The Floral CEO

 Hello flower friends. On this week's mini sode. We're gonna talk about the key phrases or responses when I am directly interacting with a client. These are ways that I've learned to handle difficult conversations or really conversations that that are. Maybe you just need clarification and you don't know a good way to ask for clarification.

Or maybe they're just plain out being rude and you need to kind of push back in a professional way. So some of these I often use. Some of these are more like. Pointed conversations, but I really thought that it might be helpful for me to what I call, load your lip with how I respond to these specific situations.

So the first situation is, let's say you have a client and they send you their Pinterest board and it looks like a Minnesota Vikings wedding, or it looks like. Some very elaborate, expensive, crazy wedding, but then they tell you that they have a $4,000 budget or if they have a $5,000 budget, or the same situation can happen, that you're in the middle of a consult and you're going through.

And they initially said that they need. Uh, bridal bouquet bridesmaid bouquets, a couple bnes and corsages, and they needed maybe something for their ceremony and that they were handling their centerpieces, and then all of a sudden their ceremony just became very elaborate, very kind of over the top or something all of a sudden just kind of shifted that you didn't clarify or get to clarify in the beginning of your conversation, and you're all of a sudden going.

Holy shit. There is no way that this is going to work in their budget. So the way I handle that is I literally ask a very pointed question, and if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, I have said this question before, but I hope this really resonates with you. 'cause the girls in the floral CEO Mastermind, this is something that definitely is resonated with them to be able to take this exact phrase into their interactions with their clients.

And that question is, is your budget or vision more important? It's a very simple question. Do you really want all of this? Or is the three or four or five or six or whatever thousand dollars that you want to spend, is that more important? Because then you can rework. Then you can kind of retool things to know that, okay, this is more important.

The budget is more important, so this is what we need to shave down if the vision is more important. Okay, great. Let's talk about that because right now it, your Pinterest board is not matching your budget in my preliminary estimates. And then you can have a conversation digging into their budget going, I really would love to understand, you know, what the max range of your budget is because, uh, I'm guessing budget gets important at a point.

So, or can we dig into things that are really important to you, that you want to make sure that you're spending budget on? That other things are inconsequential. So maybe we can do that, uh, leave that one out. Or maybe we can, you know, do this one item, but maybe we have to take this other item out. Maybe we have to not pepper flowers all over your wedding and just have some more impactful statement pieces.

All right. Then another one that I run into is you'll look at their Pinterest board and it looks like they have multiple personality disorder. You'll see like the classic boho vibes, and all of a sudden you'll see like classic Call Lilly wedding on there, and then you'll see Wildflower and you're just like, I have no freaking clue what this person likes.

And this happens a lot when somebody has been engaged for a long time and they started with a vision and then it started to evolve. And when that happens, I will tell them straight up. In looking at your Pinterest board, I'm really having a hard time figuring out an exact vibe that you're looking for because I will straight up tell them, I was like, you have some boho babe vibes going on.

You got some classic elegance, and then you got wild flowers. So like a real like cor kind of organic and colorful, and those three looks are really different from each other. So I would love to understand. What of these images is your favorite or can we narrow down like a section in your Pinterest that really captures the vibe that you're looking for?

And if they are like, okay, well, I kind of love, okay, tell me what you love about this photo. Like, I want to know what this photo, this exact photo spoke to you about. Sometimes the person doesn't understand is that they liked a flower in it. They liked the color of a flower. They like how it was jetting out from the bouquet.

I mean, there's a myriad of things that it could be. So then I'm just really helping them understand, okay, now you said you really like this photo too. Okay. What do you like about that photo? And then again, you're digging, you're mining information. All right, the next one, and this will probably resonate with a lot of you, people give you a budget and their want list, and you honestly think that there is no way in hell that this can be done.

And I always try to remember often these people have no idea what wedding flowers cost. It is my job to. Service them and educate them and to really share what's what's real. So I am serving them by helping them. And we just talked about sales this week and sales is serving. And I know often selling the whole connotation around selling feels icky.

But when you are selling someone something they need and that is going to help them. You are serving them and in serving them, you hopefully are getting the like trust factor that often is what's needed to help close a sale. So when this happens, I very clearly will say, you know what? I'm just doing some real rough.

Numbers in my head and the numbers are not adding up to where your budget is. So let me just share you just in case you didn't read in my brochure, some starting at prices for this item. And I actually sometimes just have this conversation in email and I say, you know what? I completely understand that you have no idea how much wedding flowers cost.

