Latest / Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney / The 'Gentle Sales system' for your wedding business with Carolyn Kulb

Transcript

The 'Gentle Sales system' for your wedding business with Carolyn Kulb · Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

0:00
Carolyn: If they don't reply to anything, I still follow up repeatedly to see if
0:04
there's anything I can help them with.
0:06
Because I want to be helpful, that's where I'm coming from, is just a place of
0:11
service for everybody who inquires with me, so I send them like a link to a blog
0:16
post, like, hey, here's questions you can ask if you're meeting with a florist,
0:21
because you're probably interviewing other florists, so let me help you with that.
0:25
Here are some things you need to know.
0:29
Becca: I'm Becca Pountney, wedding business marketing expert,
0:31
speaker and blogger, and you're listening to the Wedding Pros
0:34
Who Are Ready to Grow podcast.
0:36
I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies, and real life
0:40
examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
0:43
If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion
0:47
and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business, doing what you
0:50
love, then you're in the right place.
0:52
Let's get going with today's episode.
0:56
Today I'm chatting with Carolyn Kulb, founder of The Bloom Poet,
0:59
a boutique wedding floral and event design studio in Seattle.
1:03
In two years, she went from one to two weddings and no clue what she was doing
1:07
to booking out a full calendar of perfect clients, raising her minimum spend
1:11
to 12, 000 and making a real salary.
1:14
During these years, she developed and perfected her gentle sales system
1:17
so that she never gets ghosted.
1:19
In fact, it's been so successful, she now often turns work away.
1:23
So, what is this gentle sales system, I hear you ask?
1:26
Well, the good news for you is that's exactly what Carolyn's here to share
1:29
about today, and you are going to love it.
1:32
Carolyn, welcome to the podcast.
1:34
Carolyn: Thank you.
1:35
Thanks so much for having me.
1:36
I'm delighted to be here.
1:38
Becca: It's such a pleasure.
1:40
Thank you for taking the time out.
1:42
As always, when I have guests from the US, I'm filming or recording this
1:46
late in the evening so that we can be together so that you're in the day.
1:50
So hopefully my questions will all be cleared despite the late night call.
1:54
Time differences blow my mind.
1:56
The fact that it's a different time where you are to where I am,
2:00
like it never ceases to amaze me.
2:03
Anyway, Carolyn, it's great to have you with us.
2:05
Thank you for being here.
2:07
Before we dive into the sales system, which I've kind of teased out there
2:10
in the intro, let's go back to how you started, how you got started
2:15
in weddings in the first place.
2:17
Carolyn: Yeah, great question.
2:18
I actually started as a flower farmer, so that's how I ended up
2:23
in this wild world of weddings.
2:25
I, I used to be in public health years and years ago.
2:29
So when I came back from my last desk job, which was in West
2:33
Africa, I didn't know what to do.
2:35
And so I did farm school for fun and then just never went
2:39
back to a desk job ever again.
2:42
And so I ended up farming my own flowers for a time.
2:47
and started doing weddings with my own flowers and just never looked back.
2:52
It's been an amazing journey and now I'm no longer farming but I am doing
2:57
weddings and I just absolutely love flowering weddings and So that's,
3:02
that's what Bloom Poet is all about.
3:05
Becca: That is a wild ride from being in West Africa to being back in the States,
3:10
deciding to go to farming school, farming for flowers and then becoming a florist.
3:15
There is so much in that.
3:16
Would you say you're someone that likes a challenge, an adventure?
3:19
Carolyn: Yeah, I guess you could say that a little bit.
3:21
Yeah, I am one of those people that never is bored or boring, so I love
3:27
to just always try new things and see where life takes me and kind
3:32
of just how I, I live my life, so.
3:34
I could not have predicted that it would end up this way, but here we are.
3:38
Becca: I think that's true for so many of us, especially those of us who are
3:41
entrepreneurial, that life just takes us on this journey and we follow the
3:44
wind where our next idea takes us.
3:47
And here we are today having this conversation.
3:50
Now, think back to having that flower farm starting off and then
3:54
getting your first wedding client.
