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By Alison Ellis

How To Stop Losing Weddings

Everyone has to start somewhere in their business, but what do you do when you’re really ready to level-up your brand and attract better clients?

My business started organically and it was ALL DIY!–from business cards I printed on my home computer to the “flyers” and occasional print ads I ran in the local papers.

I only booked 1 wedding my first year in business–it was ALL sunflowers–and I felt lucky to book the work! The next year I grew my bookings to 5 weddings (thanks to some friends, and friends of friends, getting married, of course!) and then, I slowly began to build from there….10 weddings, 25 weddings, 34 weddings!….but my business still wasn’t growing the way I wanted it to.

 

You see, even after 7 or 8 years in business, I kept losing the “better events” to another florist. (Like the same florist every time.)

Was this other florist more established than me? YES.

Did they have a team that did 20+ weddings per month? YES.

Was I capable of designing flowers as beautiful as their team? YES!

So why was I losing out over and over again?

 

Simple. They Had Better Brand Position.

 

I had to face the fact that even though I’d been in business for a little while and I had a lot to be proud of already, my business simply didn’t have the appearance on the outside that reflected how professional and capable I was in real life (on the inside)! Choosing me wasn’t a “no brainer”…yet!

 

And frankly, this was really maddening! Because time and time again I’d get the same basic reply, “We really enjoyed talking to you and we’re sure you’d do a wonderful job, but we went with another florist.”

So I decided I had to take action to figure out how to level-up to become the CLEAR choice from now on.

 

The action I took was to invest in a higher-level marketing and branding course (it was about $3,000 at the time, which was 20x more than I’d ever invested before!) and I committed to following the program and completing the course assignments.

 

It took me about 6 weeks of training (oh, and I had a tiny little newborn baby to contend with as well!), but I slowly started to put the pieces of my own marketing and branding puzzle together and you know what?….I started to feel a little differently about my business.

 

Now I won’t lie and tell you that I saw an immediate turnaround in my booking rate or my brand position–building a better brand doesn’t happen overnight! 

 

BUT what I did begin to understand right away was how much OPPORTUNITY I had to actually reach those “better clients” (my ideal clients) with some strategic messaging and a more functional website!

 

And that opportunity began to give me a lot of useful information (as well as a little bit of optimism) that I had the power to turn this thing around!

 

So I continued the work and continued to get OBSESSED with my ideal clients and to find out who they really were and what they really needed to hear from me to get to a YES!

 

Now, when clients inquire with me, they are interested in working with ME, not just any florist.

Now, when clients go to my website they tell me how much they LOVE it.

Now, when I send a proposal, they book me quickly, instead of shopping around.

Now, when clients DON’T book with me, I am not worried that it’s because I didn’t put my best foot forward!

And now, that “other florist” still has a good brand position, but clients choose ME OVER THEM lots of times!

 

And after years and years of doing this work to attract the right clients and build an integrity brand, it’s a genuine passion of mine to help florists do the same thing by tapping into your own unique branding potential!

 

The floral designers and flower farmers who’ve already enrolled in my program, The Art of Good Business, know that you have to leverage your own inner potential so you can make a great first impression that looks as awesome on the outside as you KNOW you are on the inside!

You can CLICK HERE for all the details on this January Training and Enroll today if it’s a good fit for you!

 

If any of my business journey sounds relatable and you want to unlock your earning potential by attracting more clients who can afford to pay you to create work that also lights you up and fills your creative bucket, I would be delighted to have you join me in January for The Art of Good Business.

 

You can get started for only $129!

 

More income, more creativity, more freedom…it all starts to fall into place more easily with a better brand position!

 

I won’t just throw a bunch of strategies at you and teach you how to build a business exactly like my own. This course will walk you step-by-step towards creating your own, unique, special, floral business.

 

I don’t teach florists how to “be like me” in order to succeed. The goal of this course is to get to the heart of what makes your business special. My hope is that by signing up for this course, you can position yourself better in your local market, that you can find the courage to try new things in your business, and that you can be happier in business and in life.