There is no online directory. That really tells you how much this should cost. So I wanna help you understand, so I'm gonna use my starting at pricing just so we have a guide. Your vision doesn't necessarily match that because of the different premium blooms that you have in there. And, um, you know, sometimes like the color palettes or whatever just don't fit with the starting at pricing because those flowers are premium or, um, really hard to find blooms.

Uh, but let's just go through it. So if I do a, starting at bridal bouquet starts at 1 95 with me. So with at 1 95, let's put that in. Okay. Starting normal, average side size bridesmaid. Bouquet is x. Okay, you have five of those. Let's just say we're already up to $800. Uh, then you need 10 bhut Innes, let's just say $22 a piece.

So we have two 20. So we're eight. We're at 1,020 right now. Uh, then you need Corsages. So then I do the math. Let's just say you're at 1400. Okay. Then let's add that ceremony setup that you mentioned. You know, normally those kind of things start at. Let's just say $750 for the few cages that are up on this arch.

All right, so now we are at 1750, and I know you mentioned your budget was 3000, and we haven't talked about your reception pieces. We haven't talked about set up delivery and potentially tear down. So let's talk about centerpieces quickly. If I do the most least expensive Centro piece that is humanly possible for me to do, that starts at $50.

Um, for something that I, I would be proud to put at your wedding. So not something that looks like we completely DI yed it and cut corners. So that would be like three bud VAEs, or would be two bud vases and a candle or something like that. Or a hydrangea centerpiece. Really basic. Um, or if you wanna say 60, whatever.

And you mentioned to me that you have 20 tables. Okay, so if I take the 20 tables. And I times that by 50 we're, we're creeping up there to be at your max budget and those centerpieces didn't really match your Pinterest. So that's a thousand dollars right there. So we're at $2,700 and we don't have set up delivery, potentially tear down or any of those, um, additional service fees.

And then tax tax normally takes 10% of our budget. And then just say, so when I'm wrapping my head around these numbers, we are a ways off. And if they're like, yeah, that, that does seem a ways off. I'd be like, yeah, I, I, when we were going into this conversation, I thought you needed less items, and that's why, you know, I thought it was cool to move forward, um, to, to meet, because I, I wanna make sure that this is a great use of both of our times, and you obviously just didn't know what things cost.

Um, I send my brochure, but maybe, you know, you didn't get to that page, which is totally understandable. Um, but with that in mind, those numbers that I just told you, what are, what is your thoughts? Slap 'em on the hit. Like what is your thoughts? I just told you your budget baby is ugly and I need to know.

What your thoughts are on that. All right, here's another one that a, and I'm not stereotyping, but I am, 'cause I often deal with this with cultural weddings. Um, how do we do that cheaper? Can you do that exact thing for cheaper? And I mean, a lot of times you feel offended. You feel like, are you serious? How, how do you not?

Then you all of a sudden start thinking, do they not value me? Do they not value my expertise? They do. They not think I'm a professional? Like, why are they insulting me? And you can't take a personal because people are gonna try. Uh, and what I tell them is, you know what? I actually give you my best price up front.

So I can't reduce the price without changing the variables. So if you want me to come with some ideas which are more aligned with your budget, I'm happy to come up with some ideas. But they aren't gonna exactly match what we just talked about, and I'm just telling them like, I don't hagel, I'm giving you my best price upfront.

I, I honestly, people don't, again, understand. And especially in some cultures, negotiation is just a part of it and I'm just not gonna do it. So if they want to change the variables, the rules of engagement, then I'm happy to go and look at and make some changes and adjustments. But without that, that's just not going to work.

And if they don't understand that, that's fine. If they don't wanna work with me because I won't give them a discount. I That is fine, because I don't want to work with them. If they have the expectation, they're going to get a discount. All right. This is another one of my favorite ones, and honestly, I hit the nail on that.

Hammer hard when this comes up because I have no tolerance for messing around and not getting to the point when somebody is. Shopping a million floors. So through the consultation process, I can usually get a sense or something happens that I just get this vibe and I go and ask 'em. I say if they start saying exact words, design styles, color palettes, uh, like the mood or vibe of something that seems floral, like if they talk about mechanics in any way.

Definitely, uh, a little warning sign. So I'll just ask them, you know what, it sounds like you have done this before. Um, and I'm guessing you weren't married before, so have you met with some other florists? And if they say yes, I go. Okay. Uh, have they sent over their estimates to you yet, or are you, are you waiting upon on those?