3:56
How did that happen?
3:57
Where did they come from?
3:58
Carolyn: Yeah, so the very first client that I ever had was of
4:01
course a friend of a friend, right?
4:03
I feel like that's how so many people get their first client is that you
4:07
start doing a thing and put it out into the universe and then someone
4:11
notices and they say, Hey, I have just the person for you to talk to.
4:14
So.
4:15
It was a friend of another farmer, and she was very much wanting, you know, a
4:21
very small ceremony with only farm flowers from, you know, growers in our area.
4:26
And so I was like, that's a thing that we could do.
4:28
So that was my first ever wedding.
4:30
Had no idea what I was doing.
4:32
Winged it.
4:33
And it was beautiful.
4:34
It turned out great.
4:35
And everybody was happy.
4:36
Becca: Well, that's always a good start.
4:38
So you got your first client and then where did it go from there?
4:41
Were they recommending you on to other people?
4:44
Carolyn: Yeah, so that would have been probably 2018.
4:48
And so I, I continued to do more weddings from, you know, the farm community.
4:53
And I was doing some other things that were not weddings, like a CSA with flowers
4:57
and some other things to kind of, you know, have multiple streams of income.
5:01
And I advertised for a time on some of the big wedding websites and
5:05
got some work that way as well.
5:07
And so 2019, I was doing a few more weddings, but it was not
5:11
steady, I guess would be the word.
5:14
But I was booking a lot for 2020, which we all know how that ended up.
5:18
So, you know, it was just yet another challenge on the road to
5:22
like having a booked calendar.
5:25
Becca: Now, when we look back on those early years, one thing I love
5:29
to do, because we like to get a little bit real on this podcast, is
5:31
to look back and realize and share some of the mistakes that you feel
5:36
that you made right in the beginning.
5:38
Because we all make some mistakes when we're starting out in business.
5:41
So is there anything that comes to mind and you look back and
5:43
you think, why did I do that?
5:45
Carolyn: Oh yeah.
5:46
Lots of things, lots of times.
5:48
Came from a non profit background, so literally, like, the entire
5:51
business side of things was just a hot mess for, like, many years.
5:57
We did not, like, no one gets their, you know, MBA or becomes,
6:02
like, a business mind before they start their business if it's based
6:05
on being really great at a craft.
6:06
So, I knew floristry really well.
6:09
Did not know how to like market my business.
6:13
I didn't have an intake form.
6:16
I Was paying for advertising that was not I was not getting the return on
6:21
investment So it was just money out of the business constantly I had no idea
6:26
how to like network with other wedding pros to like, you know build sort of
6:32
referral relationships and that kind of thing Yeah, I think every mistake
6:36
you can make in terms of like marketing and sales, I made it, which is why I'm
6:41
so proud to have come out the other side of that and, have a system that
6:46
is really working for the business.
6:48
Becca: And it's not an unusual story because so many people I meet when they've
6:52
started out their business, they have this passion like you did for flowers.
6:56
They love what they do.
6:57
But they don't understand how to make it profitable.
6:59
They don't understand how to do the sales and marketing side.
7:02
They don't understand all of the ins and outs of the wedding industry.
7:05
So obviously you got to grips with that.
7:07
What was it that you did?
7:08
What changed things for you?
7:10
Carolyn: I think one of the biggest things that changed for me was
7:13
realizing that if I were to have a fully booked wedding calendar and a
7:19
sizable farm that I was going to never sleep and that those two things were
7:24
just not compatible as far as timing.
7:28
So, you know, I, I realized that I wanted to do more weddings and, that
7:35
the farm would have to suffer for that.
7:38
But I also just realized that You know, in order to book more work and to make
7:45
more money with weddings, I had to really put myself out there, not as a farmer,
7:49
but as a wedding service provider, as a wedding florist, and talk to people who
7:54
were, you know, wanting a wedding florist.
7:57
Because that was a disconnect for me.
