On the road to building my wedding floral design business, I have put blood, sweat, and tears into making sure we stand out from everyone else. I dug my heels in and decided that we could be the solution to all the problems I heard about from couples about other wedding florists. If you’re sitting here wondering, “How can I set my business apart in order to become successful?” then that really is the key: listening to your target audience about what they wish they could experience, and then fulfilling those needs and desires!

If you’re still not quite sure what they could mean for you, I want to talk you through how I implemented it during my entrepreneurial journey and still do every day. You might not be a wedding floral designer, but the concept is still the same, and often the outcome is very similar.

1. “I Don’t Feel Like They Truly Care”

Nothing kills a customer’s excitement about being a customer than being treated like a number. When a couple inquires about our floral design services, the last thing I want them to think is that they’re just another event on my to-do list. Weddings, especially, are super intimate and driven by emotion. It was my top priority to make sure each couple knew I cared about them as individuals and was personally invested in the success of their event.

I’ve heard from a lot of couples that they chose not to pursue further business with other florists because they didn’t feel special. Some even felt like they were being treated like a chore. Maybe the florist acted like they were too busy to be bothered, or that the couple’s event and budget weren’t worthy of being considered. Total cringe! Businesses should be excited about every potential customer! At the very least, everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

To set Garden In The Pines apart, I answered every single email and inquiry with enthusiasm and passion. I didn’t have to fake it either — I truly am passionate about flowering everyone’s romantic day. Timely, effective, polite, and enthusiastic communication between me and clients is at the top of my list for company values and policies.

2. Client Relationships Beyond the Transaction

This point is similar, but it takes it a step further. You can answer emails about contracts and invoices as politely as you want, but if the clients don’t feel they have a connection with you, then your business is truly lacking! You won’t get those raving reviews that you want, and that word of mouth certainly won’t spread as quickly.

To make sure every couple feels that I care, I have at least two meetings with them. The first is a quick chat to see if our partnership would work well for us, and the second is an in-depth video proposal meeting to get into the nitty-gritty of the event. Relationship building is KEY. Put in that face-to-face time and learn more about them than just how big their wallets are. You should also get serious about implementing the best CRM for your business.

3. Invest Time for Research and Skill-Building

I know. When you’re building a business from scratch and running it on your own, especially if you’re a first-timer, doing anything but running the business can feel impossible. Think of it this way, though: if you don’t spend time upfront learning your trade and your target audience, you’ll just be spinning your wheels and eventually end up in burnout.

You also don’t need to spend a ton of money on education, either. Most of the time, some smart online searches and genuine networking with other professionals can take you further than any college degree! I would know — I spent a lot of time working with mentors, freelancing for other professionals, and learning about the business through affordable online courses.

In addition, I pull a lot of information from my email workflows — which I load up with prospects through my user-friendly website. To truly understand what couples are looking for in a floral design business, I make sure to reach out constantly, interact, and pull data from their behavior and responses to surveys. With all of this information, I can keep improving my marketing and sales funnels as well as the way my business is structured.

The Result? I Set My Business Apart With Tons of Great Reviews!

Let’s be honest, online reviews make or break a business. When people want to know if a business is even worth visiting or talking to, they’ll look at how many stars they have and what past customers have said about them. By being educated, constantly improving my business, and investing in genuine relationships with prospects and clients, I have successfully set my business apart and racked up a great number of reviews. I’m so happy with our portfolio of past events and with how happy we’ve made all our couples. This can be your reality too!

If you’re ready to take your entrepreneur journey to the next level, you should definitely check out my guide that offers 6 Tips to Starting Your First Business, or let me know if you’re interested in my business coaching services to learn more about how I set my business apart!

Talk soon!

XX – Lyss