What IS Prom?

I know - you are all going crazy with proms this weekend. But stop for a quick break and think about something with me. What IS prom? Sure, we know it is a dance where kids get all dressed up and stay up late. But where did it come from and what is it REALLY? Dictionary.com defines prom as: “ student formal dance in celebration of graduation.” According to history, proms were held at the college level in the 1800s. They came to be in existence at the high school level in the 1920s and 1930s. They really took hold in the 1940s as America recovered from the Great Depression and World War II. They took the form that we know them now, fancier and more affluent, during the 1950s. But what is more interesting is what prom really IS. It is a big day in the life of these youths. They are at a turning point in their lives, when they are gradually turning from children to adults. Prom is one of the most notable of those turning points. Isn’t it wonderful that WE get to be a part of that day? We get to help them make new purchases that as children they wouldn’t have made (flowers) but will making for years to come? We get to briefly educate them about the wonderful part flowers can play in their “new lives.” Treasure this opportunity. It is not one that comes along everyday. Until next time...

Make it Special!

We are in the heart of prom season all over the country. One way many of your fellow florists are setting themselves apart is by making the corsage purchasing experience special for the young ladies and gentlemen. Here are some options that add much to the experience while costing you little to nothing! 1) VIP treatment - Bring the corsage out on a silver platter! You can pick up a silver toned platter at your local dollar store and instantly you are create a classy environment in your shop! 
 2) Refreshments - Offering simple refreshments to your customers can make a big impression. I recently heard of one florist with a Keurig style coffee machine in her shop. The kids love it! It helps to make flower buying a GOOD memory for them.
 3) Written Thank You notes - Its a proven fact that hand written thank you notes GET NOTICED. You can purchase simple thank you notes for about $.50 a piece, and the stamp will cost you $.45. For less than $1, you can make an impression on a young person’s mind that will stick with them forever. Until next time...

To Glue or Not to Glue

To Glue or not to glue This is a question we are asked on almost a daily basis. Just for the record, do what is best for you, however we do endorse gluing corsages. We find they are faster and allow you do use more types of flowers, add in more types of bling and offer more unique styles of corsages. For years now many florists have embraced cold glue for corsages. But many florists are still wary of it. If you haven’t used it yet, let me share with you how it can help you. 1) Gluing saves labor and increases the speed of corsage making, therefore making prom more PROFITABLE for you. 2) Gluing makes the corsage lighter, therefore allowing you to create the corsage on a more delicate Fitz Design flower bracelet. This allows you to offer the girls the trendier bracelet styles that they are looking for. Which ever style you use for making corsages, glue or wire and tape is of course up to you, the only thing we ask is put them all on beautiful Fitz items!!!! If you are new to gluing though, we recommend that you practice before the prom rush. Ready to try it? Here are some great gluing tips to get you started. http://www.creationsbyfitzdesign.com/contents/en-us/p879_Gluing_Tips.html

Your Secret Hall Pass - Fundraisers!

“But, Mr. Fisher, the schools won’t let us come in to sell.” In some cases this is true. Depending on the relationship that you have with the school, and how much you participate in and donate to their events throughout the year, you may be able to point out to them WHY they should allow you in.

If that doesn’t work, there is always plan B. FUNDRAISERS are your secret hall pass. Every organization in every school is trying to raise money for something. Sometimes they are selling magazines, or candy, or things like that. My oldest daughter was in the band. Every year the band sold mulch as a fundraiser. And to up the sales, they even hired themselves out to spread the mulch! Even though my children are no longer in school, my wife and I recently bought a mattress from a school fundraiser!

If you want to sell in the schools, find an organization to partner with. Donate a portion of each sale to their group. You instantly get an easy way into the school. And you get a free sales team! 10% of every organization is passionate about it. And 10% of the parents are passionate about it too!

Again, we don’t tell you to do something without giving you the tools to do it. Visit the School Kit page of our website again, and see the “High School Fundraisers” letter for a sample letter you can use to reach the fundraisers! http://www.creationsbyfitzdesign.com/contents/en-us/p870_School_Kit.html

Selling in the Schools

The single biggest key to prom success is SELLING IN THE SCHOOLS. Why? Because the boy and the girl come together to place their order. At some point in the interaction the girl will look over at her boyfriend and ask him “How much money can I spend?” How does he respond? The way every one of us guys has been trained from a young age... “Whatever you want honey.” This increases the overall sale as well as helps you, the florist, to connect with the girl for future business.

The first way to try to sell in the schools is by asking them directly if you can come set up. Think of how many vendors they let in the school to sell on a routine basis. It is not an unusual request. But you will need to be persistent. I recommend you send at least 20 letters to the schools asking permission to come set up. Send one to everyone that you can think of - from the principal to the secretary to the chairman of the prom committee, etc.

Here at Fitz we have a motto, “We won’t tell you to do something without giving you the tools to do it.” So here is a link to the School Kit on our website. Scroll down to the “High School Letter of Introduction” and you will find a letter you can customize to send to the schools in your area. And one more word of advice - don’t limit yourself. Send to every school within driving distance!

Increasing Your Business by Prom Marketing

In my last post I spoke of the common question florists are asking “How can I get more business?” We talked about taking a different approach to prom flowers. Offering cool fashion accessories for prom is the first step. But if you really want to increase your prom business, the best way is to also take a different approach to prom marketing.

Sitting in your shop waiting for the teens to come in and order their prom flowers doesn’t work like it used to. Prom marketing requires stepping out of our box, and out of our stores. It involves partnering with your local dress and tux shops, participating in prom fashion shows, and selling in the schools. Yes, I said selling IN the schools. Florists all over the country are finding huge prom success by doing all of these things. Get started now by visiting the “Market Your Store” page on our website: http://www.creationsbyfitzdesign.com/contents/en-us/p865_Market_Your_Store.html.

New Money for Florists - Have You Found It?

In effort to better understand the needs of our customers, we here at Fitz have been spending more time on the florists forums on Facebook. There is one common thread that keeps reappearing. Florists from all over the USA are asking “How can I get more business?” One answer is to change how you approach your prom business.

Prom flowers are not new - but prom flowers as a FASHION ACCESSORY including
floral jewelry is new money for florists. This is an area that has exploded in the past 4
years. But we still have a long way to go. Did you know that we are only at a 9% market
share? We know when it comes to prom jewelry, there is an unlimited amount of NEW business for you.  With only 9 girls out of 100 wearing a Fitz item, you have a new customer base to grow with that is 91 of every 100 corsages sold in the US.  Jewelry can be sold for more than the traditional bracelet and then in turn, this will help you increase your sales. 

You can very quickly increase your overall business revenue for the year just by treating prom flowers as a fashion accessory instead of a simple wrist corsage. Offer corsage bracelets and floral jewelry accessories and watch your prom business skyrocket because YOU are the florist with the “cool stuff.”