In short in this 4 Week Course we’re going to:

*Get to the heart of who your ideal clients are so you can create a magnetic marketing message that attracts more of the best customers to you

*Improve your website so it converts to more sales with qualified customers

*Lead clients through your sales process to help them get to a YES more quickly

*Establish your own unique brand strategy that stands out above the competition without posting on social media every day

 

I see each of my students as individuals with their own hopes, dreams, and talents, so I put my personal time into teaching this course…

 

* I answer all questions personally and promptly.

* I teach the course live every January so you can continue to get support year after year.

* If you have questions after the live sessions, you can still reach out–you’re not alone.

 

I want you to know that you will get special attention when you enroll in this course, and you will be supported in building a business that is perfect for you.

I am happy to answer questions about my program prior to enrolling if you have them! Registration Closes Jan. 4th.

If you don’t want to be in the same place you were last year, I would love to help you level-up in 2024.

-Alison

 

December 10, 2023 — 7:16 pm

By Alison Ellis

Marketing Tips for Florists

How Do You Avoid Trend Traps?

As a small business owner, I don’t have to tell you that social media trends are always changing, and the last thing you want to do is follow a TikTok trend that feels fake and phony and actually turns your clients off. 

But if you’re posting on social media without an intentional marketing strategy to build your brand reputation, you may be experiencing that now! (If you’ve ever seen someone post a reel or make a video that seemed WAAAAY out of character, then you know what I mean!)

There’s nothing wrong with you if you’ve been following social media trends; it’s hard to resist the popular trends that “everyone else is doing”. But when you market with more intention, you can build a brand that’s trend proof! (No silly dancing or lip syncing required!)

Posting about what kind of Barbie you are, or using the most popular sound bite of the week, and trying to please an algorithm instead of appealing to your ideal customers is a HUGE marketing & branding mistake that a lot of florists are making.

The first step to course correct:

Stop writing “educational posts” that come across like complaining! 

 

Ever see a florist break down “why flowers cost so much”? That’s a perfect example of a “trend trap” because it seems like the right thing to do in the moment, but is your ideal customer attracted to a post about all of your overhead and the hours you work?

 

Or would they be more interested in your brand story, or a helpful tip for THEM instead of a “look at how hard I work and how much all this costs” reel?

 

(Hint: if your ideal client has a decent budget for flowers, they don’t need that kind of “budget education” so they don’t even realize you’re talking to them! In other words, the clients who CAN afford you will just scroll on by!)

 

Here’s what to do instead:

Get obsessed with your ideal customers and create a marketing plan that attracts them to you!

 

Ask yourself:

  • What is my customer worried about right now? 
  • What would my customer be thrilled to know? 
  • What problems do I solve for my clients?
  • What am I selling that my customers would be interested in buying today?
  • Why am I the BEST choice for my clients?

Now, when you can create social media posts that answer these specific questions, what will your ideal clients hear? They’ll hear you speaking to them loud and clear because you’re talking about what matters to them!

 

So which kind of marketer would you rather be? The one who falls into the trend trap or the one who speaks directly to the hearts of their ideal customers? (I can tell you from personal experience, I’d rather be the latter.)

 

If you’re a floral designer or flower farmer who’d rather spend time designing beautiful flowers and booking clients, than following trends, then I’d love to invite you to join me inside the Marketing Workshop for Florists because when you sign up, you’re about to get my best marketing tips to help you stand out as your own unique brand.

Click Here for Details on the Marketing Workshop!

In 3 Days of Live, Virtual Training I’m going to show you how to get out of the social media traps and start bringing the best clients to you.

By the time you finish day 3 you’ll be talking to your customers with more clarity and purpose, which will feel so much better than lip syncing along with next week’s trend!

My students say the Marketing Workshop is actionable, informative and totally worth the investment. (And at $57 what do you have to lose? There’s even a money back guarantee!) Use Coupon Code: FRIDAY15 Today to take advantage of 15% for Black Friday!

So why wait any longer? Join me for the Marketing Workshop for Florists on Dec. 4, 5, & 6th, at 12pm Eastern/9am Pacific!

