R U Connecting?

As I said in my last post, prom is more than just selling corsages, its
about making a connection with a future bride, and a customer for life. That
requires connecting with the girl.

Connecting with your prom customers requires a different approach than
saying "Don't worry honey, I'll make it pretty." Your prom customers live in
a world where they are used to seeing a product on a website, buying it, and
having it arrive at their door exactly as pictured. They want to be included
in the creation of their design, they want to have control over what it will
look like. They want to drive the car, not be a passenger. Take the time to
ask the girl about her dress, her style, her preferences. Then show her what
you have to offer to fit what she likes. This means that you need to have a
variety of different types of bracelets and bling on hand to go with
different styles and personalities. Its about offering her what SHE likes,
not what you like.

Connecting with your prom customers is about tailoring your sales strategies
to their likes. Have the youngest girl in your store be the designated prom
sales person. The prom girls will connect much better with her than they
will with an older person. You may even want to hire someone young just for
prom season if you don't regularly have someone younger on staff.

Connecting with your prom customers is also about customizing your use of
technology to their level. You may not want to text a picture of a funeral
spray to a grieving family. But your prom customers will love it if you text
them a picture of their corsage when it is finished. And it is the cheapest
advertising you can do. Within two minutes the girl has texted it to all of
her closest friends and within 5 minutes she has posted it to Facebook for
hundreds of others to see. You can't buy that kind of advertising.

Do more than sell a corsage - make a connection. It is an investment that
you will see a return on for years to come.

The $35k Bride

What would you do if a bride walked into your shop and told you that her wedding flower budget was $35,000? First, you would give her YOUR chair. You would offer her a cup of the finest beverage you had on hand. You would fawn over and accommodate her in any way possible.

Its that time of year when you are about to be flooded with the $35k brides.

Yes, you are. You just don’t recognize them because they are disguised as prom girls. However, your prom girls are more than just a 16 year old buying a corsage. They are future brides purchasing wedding flowers (often for more than one wedding!) They are future wives, making all of the family floral purchases for get well, sympathy, birthday and anniversary gifts. They are future daughters, purchasing funeral flowers for their deceased parents. When you total up the potential future floral spending of one 16 year old girl, you get $35,000.

If you treat your prom customers with the same attention you would a $35k bride, you will create a connection that will benefit your shop for a lifetime.