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15 P roms are important for florists for a couple of reasons. First, promoted well, they can generate hundreds or even thousands of dollars in revenue. Second, and perhaps more important, proms offer an opportunity to reach and showcase your artistic talent to young new Gen Z customers who—provided that they have a great and fun experience with your shop—could be turned into regular flower buyers for a lifetime. Make certain that you make the most of this opportunity to train the next generation of customers in the simple joy of giving and buying flowers. Doing so, however, will take some planning and work. Prom season can require a lot of skilled and labor- intensive design work in a short period of time, so organization, efficiency and speed are critically important. To maximize your sales and profits, ensure that you are geared up take and fill as many orders as possible. Turning away new, potentially first-time flower buyers (or their mothers!) is not the way to create a positive and enticing experience for them. erefore, preparing well in advance (like now!) and staying organized and efficient is the key to having a smooth and successful prom season. MAKE IT FUN AND EASY TO ORDER Create a "prom bar" in your shop to create fun and interactive experiences for these Gen Z customers. Display all of your ribbons, bracelets, jewels and gems, decorative wires, lights and other accessories so that each prom-goer can create a unique look that fits his or her unique personalities. Another benefit of a prom bar is that displaying all of your add-on options will, most often, result in larger sales. To stay organized and help you monitor your inventory, bag the selected items as they are ordered and place them with the corresponding orders. In addition to all of your accessory items, be sure to have multiple sample corsages, boutonnières, hairpieces, flower jewelry and other fanciful designs— perhaps made with permanent botanicals—on display in your prom bar. Not only will they show your customers trendy flower and color combinations and your creativity and artistry but also how the various accessories will look in the finished designs. All images on this page: Patti Fowler, AIFD, CFD, PFCI; Flowerama Pittsburgh Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com

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