“Feature or Special”

When you go into restaurant and the server tells you about the specials for the evening, what is your first thought? Are they pushing something in the kitchen that has a limited appeal so they are stuck with it or is the suggested item something that is close to its expiration date and they need to move it? The word special has lost most of its positive meaning in today’s society. We are constantly bombarded with so many specials that very little seem special anymore.

Now, same restaurant, this time the server comes out to tell you what the chef is featuring for this evenings dining enjoyment. Totally different feeling. We think the chef has been working all day to come up with a palette pleasing presentation. The same can be said about selling flowers.

While most flowers can be on “special”, this usually means cheaper or discounted merchandise. The perceived value starts to decrease and the question of why comes to mind. There will always be some clients looking for a bargain on pricing, but most retail flowers buyers are looking to express an emotion. Whether love, sorrow, comfort, or joy, price is not the single most important part of the buying equation. Customers want to feel that their selection is going to the best interpretation for the monies spent. Avoiding customer and recipient disappointment can be a challenge if the sale is not properly executed. It is not uncommon for customers to be undersold when they are willing to spend more dollars on a “featured bouquet”.

So what is a features bouquet you ask? It is the one that your design staff has reciped in 3 price points and that your sales staff has been given the necessary list of the features and benefits of that week’s particular featured design to help identify during the sale. The advantages are that you can buy in quantity to create multiple designs, create multiple designs at once for future sales, and these serve as a great base to allow additional placements for a more customized look. Think once; execute in multiplicity.

In reality, it is just a play on words; the effects can make a huge difference in sales. Take advantage of Florabundance “Featured Flowers” this week to make your profits grow.

By Tom Bowling AIFD PFCI exclusively for Florabundance, Inc.