Presenting

34 February | 2022 Feature organized and ahead of the game, and it helps her keep a better eye on the inventory she has remaining for sale. Barrett also shares her system for organizing prom orders in the cooler when they are ready for pickup. She alphabetizes all the orders and gives each order a number. When a customer arrives, she looks up the name and fi nds the number on the order to match with the product in the cooler. With a display cooler, this procedure would prevent curious customers from knowing and seeing what other customers have ordered. Another tip Barrett shares is listing the school on each order. She keeps track of how many prom fl orals are ordered by students from each school and uses that information for marketing purposes and to plan for the following year. Boutonnières Boutonnières have also evolved into more creative designs. Accents like looped grasses, decorative wire, and fabric details can make your boutonnières special. Coordinate the fl owers and accents for matching prom corsages and boutonnières. It has become trendy to ribbon wrap the stems of boutonnières, which helps coordinate them with the corsages and provides a fi nished look. And be sure to off er unusual designs for the guys, too, like fl oral pocket squares, bow ties, arm bands— and on and on. Get creative! Today's prom- goers want something diff erent—even some of the guys. Boutonnière Mechanics Depending on the style of boutonnière a client chooses, you can either wire and tape the fl owers and wrap the stem with ribbon or glue the fl owers onto a fl at base (you also can use OASIS® UGLU™ Adhesive Dashes to attach fl owers and foliage to the fl at bases). ere are many options today for attaching boutonnières. For example, consider using magnets instead of pins; they make it so much easier to attach boutonnières. ere are many such magnets on the market, including those sold by Fitz Design, BoutStix, Reliant Ribbon and other companies. e only downside to be aware of with magnets is that they are not recommended for anyone with a pacemaker or ICD (implantable cardioverter defi brillator). For proms, you most likely won't encounter those issues, but it is a good idea to attach a note with each boutonnière containing a magnet warning of the eff ects. Marketing Make sure to get all of the prom dates for all of the high schools in your service area on your calendar, to organize your planning, buying and scheduling. Also, reach out to the schools and prom committees to see how you can advertise to their students. Some ideas include off ering to donate a percentage of sales to the school (or a particular club) in exchange for promotion. In addition, inquire if the school will accommodate a demonstration on prom fl owers. Use the prom season to launch a social media promotion. Today's teens are on social media every waking minute, so what better chance to plug your brand into their online conversation? On social media, be sure to post pictures of your most creative, interesting and distinctive prom off erings as well as your corsage bar display. Share posts about current trends and styles. Show them what is possible! Attach a card to every order asking the students to tag your shop on social media and share pictures. Be sure to include your shop's various Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter info. is is the most eff ective kind of advertising for this customer base, and they do it for you—for free! Flowers by Rachelle

• Cover