Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Top 10 Florist Tips of 2021

As a general rule I find it’s best to look forward in my business, however, as 2021 comes to a close there’s a lot of hubbub about “top moments” and “best of” lists so it seems only fitting to reflect on some of the conversations and topics from the Real Flower Business community:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • In November, I hosted a Vision & Goal Setting Session and taught 3 days of live trainings to students inside my Marketing Minicourse (all replays are available now inside the course)

 

  • And it was so much fun to talk marketing with floral designers and flower farmers that I hosted a 3 day free Branding & Marketing Training for Florists in December, in preparation for enrollment in, The Art of Good Business, my online course and group coaching program, which begins January 4th, 2022!

While everyone is recapping the year, I just want to remind you of 1 thing:

Nothing’s ending–

it’s not over,

you didn’t miss it,

it’s OK if it isn’t “that special”,

all your efforts are part of what you’re building towards

and the “end of a year”, doesn’t mean anything is actually over…

 

Keep moving forward in your business.

I’m honored to be on your floral business journey with you.

Keep doing beautiful work and I’ll see you in the new year with MORE tips and trainings to help you move your business ahead.

With love from me to you,

Alison Ellis

(click here to learn more about Alison)

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What Is Sales Copy?

If you’re like me, you fell in love with floral design and decided to turn your passion for flowers into a small business. And if you’re also like me, you didn’t know much about how to market your flower business so you can book clients consistently and stand out against your competition.

I can tell you after 20 years of running my small business, the most effective way to book the best clients year after year is to follow an intentional marketing and branding strategy that speaks to the hearts of your ideal customers so that they KNOW you’re the best choice for them!

97% of the Florists I Surveyed Said They Do NOT Have A Marketing Plan…

I’ve spent the last 12 years learning how to get as good at branding my business as I am at floral design. In fact, I just taught 3 days of marketing and branding strategies to the students in my Marketing Minicourse and it was so much fun that I decided I’m going to do it again in December, but these sessions are free! Click here to join me in the free training!

A florist asked: What is sales copy? Just in case you want to know the answer, too, you can click below for a quick video I shared over on Instagram.

Click Here to Join the free training

Without a doubt, learning how to attract the best customers to your business is one of the most important (and challenging) skills for any business owner to master, however, if you’re working without an intentional marketing strategy, you may find yourself “posting on social media often”, but without any idea of what you actually need to say to attract the best clients!

Instead of throwing out random content, it’s time to add intention to your marketing efforts so that you actually get the results you want–great clients, increased sales, consistent bookings, more joy and freedom in your work.

Whether you decide to join me in the free training or you choose to “go it alone” from here, the most important step is to add intention to your marketing plan so you can book great clients more consistently and create your own version of success. 

I hope you’ll finish the year strong so you can have a great start to 2022!

xo. -Alison

P.S. This 3-Day Training won’t be like some of the free webinars you may have attended where it’s 90% sales pitch and tiny bits of info scatter here and there. We are going to do some work–in fact, I’m making a workbook to go along with it to help keep you moving forward. And if at the end of the training, you want to work further with me, there’ll be an opportunity to do that, too.

Every January I teach a group of highly motivated floralpreneurs how to build their own premium brand in my group coaching program, The Art of Good Business. Enrollment is officially opening Dec. 13-16th and I’ll have more details to share in the upcoming weeks if you’re interested.

 

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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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Successful Floral Business Tips

How do you define success in your business?

This is not a trick question! And there isn’t one correct answer, but it can still feel tricky to answer for yourself!

Every florist must determine their own version of success, but what does that really mean in your business? Let’s talk about it!

Click to watch a replay of this livestream from my Facebook group that I hope will help you define your own version of success!

FYI you’ll find the infographic I mention in this video below! And you can click HERE to read the full post on Running A Successful Floral Business!

Looking for More?

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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.

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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