The hardest part of being a corporate florist is picking up the phone (or asking in person) and getting a meeting with a potential client. And it’s difficult because it is you showing up, seeing an opportunity, and going after it.
Recently, Lizette, a Hotel Florist™ Profit Method student, was shopping in her favorite health food store in her area – somewhere she’d been shopping for 20 years – and noticed they used to have a beautiful display of plants and flowers. But, lately, the display had been pretty lackluster.
She saw an opportunity, but the store had changed management recently, so she didn’t know who to talk to about it.
The new manager happened to be the guy who stocked the shelves when she first started going to this store 20 years ago!
After striking up a casual conversation with him, she learned he had just bought an $8,000 floral display, but “sometimes we get stuff, sometimes we don’t, and it’s not always good.”
Here is the second hardest of being a floral designer for corporate clients: Expressing the value and solutions you’d provide for them.
Lizette mentioned to the manager that she was a florist, happened to be local (aka convenient), she had been a customer for 20 years and was interested in working with them.
Even though it was a casual conversation while grocery shopping, she walked away from it with a “let me think about it.” Two days later, he emailed her asking for a proposal.
Lizette’s story reminded me of how I started my career in hotel floral design.
One of the hotels I pitched to was the Fairmont Dallas hotel. I came in on a whim, and they had this empty glass box, so I mentioned to the management team, “Hey, this is a lost opportunity here. You can make this a gorgeous, interactive flower shop.”
It was also right across from Starbucks. Think of all the people who come into Starbucks every day (and how much Starbucks makes every day), and the line is literally going into what could be this flower shop.
And they said the exact same thing, “Let me think about it.” Then, “Okay, give us a proposal.”
The takeaway from both of our stories?
If we don’t see value in ourselves and what we do, we can miss out on opportunities that are right under our noses.
And it’s why these two things are the hardest part of being a hotel and/or corporate florist.
But once they are done, all that is left to land that client is to ask the right questions to put together your proposal.
And when – not if – you land the contract, you get to do what you do best:
Use your creativity to create something beautiful with flowers!
Franceska x
Save time and money in your floral business with The Hotel Florist™ Profit Method. In this program, you get access to my go-to Phone and Email Scripts, Pricing and Ordering Spreadsheets, and my exact Hotel Contract Template!
P.S. Not ready for the 12-month commitment (or the price tag)? The Hotel Florist™ Starter Kit is perfect for you.
