6 Tips for Professional and Successful Consultation Calls
Consultations can make or break your clients’ experience with your floral business. (1)
Consultations. I'm sure we have all wanted to duck under the curtain and see how other florists do this important portion of their business. Florists are constantly complaining about how many hours they put into proposals, only to be ghosted. I no longer do full mood boards prior to booking clients, and that means the 30-45 minute discovery call with the client is critical to my booking process.
Below I'll share tips on how to make consultation calls a success for one's business. This is by no means the 'right' way to do it, but what works for me just might work for you too! For a planner bringing me a very warm lead with a fantastic budget, I may do more up front to help them 'make the sale,' but for direct inquiries from clients in the $6-12k budget range, I have found this gets both sides what they need to make a booking decision:
Initial Inquiry
The first step of my inquiry process is a short form on my website called "Check my date": Name, date of the event, venue, budget, and an open comments section. While a lot more information is needed to provide a quote, throwing up barriers early in the process is one of the easiest ways for a client to get dropped in the process. They may feel like they need to finalize one more detail before reaching out or get busy communicating with another vendor or just forget! It doesn't matter if they have 6 or 7 bridesmaids at this point. This form is only to see if we should be talking because if I'm not available, we can save each other some time.
Pricing Template
The second step of my process is a template reply requesting inspiration images and a Client Intake Questionnaire spreadsheet with price ranges that asks the client to fill in tentative quantities. This leaves me freedom for peonies in October or local products in the summer. I built this as a spreadsheet that itemizes and sums for the client so that neither of us has to do a lot of math. It's a double win because they understand how the quote is built, which builds trust. Of course, I note that any custom installation will require a photo, measurements, and some work on my end to quote. I include ranges for delivery and setup, strike, and taxes, so nothing comes as a surprise. The price range at the end may vary by a few thousand dollars, but it helps with expectations around lushness and size. Clients understand that more is more and why there is no one-size-fits-all quote. As a bonus, this allows my initial response time to be swift and asks the client to put in some work. This second step prequalifies the client and allows them to adjust the "Budget" number while also asking for information like who their photographer is. Price shoppers usually have what they need to realize I am not the cheapest option, and if they ghost at this stage, I haven't put in any work aside from sending my templated e-mail. This is also a good place to include things you want clients to be aware of. For example, if you have an arch you want to rent out or specialize in floral pocket squares, add that line item for things they may not have thought of. In the same vein, if there's something you hate doing, don't include it.
Example of Inspiration Board for potential couples.
Book a Consultation
Next, I look over all the details they have provided and decide if this client seems like they will be a good fit (beautiful color palette, tasteful choices, budget in line with what's been calculated). If it looks promising, schedule a 30-minute consultation call with Calendly over zoom.
This is the important part. This is the part where the client gets a sense of who you are, puts a face to the work, and decides if they like and trust you. This call is the core of the booking process and the only part that no 'competitor' can replicate because the 'you' part of your business is unique! Below are six points to keep in mind for successful consultations:
1. Drive the Meeting
The client wants to feel that you know what you're doing, that you are a capable professional who has done this before. This means you need to have a process in place, so they know what happens next. Walk them through it. Ask the important questions, and communicate expectations.
2. Listen
Your clients want to feel heard. Ask them what is important to them. Ask them what they are worried about. Ask them what their vision is. Write these things down and refer to them in your follow-up e-mail.
3. Express Your Passion
Let your passion for your work show up to the meeting. When clients talk to you, they should be able to tell how much you love designing. They should see you have done this before. They can feel that you want their event to go smoothly and be beautiful. As you talk, pull up flowers on google photos and show examples of my work from my Instagram page and Pinterest boards. Show them a different couple's mood board so that they can see what the next steps would be if they decide to move forward. Show them the creative process.
Gush over the flower that is in season during their wedding that you hope to use, but also mention that you can't guarantee anything 100% in the same sentence. Explain how the flower board of varieties is both a wishlist and a way to show example substitutions that fit with the color palette and role (i.e., various textures and sizes). It gives the couples both a sense of the complexity of the work and a feeling that they are in good hands.
4. Give Your Professional Opinion
You are the professional. Our job is to provide solutions. If the client requests something you don't think is a good idea, don't be afraid to say so. Let them know the considerations, why you've seen it go poorly, and what you would suggest instead. They will be grateful that you shared your experience and prevented them from doing something they would regret. Sometimes showing instances of poor design will be enough for them to say, "Nevermind." Keeping a Pinterest board of examples where the budget was stretched too thin is often a good way to convince clients to trust your budget guidance. If the client is insistent, gently shorten the meeting and tell them in a follow-up e-mail that you're not the right florist for them.
Your client’s budget guides what they want to spend—your job is to utilize it most wisely!
5. Don't Wear Your Own Money Shoes
The truth is, most people providing a service cannot necessarily afford their own services. That is the nature of the service industry. Just because you would never spend $10,000 on flowers for one day doesn't mean that your client feels that way. Rather than talking about flowers or designs as cheap or expensive, talk about high-impact, luxurious, high-demand flowers and more cost-effective substitutions. Their budget guides what they want to spend, and our job is to make the most beautiful result we can with that budget. If they sent a costly inspiration image that you know would put them over their budget, show them examples of pared-back versions of designs that are maybe less lush or full coverage that would work within their budget. Talk about subbing in some carnations that carry color deeper in the design to make room for some more expensive flowers in the budget that will pop front and center. Be prepared to quote some of their inspiration images 'as-is' but let the couple decide what makes sense for them. "That is a gorgeous, lush, and flower-forward $300 centerpiece, filled with many luxury products. Since every guest table won't be photographed, let's use the garden roses at the head table and the bridal bouquet."
6. Next Steps
If you have a good feeling about the couple throughout the conversation, be very clear in your follow-up e-mail regarding what steps they need to take to move forward with you. I don't push the sale anymore because I've found I only want to work with couples who really want to work with me. Clients are often ready to book at the end of the consultation because they've gotten a sense of how I work, how detailed I am, and how much I care. We book on a mutual understanding of the budget they've communicated to me and the trust they've developed through the consult. I book clients that show a high degree of trust in me and my work as the primary factor. A budget in line with my pricing for what they are requesting is an unspoken way for the client to say, "I trust your pricing is fair and that you know what it takes to execute. I value your work the way you value your work." And isn't that a dream client?
Photography Credit
(1) Nathalie Cheng
