Proposal Writing Tips for Florists

Do you spend too much time writing proposals before a client books?

HERE’S THE TRUTH…

I know that many florists are STILL giving away TOO MUCH DETAIL in your initial quote:

Pictures on every line item = Too much detail
Descriptions of what’s in every bouquet = Too much detail
3 Pages of financial breakdowns on labor, supplies and taxes = Too much detail

Too much detail doesn’t just waste your time and energy, but it’s a turn off for potential clients as well!

Click below to watch a replay of my livestream with 3 Tips on Writing Proposals Quickly!

Takeaways from today’s chat:

Schedule the time to start writing the quote.
Use a template. Don’t start from scratch. (However, consider how much information is too much?)
Set an expiration date. (Click here for more on this: Should you set an expiration date?)
See additional resources below to help you book clients more quickly!

Today’s chat was inspired by a question that was asked in my Facebook group last week: Does anyone outsource their proposals?

I know that writing proposals can be a chore, but a good proposal is what helps you CLOSE THE SALE and that’s why it’s important to manage that “in house”!

Last week, I wrote 3 proposals and booked all 3 new clients! (2 of them accepted my quote within 5 minutes of receiving it! The other booked within 1 day.)

Then, this week, I got 2 new inquiries, sent out both proposals and already got another “yes” in less than 24 hours!

So whether it’s you (the owner) writing the proposal or a trusted employee, it’s part of your sales process and you should have systems in place for getting it done quickly.

I hope today’s tips are helpful to you the next time you sit down to write a proposal for a new client!

xo. -Alison

Additional Resources

Want direct answers to your questions on booking clients and closing the sale?

Become a Patreon Member HERE to get the 3 Key To Booking Great Clients.

As soon as you join you’ll get instant access to ask me anything plus dozens of my best behind-the-scenes booking strategies.

It’s like an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of tips to close more sales and lead the client to “yes”.

You’ll get my best booking strategies including:

All the steps I take before booking a wedding
How to prescreen with a phone consultation (Including a transcript of a REAL consultation so you can be like a fly on the wall!)
Up close and personal tutorials on booking GREAT clients
Answers to your questions–I create monthly lessons that answer YOUR specific questions

It all takes place inside my Patreon membership where I offer multiple tiers of access starting at just $3. The higher the tier, the more that comes with it, of course. You can choose what works best for your business goals and budget and can cancel anytime. There is no commitment when you sign up!

Learn more HERE!

Want to see how I write wedding proposals without sharing too much detail?

How To Write Proposals That Sell is a downloadable pdf that shows you how I write wedding proposals and book clients within 7-10 days.

*Plus you’ll get 2 Bonus Videos that show you:

3 Quick & Easy Ways To Make Mood Boards…
How I Present A Quote Without Coming In Over Budget…

This course walks you through my booking process, so that you can build a wedding proposal without giving away too much detail before you’re under deposit.

Get it HERE!

Testimonial:

“I have been hating proposals for five years now because I put so much work and detail into them. Your templates have inspired me to just simplify and I love it!”

-Allison Schrade

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The Number 1 Branding Mistake Florists Make

What does it mean to have “good branding”?

In a world where social media “success” can be misleading, today’s tip is essential for all businesses to understand–not just new florists. That’s why I’m closing out the month of April with a Tip on Branding Your Business.

What you need to understand as a business owner is that your brand is what other people say about you!

Your brand is what you deliver. It’s the customers’ experience with you and your staff. It’s the way people feel when they work with you and what they tell others when you’re not in the room.

Marketing, on the other hand, is what you tell people about yourself. And there’s a big difference between what you say about you and what your paying customers say about you.

Click to find out the #1 Mistake New Florists Make when branding their business:

Want to continue your business journey with me and build your brand the right way? (Slow, steady and with integrity!)

Here are some resources that will help you take your business further:

Become a Patreon Member: Learn the 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Consistently with a behind the scenes look at how I prequalify, close the sale and build an integrity brand. Patrons can ask me anything and I will create a lesson to answer your questions!
Business Plan Jumpstart: A fun, easy business plan to help you map out your future. It’s just $20 and it will set you up on the right path.
Flower Math: The Florists Guide to Pricing & Profitability teaches the proven formulas to maximize your profit and increase your pricing confidence. It even has a money-back guarantee.
Private Strategy Session: Schedule a 1 on 1 with Alison to discuss your unique business goals. (Space is limited to 2 floralpreneurs per month.)

You’ll also find a full list of courses HERE including my templates for florists to help you take control of your client communication and establish authority so customers follow your lead.

There’s so much more to what we do than “just flowers”. Pricing for profit, learning how to close the sale, and building a reputation that attracts great clients are just as important as the design work we do.

