Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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How To Book A Wedding In 10 Days

A floralpreneur® asked: “Do you offer any courses or advice on how you do your consultations and process? I have seen you post that you have a phone conversation with a client for weddings and then you usually don’t really have much contact until delivery/setup day of wedding. Just wondering how you go about doing this, so that you are not in constant back and forth with the client? Thanks!”

I offer a ton of resources for florists to help book weddings and write proposals quickly, inside my Wedding Templates AND I’m going to dive into this question in more depth inside Patreon member training on May 18th,

but questions on “the steps to actually book weddings” keep coming up–so I put together 5 Steps to Book A Wedding in 10 Days, and I’ll walk you though them here!

I’m going to lay out the timeline for how I book a wedding in 10 days below…

And when you scroll down, I’ll add more detail to each step with links to all the resources I have available that take you behind-the-scenes to show you EXACTLY how I do each step!

Because I have resources to help florists book clients more quickly, but if you don’t know which tools are available, you may be missing out on these proven strategies.

Here’s the timeline for How To Book A Wedding In 10 Days:

  • Day 1: New client inquires via website inquiry form (or phone).
  • Day 1 or 2: Reply promptly and invite the client to book a call.
  • Days 2-5: Ideally the consultation call happens ASAP.
  • Days 6-8: After the call, I send out the initial quote ASAP.
  • Day 9-10: Follow up to close the sale!

Want me to walk through the steps of the sales process in more detail?

Here’s a break down of all 5 Steps along with additional tips & resources:

Step 1. New client inquires via website inquiry form (or phone).

Pro Tips:

  • Your inquiry form should help to pre-qualify clients for style and budget by gathering data you need.
  • This helps you save time by weeding out clients who cannot afford you.

Resources:

  • You can find my tips on how to create a contact form that helps you pre-qualify clients inside my 3 Keys To Booking Great Clients Video Series on Patreon Here (access starts at just $3).

Step 2. Reply and invite the client to book a call.

Pro Tips:

  • This is where my Wedding Workflow kicks in. It starts with the 4 C’s of booking: Congratulate, Confirm, Compliment and Consultation.
  • I also establish a starting budget if it’s unclear that we’re a budget match.

Resources:

Step 3. Consultation call happens ASAP while the client has your company at the top of their mind.

Pro Tips:

  • The call is a mutual interview and an opportunity to listen to the client’s needs/concerns to make sure their expectations are understood.
  • This is also an opportunity to establish trust and authority with potential clients.

Resources:

  • You can get a Transcript of a Real Wedding Consultation when you join me on Patreon (access starts at $29).
  • I’ll also be walking through the phone consultation process in more depth with Patreon members on May 18th!

Step 4. Write up the initial quote ASAP.

Pro Tips:

  • I write this up quickly without a ton of detail, establish a minimum spend for the clients, and put an expiration date on the proposal.
  • This is usually sent to the client within a few days, but it may take up to a week.

Resources:

Step 5. Follow up to close the sale.

Pro Tips:

  • I’ve mentioned the expiration date a few times in the steps above and that expiration date serves as a cue or a prompt to check in and follow up to close the sale with clients.
  • If you want to book the client, it’s your job to follow up!

Resources:

After 20 years of booking weddings, I’ve found that a phone consultation and a prompt quote, combined with the follow-up email to close the sale creates a smooth process to consistently lead clients through the booking process to get to a “yes”.

 

For example: Client sends an inquiry on a Sunday (Step 1), I reply on Monday afternoon (Step 2), we arrange a call for Wednesday morning (Step 3), I send a quote by the end of the day on Friday (Step 4) , which means I could have this event booked by Monday (that’s less than 1 week)!

Though the quote would probably have an expiration date of Wednesday (or 5 days after I sent it). And in this scenario, Wednesday would be Day 10.

On Tuesday (Day 9), if I hadn’t heard from them yet, I’d check in to try to close the sale (Step 5): “I have a note on my calendar that your quote expires tomorrow and I wanted to follow-up to see if you have any questions for me or if you’d like to move forward.”

