As you prepare for Mother’s Day, no doubt you’re taking a good look at your price tags and evaluating what you should charge. Florists are in a unique position when it comes to pricing – at the most basic level, you provide a product that can be found at mass marketers and warehouse clubs for nearly half the price. It’s up to you to show your customer the difference and tell them why you’re worth it.
When we compiled our 2010 State of the Industry report (see the January/February edition of Canadian Florist) we weren’t surprised that industry experts cited this type of pricing pressure as one of the biggest issues facing florists. This is a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon and as florists, you have two options: justify your prices and demonstrate the value of your product or slash prices and risk competing with the supermarkets. If you’re looking to thrive, the latter option won’t get you far.
So how do you show customers what your products are really worth? First, the key is to be confident in your prices and have a clear reason in mind for charging what you do. If you – and your staff – don’t believe in your prices then how can you ever justify them to your customers? Create a list of reasons as to why you think your product is worth the price. How many years of experience do you have? What are your credentials? What are the benefits of choosing your shop to put together a floral design? What positive feedback do you hear from loyal customers? If you say you offer high quality flowers – what makes them high quality? Review this list frequently until it becomes an ingrained, automatic response to pricing inquiries.
The second step is to consider how your product can benefit the consumer. How can your flowers improve the lives of others? Why should shoppers buy flowers from you for their home, to celebrate an occasion or to decorate a big event like a wedding? A combination of finely tuned sales skills and a deep belief that the consumer truly needs your product can work to sway even the most frugal shopper. Information on the emotional and stress-relieving benefits of flowers is out there – share these facts with your customers. (Visit our website for useful links.)
Another way to justify your price is to supply shoppers with extras that set your shop apart from discount flower sellers. When shoppers make a purchase, make sure they walk out of the store with a bouquet wrapped beautifully in cellophane or paper and a trendy ribbon or tie. Add a personalized hand-written note with care and handling instructions. Treat your customers to an intimate one-on-one shopping experience that starts with a tour of your selection and ends with you personally walking them out to their car. Set up your displays so that they are unique, appealing and add more to the imagination than just a mass market bucket display.
Don’t sell your shop short. When you meet new shoppers, stop referring to yourself as simply a florist – describe yourself as someone who can add life to a home, make a wedding beautiful from the bouquet to the boutonniere or help honour and remember the life of a loved one. If you appeal to the emotions and create a need for the product, you will take the focus off the sticker price and put it back on the flowers.
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