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Biz Tips: Profile of a Good Salesperson
Retail Florist Shop Operations - Redbook Florist Services
The most important people in any retail flower shop are the salespeople. No other employees are necessary until an order is taken or a sale is made. However, the weakest area of a flower shop is often the sales staff. Often this is a fatal problem, because sales propel a business operation and generate income that results in profits. Unless it is sold, a floral design has no purpose in a flower shop. The retail floral industry needs good salespeople, because competition in the marketplace is so strong. Every flower shop should focus on having a well trained, well informed, enthusiastic sales staff. Selecting the appropriate employees, implementing an excellent training program, and monitoring daily handling of individual sales are vital factors in the successful operation of a retail shop.
The ultimate salespeople are few and far between. Everyone has experienced poor service or treatment at department stores, supermarkets, or gift shops. However, it is not often that comparable stories are shared about terrific experiences with good salespeople. It may seem impossible to find the ideal salesperson for a flower shop, but it is not usually difficult to find a person with several desirable qualities, who can be trained to become a good salesperson. However, an individual with any five or more of the following traits should be seriously considered for such a position.
- Friendly, smiles often
- Exhibits knowledge of products
- Communicates well
- Possesses initiative
- Personable
- Enthusiastic
- Possesses a positive attitude
- Works well under pressure
- Enjoys flowers
To sum up this list in one brief description, a good salesperson is a motivated individual with a pleasant personality and a love and knowledge of flowers. Many florists employ floral designers that fit this description. Often the designers are natural salespeople, because they can readily communicate their floral expertise to the customer. Many shops utilize all of their designers as salespeople. Some shops rotate this duty by assigning each designer one day of the week to work on the sales floor instead of at the design bench.
Another good source of sales personnel is retirees who have an abundance of energy and who find the flower shop atmosphere exciting and interesting. What these people often lack in product knowledge, they make up for with enthusiasm and motivation. Although some retirees may be eager to work in a flower shop because they think it would be fun, the florist should be just as selective when hiring them as he would be for any other employee.
Floriculture students are another good source of sales personnel. Typically these potential salespeople are in the process of learning about the industry. They often have more product knowledge than the average consumer and are looking for opportunities to gain experience in a retail shop. A student with some prior design training, a positive attitude, and a high level of self assurance can be a profitable addition to the sales staff in any retail flower shop.
See Types of Selling
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