 

From my proposal template to the emails I send when a client inquires, to my Wedding Workflow (where I walk through the 16 Steps in my Client Management Process), to “up close and personal” lessons on how to pre-qualify clients, how to write quotes more quickly (and with more confidence), to a transcript of a real consultation so you can be like a fly on the wall in a real client meeting–I have resources available to help florists book more easily and I’m happy to help you create your own shortcuts to make a seamless sales process in your business as well!

In short, you’ll find all of my resources for booking clients quickly inside my Wedding Templates for Florists (found here) AND on Patreon where I share the 3 Keys To Booking Great Clients along with additional access to behind-the-scenes training that is usually only available to private coaching students. Patreon is a member-only creator page which can be found here.

If you have questions for me, get in touch. I’m a real person behind these courses and I’m here to help.

xo. -Alison

Learn More About Alison Ellis Here.

Read Real Student Testimonials Here.

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Do Florists Have To Go To Floristry School?

If you want to be a florist, do you have to go to Floristry School? It’s a question I see a lot and I know there can be some strong opinions on the subject. Click to see my answer to the question and let me know what you think!

The truth is, there isn’t just 1 right way to become a florist!

There are so many things to learn that you can’t learn “everything you need to know in just one place”. Whether you go to floristry school, or take an accredited floral design certification program, or you teach yourself through trial and error, there will always be something more for you to learn.

For example, I’ve heard from floristry students in Australia and England who enrolled in my Flower Math course and say that they got a much more thorough and clear explanation from my online course than they did in school! Even longtime florists have told me that they understand the design aspect of their work, but they’ve been kept mostly in the dark on the business-stuff.

And still, some floral designers manage to build a “busy” floral design business, but they struggle with attracting higher paying clients or creating systems to close sales (without a dozen meetings that drain their time and energy).

Let’s face it, there’s so much more to know as a florist than “just flowers”!

The secret to success in the floral industry is to keep learning and growing. Just going to floristry school isn’t enough.

And just learning from YouTube videos isn’t enough.

And letting 20 years pass between your last in-person learning experience isn’t enough either.

Never stop learning in your business and your life–and keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

Ready to learn proven strategies to streamline your workflow and create more freedom in your floral business?

See  A Full Course List

*Get my FREE eBook*

*Meet Alison Ellis*

On The Flower Podcast

See Coaching Options

Flower Math Save $100

$20 Easy Business Plan

Get Wedding Templates

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Wedding Day Prep

What do florists do on the morning-of a wedding?

A florist asked me recently, “How do you actually do a wedding?” She knows how to price it. She knows how to book it. But how do you actually “do the wedding”?

After 19 years of designing weddings in my home-studio, I shared my Morning-of Wedding Prep with my Patreon membership* and you can see a small sample of how I get started below.

*Patreon members can ask me anything and get access to a ton of tips and training videos to help you book clients consistently, build a solid brand and create high quality work year after year. Membership starts at just $3, but you can unlock more “stuff” with each membership tier.

Click to watch this short 2 minute clip:

In the full video on Patreon you’ll see:

  • How I tie and box bouquets
  • How I present bouquets to clients
  • How I pack centerpieces for delivery
  • How I prep a #foamfree arbor
  • Pictures of my work and the full ceremony set-up

Now, I know that no one wants another “membership”, but if you want to book clients with more ease and ask me anything about how I run my business and execute events, Patreon is the perfect place for you! (click here to join me!) There’s no commitment and you can cancel anytime.

What else would you like to know more about?

Ask me and I’ll turn it into a video lesson you can access any time as a Patreon supporter.

Thanks for making time to watch today’s clip of my wedding day prep.

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

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Running A Floral Business

As a floralpreneur® who’s been running my wedding-based business for over 19 years, I know that there isn’t 1 right way to become a successful florist and everyone’s road looks a little bit different. Running a floral business–or any business for that matter–isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard work. There’s risk and uncertainty. And owners are often overworked and underpaid when they’re just starting out. But business savvy florists build businesses they love.

I’ve worked hard over these last 2 decades to create a business that I love. It suits my life and allows me to feel creative and turn a profit. I enjoy my business and my life because I set my goals with intention and develop reliable steps that streamline my workflow.

I love my customers, I consistently turn a profit, and I design work I’m proud to deliver.