Um, no. I've gotten a couple, but I'm still waiting on a couple. Right then everything is going ding, ding, ding, crazy person potentially. And I go, okay, I'd, I wanna make sure that I'm helping you in the best way possible. And it sounds like there's nobody that you've met with so far that hit all the buttons automatically and we're just like a yes.

Like this person. Yes am. Does that accurately kind of cover like. The interactions or has there been something missing? I just wanna make sure that I'm helping in the best way possible and I'm serving you as a client in the best way possible. So if I can understand what was missing from those conversations or from, from that, um, you know, interaction that I could hopefully fill that void.

And if they get into price, like they were way over my budget, that's completely understandable. Um, are we changing. The variables in what I'm estimating or are we estimating the same thing? So I understand if you are gonna be comparing apples and apples or apples and oranges, and a lot of times if they say we're comparing the same thing, you know what I completely understand by wanting to get multiple quotes.

But if just with my experience and what do I bring to a wedding and the flower choices that I use and everything being. You know, more premium, I'm probably not going to be cheaper unless some of the variables are different. And then we get into a conversation about the variables. So sometimes they will say, I didn't like their vibe.

Sometimes they will say, um, you know what, they're communication hasn't been great. Sometimes they will say like, I don't think that they got my vision. I didn't like their flower choices, you know, that I can work with. But if they're stuck on this thing that I can't fix that they're just literally price shopping, I'm really not gonna compete with that.

Alright? And I had a whole long list, but this mini episode is becoming a full length episode if I keep going with all of these. So the next one is, I really want this flower, but it is completely out of season. They want peonies in August. Honestly, I am not even going to touch that with a 10 foot pole here in Minnesota.

Maybe you can get peonies, but that is kind of in the chance and held department here, and I will tell them, oh, I completely understand. They're so beautiful. I am validating that they are pretty. I would want them at my wedding too, but. They are a spring bloom and sometimes we can push it a little bit by doing a thing called cold storing, but when they're cold store that long, because we are talking spring, they often right when they hit water fall apart and I would just hate for that to happen at your wedding day.

And then they sometimes, if they are ballsy brides will say, well, can't you get it from somewhere else? Well, actually a lot of peonies around the world are spring and then there is a second season. In my experience coming outta Chile, and that is in November dec, late, late November, December, January-ish timeframe.

And they're obviously being imported, which obviously comes with a, um, higher price tag then. And I'm like, is that okay? If we were, if for some reason they're in a weird gray area and importing is an option, I will be like, is. Is it so important that we want to pay premium prices for that? But a lot of times I just tell them it's in your best interest to not do that because I don't want those flowers falling, falling apart.

I want them to be in great condition on your wedding day, and that is really hard to do. Um, if I could get them at all. So I hope these little tidbits were helpful, and I hope that when you go into your consultations and interactions with your clients, you are the leader of those conversations. You are the one that are guiding those people into these decisions.

You are helping and molding, and you are asking, clarifying, curious questions. If I am even remotely a little gray on what this client is working for, I ask curious questions. Curious questions help you get to hopefully that end result of having a customer that feels heard, that feels like you also like know what you're doing because you are positioning yourself that whole time as an authority in your space.

I know so much about flowers. Literally at the end I al of my consultations. I always do a positioning statement. You know what? I don't know if you had a chance to go look at my About Us page, but, um, just in case you didn't, I've been a florist for say whatever length of time if you want, or I have done, I've done 1700 weddings.

I am a, I am an expert. That's why you guys are listening. I am an expert in wedding flowers. I'm an expert in flowers, period. I've worked in retail shops. I've done the gamut of different floral situations. I've done silk I've, I've grown flowers. Whatever it is, I've probably touched it. I might not still be touching it because it's not worth my time or interest or energy, but I've probably tried it.

Because I'm kind of adventurous y'all, but I always circle back that I am an expert in what I'm doing and I have done 1700 weddings. So no matter what happens on wedding week, I will make sure that you will have the flowers that you have been dreaming about. And if I have like a really young kind of gothy, I'll even say if the zombie apocalypse happens, you will still have the flowers that you want at your wedding.

Because I have. I can figure it out. I'm resourceful. I have different wholesalers, flower farmers. I grow flowers here. Like that shit is gonna be figured out, no doubt. So if you are struggling with your conversations, just know that you are the expert, you are leading the show, and that it is your time to shine.

Thank you so much for listening, flower friends, and you have an amazing flower filled day.