarthy. His shop maintains a “high rollers” spreadsheet that lists customers’ contact information and their previous year’s orders. Two weeks prior to Valentine’s Day, employees go through the list, tempting customers with upsell offers that have a limited availability. (One year, a customer answered his cell phone inside an airplane that was about to push back for an international flight. He spent more than $300 for a “wow arrangement” for his wife, plus $100 for two additional arrangements for his young daughters!)
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
