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On the Level with Neville: The Inside Scoop on Interior Design
The Inside Scoop on Interior Design |
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Written by Neville MacKay
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Have you ever driven through the ‘rich’ end of town and wished you could get in one of those homes and have a good old look around? Fortunately for me, I have been able to do just that for years here in Halifax, which is something that has taken a lot of time and effort. I know that many of you just assume that I can just march up to someone’s home, knock on the door and get an invite in – well usually I can (and do!) but that didn’t happen overnight. It took years to build relationships with the right people, to prove myself as a floral designer, and as a person in the know. I think of the expression ‘an arsehole by association’ and know that this also holds true the other way around – an expert by association! But make sure you are the right one!
As floral people, we sell our goods and services to many different people for many different events and reasons. That said, we all also know that there are so many others out there that are cutting into our market too. Now, the backyard Betties, Connie crafts-at-home and the big box cheap-and-cheerful arrangements all take away from our businesses, but there are other people that we need to start working with – not against – that will help us all. Interior designers, decorators, and home stagers are often the best source of new business in the floral industry, but know that as with any budding relationship, it can take time to grow and nurture into something profitable. You need to ensure that both parties are working towards the same goal and both are benefiting from the relationship.
I remember the first time I met with one of the best interior design companies here on the East Coast, Doucet-Watts Davis Interiors Ltd. Frankly, it was a little intimidating – imagine ME intimidated! Anyway, they were, and still are, lovely people who know a lot (I mean a lot!) about furnishings, wallpaper, colour trends, flooring, styles from the past, wood, paper and floral design styles. I knew that when I met Bea Doucet for the first time I would not only learn a lot from her, but would get some great business from her and her company. All I had to do was a great (not good) job. When you think about it, we as floral designers are putting a final touch to all their hard work, and what we do can make, or break, the whole feel of the room. It’s like putting the wrong brooch on a dress, and I think we all have done that at one time or another. There’s just no coming back from that!
Anyway, that was years ago (I think I had hair then!) and I still have a great relationship with Bea, Jim and the good folks at her company. I called her the other day to chat with her about what she looks for when in need of a florist (out of town of course!) and how they go about choosing the right mix for their needs. Bea tells me that she tries to get a person that is creative and offers ideas that complement, rather than compete, with her vision and a florist that will give a great final result to the project. She looks for someone who will design something that is specially made for her client, and not just a cookie cutter piece taken from page 26 of a magazine.
I also asked Bea about using a client’s own florist – whether she has had issues with quality and what she does to get around all those potential problems. Well, I think she should work for the United Nations, as she is very diplomatic with speaking and persuading them to try a different approach if need be.
Word of mouth is the best way to get in the good books with interior designers, decorators and home stagers, and also by getting out there and showing what you can do. Working with this industry not only nets you extra business but also gets your name and designs out to young home owners who will needs lots of flowers to decorate their new home for housewarming parties and entertaining events. I suggest if you are new, or want to work with this great group of professionals, that you design something you can send to them, so they can see first hand the work you can do. Deliver your best design to the office and don’t forget to attach a friendly greeting and your all important business card. That way, the next time they need flowers, you’ll be the first person that comes to mind. Often times we do wonderful designs that go out on delivery and are never seen by a lot of people, which is a shame.
Relationships are built on trust, teamwork and communication. These are things we all need to work on, not only in our own shops with our staff or at our homes with our families, but with other people that work to make homes more beautiful. That said, I suppose I’d better ‘communicate’ to David that he can ‘trust’ I will make a great supper so long as he does the dishes – teamwork at its finest!
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