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Business 60 February | 2022 It is the signature flower. It is one that everyone knows— whether they buy or like roses or not. When we opened our shop in 1986, the most popular red rose was ' Visa'. It wasn't the prettiest, but it opened. en there was the competition, 'Madame Delbard'. ey were the most beautiful looking roses when they arrived, but I have to say that in all my years, I can't remember seeing one open entirely. I would rather have a rose that opens consistently but maybe isn't as pretty. Fast forward through the years to the 'Rouge Baiser'. Ah, just the name—and man was it beautiful! It was my signature rose. I have traveled the entire U.S. setting up more than 75 florists on my website marketing programs, and most every shop seemed to stock 'Freedom' roses. I was getting so frustrated because there were so many 'Freedom' roses. It was a blanket name, it seemed like. 'Freedom'. Only once, when working with Heroman's Florist in Baton Rouge, La., did I see a 'Freedom' open to be as beautiful as a 'Rouge Baiser'. I got the name of the farm, and although it was good, I had yet to find one 'Freedom' rose that measured up to a 'Rouge Baiser'. Now, it's true that 'Rouge Baiser' roses open quickly, but isn't that what everyone wants? e fear is that once open, it's dead. So, I created a card to send with each delivery of 'Rouge Baiser' roses that explained its behaviors—that it will open quickly, but it will also maintain and hold up for a minimum of seven days. Mostly it was 10 days! I was immensely proud of that rose! Due to current market conditions and limited product availability, create a look and brand for your roses. Name your roses "Platinum," "Black Label," "Premium" or whatever you wish. Make sure to build them up, and extend the arrangements by adding curly willow or something that Branding e Red Rose Roses are "signature" flowers, so sell only the best varieties, and offer consumers a choice of standard and premium arrangements. By Art Conforti, PFCI; Bloomerang Solutions increases their dimension. ere are so many ways to accomplish this. Let's say you sell a dozen roses arranged for $85. Now brand your longer-stemmed roses (in our case, they were 70 cm to 80 cm), and charge $120—or more! Arrange them in an upgraded vase and add curly willow (or whatever), to create a grand look. When a customer orders a dozen roses, ask, "Would you like our premium Black Label roses or our traditional long-stemmed roses?" Wow, just the words sound opulent, right? Just like a top-shelf restaurant trains its staff on how to present a fine cut of beef or a pairing of wine, your staff should also be trained to do the same. Assume that most customers will want the Black Label—because most will, if presented properly. But, most important, be consistent. When the holidays come around, don't settle for 60 cm roses; demand 70 cm to 80 cm stem lengths. e competition all get 60 cm; why do you want to be like them? Step up a notch. You say they cost too much? Come on, the rose is the only flower that is properly calculated. By that, I mean it has a price. Whether you pay a little more or less, it's pretty much what it is. All flowers should be priced this way! Why does the customer have to be penalized if your buyer isn't as good as the buyer at the shop down the street? At the end of the day, roses, Gerbera daisies and Oriental lilies should all have a healthy markup and maintain a steady price. Just think about it, 12 roses: Even if you paid $3 per stem, you would still make a decent margin. e focus should be on waste. If you don't use it, you lose it, so rotate and move your product—whatever it takes. Less margin is better than no margin. e red rose—your signature. You can do it!

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