Need an antidote for slower summer sales? Lean on the “experience economy”.
Projected to be worth $12 billion in 2023, experience economy consumers spend four times more on experiences than products, according to Flower Trends Forecast. You can leverage these customers to boost sales, increase engagement, and even grow your audience by hosting how-to workshops.
Derek Woodruff, AAF, AIFD, CF, PFCI, of Floral Underground in Traverse City, Michigan, broke down how to successfully capitalize on the experience economy at SAF Next Gen LIVE! earlier this month. Woodruff has been hosting virtual and in-person events for years, and he shared his best practices for organizing customer-facing events.
Select a Workshop Theme
Workshops engage the customer and provide them an opportunity to learn— 63% of consumers want experiences in which they learn something new, according to Flower Trends Forecast. Woodruff suggests having workshops year-round – not just in the slow summer months – and selecting an activity that customers can replicate at home, such as build your own terrariums, dried bouquets, arrangements or flower crowns.
Location, Location, Location
Partner with another local business with a like-minded customer base – think bakeries, breweries, wineries, and coffee shops. “Collaborate with places that have an established following, so you can tap into a new customer base and capture their audience for your business,” Woodruff says. Bonus points if you can find a mix of locations—some that are seasonally appropriate and others that provide a suitable year-round interactive space. And don’t forget to “see and be seen.” “Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd,” he says. “Do the workshop where people can see it and get interested in attending in the future.”
Think Through Logistics
First and foremost, cultivate a vibe, Woodruff says. Schedule the event at an optimal time based on the atmosphere you’re going for and provide food and beverages. Make the space look fun and attractive – put on music, set mood lighting and add fragrance. And be sure to plan out the the entire guest experience. “Leave plenty of time to complete the task, and plan for how guests will get their finished pieces home,” he says.
Pick Pricing
When determining pricing, consider the cost of materials and any flower or plant bar set-up costs. Enable attendees to customize their experience with workshop menus. “Build in opportunities to upsell—for customers to have more or different flowers, to keep their tools, take home an additional product, etc.,” he says. “You can even offer subscription pricing to attend one how-to workshop per season.”
Get the Word Out
If partnering with another business, be sure to cross-promote the event through all available marketing channels. A month out, promote the event on your website or newsletter. Two weeks prior to the event, start featuring it on social platforms and send out an event-specific email. The week of the event, do a focused marketing push on social media, capitalizing on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Facebook events. And don’t forget to recap the event on social, pointing to future event to build FOMO.
Teaching the Teacher
Never taught a workshop before? Here are Woodruff’s tips and tricks:
- Lead by example and encourage audience participation.
- Don’t rush – things generally take longer than you think and customers move slower than you think they will.
- Try to distribute your time and attention evenly among participants.
- Give a window into your work, which adds value to what you do. Teach about your product—where it comes from, why it costs what it does. Teach tricks of the trade, such as texture and color combinations. And give background on professional materials and tools, explaining why you use them.
Laura Drummond is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
