Get Brides to Say Yes – On Your Terms
SAF August 11, 2010
Brides can really give your business a boost. They can also drive you nuts—underestimating their budgets, requesting a style that’s not in line with yours, flooding your inbox and answering machine with nagging questions.
From the minute she first walks through your door, clicks onto your website or calls, you’re setting the tone and laying the groundwork for a relationship that’s more harmonious than harried (and, consequently, a healthy or barely visible profit once the job is done).
Floral Management talked to six seasoned florists—from a nationally recognized event designer to a one-woman shop owner—who don’t just hope for chemistry at the consultation, but rather follow procedures and have policies in place so there’s clear communication, and ultimately, control. They reveal their 11 rules of engagement in this August cover story. Here’s just one.
Don’t be meek about money. Pick a day when money’s due and enforce it. “Don’t expect [brides] to pay you when the party’s over and they’re broke,” said Liz Ash, owner of Ambience Florals in Colorado Springs, Colo. For her brides, the balance is due four weeks before the big day, so there’s plenty of time to ensure she doesn’t get stiffed. Wendy Rockcastle, owner of Rockcastle Florist in Rochester, N.Y., tells clients straight up that she won’t order any flowers until the money’s in.
Katie Hendrick khendrick@safnow.org