If you have questions for me or if you had an “a-ha” moment after reading this post, get in touch to let me know!

xo. -Alison


CATCH A REPLAY WITH SLOW FLOWERS SOCIETY ON INSTAGRAM!

Debra Prinzing and I sat down for a chat on Instagram today as part of Slow Flower Members Appreciation Month to talk a little bit more about the power of marketing to your ideal customers vs following trends, click to watch!

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Slow Flowers Society | Local & Sustainable Flowers (@slowflowerssociety)


November 21, 2023 — 2:33 pm

By Alison Ellis

5 Steps To Book More Weddings

How Can Florists Book Weddings In Less Time With Less Stress?

I taught a live training last week on the 5 Steps To Book Weddings More Quickly to help wedding florists streamline their current sales process so you can save yourself time (and sanity) when you’re investing energy in writing a proposal for a client!

I got some great feedback on the training and I want to share a few really important takeaways with you today!

Click below to watch a few of the tips I want to highlight for you.

Want To Get Access To All 5 Steps To Booking In The Replay?

Click To Learn More!


The first step to booking a wedding starts here! Click to watch this 1 minute clip now!


Learn 2 of the biggest mistakes florists make BEFORE even booking a client when you click to watch below!


Click below to watch the MOST important step to stop clients from ghosting!

One important thing to know is that none of what I teach is fluff or theory.

Everything I share with you is tested and proven–it’s not a magic trick to book great clients, but after 22 seasons of booking weddings, there is a clear sales process to follow to make sure you’re leading clients from initial inquiry all the way through to deposit! And if you need practical tips that work, I’m here to help!


Want to get the full 90-minute training plus the Q&A? Grab it now!

Yes, I want the 5 Steps!

 

October 29, 2023 — 2:26 pm

By Alison Ellis

Wedding Bouquet Tips

A floral designer asked in my Facebook group the other day, “Are the stems on my bouquets too long?”

And while there isn’t 1 right answer on exactly how long your bouquet stems should be, I threw together a quick video to show you how I determine the stem length on a bouquet for a real wedding. Ultimately, the stem length is part of your overall design flair. You may like your stems shorter than what I show in my work, OR your clients may begin requesting longer stems like we’re seeing in some events lately! It’s a matter of taste and balance on the design as well.

This video got such a nice reaction that I ended up putting together a few more wedding bouquet tips for you! You can watch all 3 videos below in the order I created them in about 26 minutes.

I hope you’ll enjoy these wedding bouquet tips! And if you do, please make sure to “Like” the videos on YouTube, subscribe to my channel and share with a friend!


After I shared the stem length video, I got questions on how I tie my ribbon–so I did another quick tutorial on how I tie the knots on my wedding bouquets!

 


Naturally, it only made sense to follow up with a behind-the-scenes look at how I actually make a wedding bouquet in the first place, so I recorded myself at my design bench as I designed the bridal bouquet for my most recent wedding. Take a peak at my process below!


Thanks for taking a few minutes to watch! And remember to “Like” these videos and subscribe on YouTube. You can also watch a few more design tips on my YouTube Playlist below!

If you haven’t already subscribed to get my Free eBook, Everything I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Business, Click Here To Get It Now!

You can also learn more about me below!

See My About Page

Find a Course List

On The Flower Podcast

October 3, 2023 — 6:35 pm

By Alison Ellis

Flower Math Fall Sale!

The Flower Math Fall Sale is ON for 3 DAYS ONLY!  Coupon Code: Fall23

Get the LOWEST price on the ONLY Pricing & Profitability course for floral designers NOW thru Sept. 14th at 11:59pm Eastern!

Use Code: Fall23 to Save $100 Off!

Click For Details!

 

September 11, 2023 — 10:11 pm

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Welcome, Floralpreneur®.  I’m Alison Ellis, creator of Flower Math, published author, and founder of Real Flower Business. My online business courses and private coaching help floral designers increase profits, book great clients & build a better brand.  Learn More →

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FOR WEDDING FLORISTS:

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