That’s how I measure success. What does success look like to you?

Here’s a breakdown of what it takes to run a successful floral design business (see infographic below):

It’s not easy to grow a business when you’re on your own.

That’s why I founded a free Facebook community, Real Flower Business with Alison Ellis, 5 years ago, so that I could share some of the systems I’ve created and the lessons I’ve learned to help encourage and reassure floralpreneurs who are on your own floral journey, still carving a niche and finding your leadership role.

When I realized it was the group’s 5th anniversary, it felt like something to celebrate! There’s no other group that nurtures florists’ success quite like this one. I’m so honored to be a part of this community that includes highly experienced florist, aspiring floral designers, wholesalers, farmer-florists and home-studio side-hustlers who are dedicated to lifelong learning and sharing with their peers.

It’s a privilege to be part of a community that’s been growing together for 5 years! If you’re not already a member of my free group, click here to join and make sure to answer the questions for speedy approval.

I Can Take You Further. Take Another Step With Me:

If you’re a florist who wants to book more weddings, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can eliminate price shoppers and book customers more quickly by employing a few simple and proven strategies I teach in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients. You can get access to my tried-and-true booking shortcuts, as I walk through The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients by joining me as a Patreon member (click here to join!).

I’ve been booking weddings for 19 years and I’ve been perfecting my booking systems all along the way. When you join me as a Patreon Member you get the most up-close-and-personal access to me and my booking process.

Plus you can “Ask Alison Anything”. I’ll answer your question and probably even turn it into a video lesson so that you can watch or rewatch anytime you want. You can send a private message so your questions remain confidential. This Patreon membership allows me to answer your specific questions in depth.

Seriously, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of booking and branding tips starting at just $3!

Here’s just some of what you’ll unlock as soon as you become a Patreon Member:

  • How I booked 3 new clients in 1 week
  • Wedding Week Prep: See my entire week’s prep in 15 minutes
  • How to Handle Price Increases and Flower Substitutions
  • Foam Free Floral Arbor Recipe & Profit Breakdown
  • How many revisions do you make to a proposal?
  • Should Florists Charge for Proposals?
  • Tips on Sending a Non-itemized Proposal
  • Walk through a customer’s Inspiration board and then, see what I made in real life
  • #1 Tip To Stop Writing Quotes For Clients Who Cannot Afford You

Join Real Flower Business as a Patreon Member today!

Patreon truly is like a buffet of booking and brand building tips, but you can choose the membership tier that works best for you.

Breakdown of Patreon Membership Levels:

  • The most popular membership is the Marketing Maven Tier at $29. You get access to every single lesson ever posted, plus a Transcript of a Real Wedding Consultation so you can be a fly on the wall for an initial call, plus monthly blog and social media prompts to help you post with intention and attract the best clients. Marketing Mavens get 5 Blog and Instagram prompts on the first Monday of every month!

 

  • Consultation Closer at the $19 Level get access to everything in the above tier, minus the monthly branding prompts.Patreon Members at this level can also access:
    • A Transcript of a Wedding Consultation
    • Over a dozen videos on the 3 Keys to Booking
    • 5 Website & Branding Tips
    • Build your dream into a business plan: LIVE session replay
    • Blog Challenge (Days 1 & 2 PLUS Workbooks)
    • Tips on Creativity & Discipline
    • Replay: Live Chat on Setting Minimums

 

  • Members in the Booking Basics Level at $9 can access over a dozen video lessons in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, and access all new monthly lessons.

 

  • For just $3 Floralpreneur® Foundation Subscribers can access the first 3 videos in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, plus you get limited-time access to new monthly behind-the-scenes lessons.
A few notes:
  • You can upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time and there is no obligation, so you can cancel any time.
  • New members are billed on the day you sign up and then on the first day of each month moving forward.
  • When new lessons are posted, you’ll get an e-mail notification so you can click over to check it out and there’s even a mobile app for easy access to your Patreon feed from anywhere.

Whether you join me as a Patreon supporter or you continue to partake in my free resources here on my blog or over in my Facebook group, on YouTube or Instagram, thanks for being on this floral journey with me!

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Learn More About Alison:

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