FYI if you missed any of my April is for Newbies series you can catch them all on Instagram HERE on IGTV!

Thanks for being here and keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

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Floral Recipes and Flower Care Tips

Where do new florists go to ask their burning (or random) questions?

No one knows everything they need to know when they’re jus getting started. That’s why this month is dedicated to answering questions from new florists.

You can find the latest “Tip for Newbies” below! And catch up on the previous tips you may have missed on Instagram HERE!

These are the questions I answered today:

Hi Alison, You mention on several occasions something about recipes. Can you tell me how you make recipes, and how you use them for decorations and bouquets.
Hi! I would love to know better how to create that loose airy design seen in so many bouquets without an armature. Also, how do you attach greenery to staircases and fireplaces without brick clips? I’m figuring chicken wire, but how to keep it secure? Thank you!!
How do you prep hydrangea to ensure they last longer?
Exactly how to use quick dip and alum – and is alum short for something?!
Plus I addressed the best boutonniere storage tip I learned from Gregor Lersch.

Click to watch:

In today’s video I mentioned my online course, Flower Math, which you can find more info on here and if you want to check out that boutonniere storage tip on YouTube, click here!

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How Long Do Flowers Last?

Even talented floral designers can sometimes miss the fundamentals of floristry.

Whether you learned in a traditional flower shop, graduated from floristry school or you’re learning on your own as you go, every florist has more to learn. That’s why I’m spending the month of April answering questions from new florists (aka “newbies”). Today’s question is on flower longevity: How long do flowers last?

A florist wrote to say: “Thanks for the doing the newbie Q&A’s. I have a question. Google seems to give me all sorts of answers. How long can flowers and greenery stay in the cooler before they are not good anymore and I need to throw them away? Thank you!”

There are a few things to consider, of course, so click to watch my answer below! (And click HERE to submit a “newbie question” for me to answer this month!)

A few things I mention you should consider around longevity:

Season. Is this flower in season right now?
What’s its nature? Is this flower more delicate or fragile (ie spring blooms like tulips, daffodils and lilacs)? Or is it more hardy (like Italian ruscus, or a tropical orchid or anthurium)?
How old is the product when it got to you?
How did you care for the flowers once you received them?
Certain flowers and greens can be stored for longer periods of time if they are dry packed (ie not in water).
Ethylene gas causes flowers to mature more quickly AND fruits and flowers both share the same chemical makeup.
I also mentioned apical dominance, which you can see in action in my video, 2 Gladiola Tips on my YouTube channel HERE!

Thanks so much for tuning into my newbie tips this month.

It’s fun to answer your questions and share what I’ve learned over nearly 3 decades in the floral industry. I’ll see you all week long on Instagram with more Tips for Newbies!

To learn more about me, click here to reach my bio and click here to download my FREE eBook, Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business!

xo. -Alison

P.S. A few people I mentioned in today’s chat include:

Watch a tour of Ben Cross in his sustainable alstroemeria nursery HERE.
Mountain Flower Farm grows and ships beautiful peonies HERE.
Follow Francoise Weeks for inspiration on using unique botanical materials.
My tee shirt, No Rain, No Flowers, is available on Botanical Brouhaha HERE. (I really love this tee shirt!)

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What Do New Florists Need To Know?

What do new florists need to know?

Well, frankly, a lot! And after over 25 years in the floral industry I am amazed at some of the basic flower care fundamentals that are missed along the way.

How are these floral fundamentals missed? Because there isn’t 1 straight line into floral design. I trained in traditional flower shops for 9 years and earned a B.S. in Plant & Soil Science before staring my own floral business, but florists often fall into flowers (hence the name of my book, Falling Into Flowers!), which means there’s a lack of uniformity around specific flower care knowledge and industry standard protocols, in addition to all the “business stuff” I’m always teaching in my courses and my Facebook group.

One of the biggest issues new florists face is a fear of asking embarrassing questions–I hear it all the time, “I’m too embarrassed to ask in your Facebook group, but….”

I’ve learned though if one florist has a question, that means that most likely many others have a similar question, so I am dedicating the month of April to Newbies!

What questions do you want to ask?
What basic flower care issues do you have?
What are you too afraid to ask out loud that you’re really eager to get an answer to?

Click here to ask me anything anonymously (or include your name and e-mail if you’re interested in talking further with me). I have a lot of wonderful floral friends I can reach out to to answer your questions, too, so if I don’t have an answer for you, I will get one! Now’s your chance to ask anything!

Florists must dedicate ourselves to continued learning (and unlearning) to develop strong roots that allow us to create long-lasting fruitful floral businesses. Never stop learning.

FYI I share “Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business” in my free eBook and you can grab it HERE.

Keep doing beautiful work, Floralpreneur®!

xo. -Alison

Learn more about Alison HERE!