Presenting

26 March | 2022 Feature HOLIDAY TIPS FROM PATRICIA FOWLER, AIFD, CFD, PFCI Patricia Fowler, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, owner of Flowerama in Pittsburgh, Pa., shares her tips for a successful Mother's Day. First, she offers a limited, specially designed menu of flower designs for all the major holidays, and she has her staff work in production mode to meet the demand. "Designing in multiples is a must! We design anywhere from 10 to 20 of the same arrangement at a time, to be most efficient," Fowler shares. Second, Fowler sells by color rather than by bloom type whenever possible. "Offer color palettes instead of specific blooms so that you can create the most beautiful arrangements with what is available." Third, Fowler has adopted new ideas like using DoorDash to help with deliveries and developing chop-and-drop designs to keep up with the volume of orders. "To be successful in today's world, you have to pivot and change to meet today's challenges," Fowler says. Fourth, Fowler expresses the importance of pushing add-on sales to increase your bottom line. "Staff are 'incentivized' to offer add- ons with every sale," Fowler notes. "Let your customers know what you have to offer and increase your chance of making another sale." Flowerama sells lots of chocolates, balloons, greeting cards and local gifts. The store even has its own candy kitchen, in which the staff produces—among many other things— chocolate-covered strawberries. support your community. Train your sales staff to mention these add-on items with every sale, and incentivize them with a small reward (cash, time off, etc.) for every add-on sale they make. Even create a contest among employees, rewarding the employee who sells the most (in dollars or items). You'll be doing your customers a favor by offering special add-on gifts, but if you don't tell them about the possibilities, you will lose out on potential additional sales. Plants Mother's Day is a perfect time of year to have a full stock of foliage and flowering houseplants—and, perhaps, even outdoor hanging baskets and/or bedding plants. Popular options are European gardens, orchids, succulents and herb gardens. ese are great sellers and require little work. Plants are great grab- and-go items for cash and carry as well as great alternatives for last-minute delivery orders. Caring for Your Staff and Yourself It is vital that you take good care of yourself and your team during a major holiday. Having a super positive attitude at all times—regardless of what is going on or how chaotic things get—is contagious and good for morale. It's critically important! Also, wear comfortable but supportive shoes, and have plenty of healthy snacks and drinks on hand to get through those long hours. Keep everyone going strong with regular breaks as well as lunches and/or dinners. You are a team, and without your team, your Mother's Day won't work. ( Just try getting along without them!) And remember to give a heartfelt thank-you to each employee, not only at the end of the holiday but also throughout each day and/or at the end of each day. ey all deserve it!

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