8:00
I just assumed, oh, because I have beautiful local flowers all the time,
8:05
it's obvious that I can do weddings, but it's not obvious to someone
8:09
who's on your website or looking at your services that like, you know,
8:13
they're going to get the same level of service that they would get from.
8:17
You know, someone who's only a wedding florist.
8:20
Becca: And that must have been quite a scary move to decide to
8:23
kind of walk away from the farm.
8:25
Was that part of your USP?
8:27
Was that part of the reason people like to come to you for the
8:29
flowers that were grown locally?
8:31
Carolyn: Yeah, it, it was initially.
8:34
The thing is here in Seattle, we're very spoiled by local flower growers.
8:38
So we have a lot of amazing growers who are excellent at what they do.
8:42
So I realized that, yes, it's, it's really fun for me to custom grow for my
8:47
clients, but I can also ask my friends who are farmers to help me out with that.
8:53
And so it's not as much of a USP as I thought it was.
8:56
I also had an injury sort of helped me along that decision making path.
9:00
And so.
9:01
When that happened, I realized that my body is not back to normal.
9:04
It, you know, I still have pain from this injury and, you know, farming was probably
9:10
not going to be a sustainable thing just for my body and how hard that job is.
9:15
So that sort of.
9:17
Gave me a yet another signal like hey, maybe just do weddings and focus on
9:21
one thing and do it really really well
9:24
Becca: I love that.
9:25
It's sometimes the things that happen in life again that just push you on to that
9:28
next stage But I love that you're still supporting the local flower farmers Are
9:33
you getting all of your flowers locally?
9:35
Is sustainability a big thing for you?
9:37
Carolyn: Yeah So I still communicate to my current clients that you know We do
9:42
as much as we can to source sustainable flowers to source locally I would say some
9:48
of our weddings are 100% local flowers.
9:51
Some are like, I don't know, 90%.
9:53
You know, we do our best, especially in like shoulder seasons, but you
9:58
know, we're members of Slow Flowers.
10:00
We care a lot about the environmental impact of the wedding industry at
10:03
large and our work in particular, because it is, you know, tied to
10:08
what's coming out of the earth, how people are growing, what pesticides are
10:12
being used, all of that kind of stuff.
10:14
So Yeah, we do, we do our absolute best to source locally and
10:19
sustainably for all of our weddings.
10:21
Becca: Excellent.
10:22
That's good to hear.
10:23
I know that the sustainability thing is on the agenda.
10:26
We need to be talking about it more in the wedding industry
10:28
and locally grown flowers.
10:31
Definitely becoming more popular here in the UK.
10:33
And it's good to know that the same thing's going on
10:36
over where you are as well.
10:38
Now, one thing that won't have escaped people's attention
10:40
when I did the intro was when I talked about your minimum spend.
10:44
So we're going to get to the how in a little while, but I just want to address
10:47
that because some people are going to have heard that and go, did she say that?
10:51
Right?
10:51
Is the minimum spend really 12, 000 and they're going to have this massive
10:55
money mindset issue where they think I'm never going to be able to do that.
10:59
So talk to me about pricing.
11:00
How did you end up getting to that price and how did you kind of step
11:05
forward in confidence with that?
11:07
Carolyn: Yeah, well, I mean, the last few years of supply chain and inflation have
11:11
also sort of dictated some of that for me.
11:15
When I started, you know, I had my own farm and my own flowers.
11:20
So I was undercharging by a lot because I just had infinite flowers.
11:25
So I was not valuing them the way that I would if I bought them at wholesale.
11:29
Now that I have to buy everything in from local growers who get paid
11:33
fair wages and all of that, it's not cheap to do this work and flower
11:39
costs have in some cases doubled.
11:42
They're up at least 20% from, you know, 2020.
11:46
Our hard goods supply costs have gone up a lot.
11:50
If you can even get things Sometimes we order something and it ships a year
11:54
later So that's just kind of the reality that we're dealing with but I also had
11:59
to look at you know Given my time my limited time and my team's limited time.
12:05
How much do we need to bring in?
12:07
How much do we need to profit on every wedding to keep doing this work?
12:11
Because for me sustainability is not just about environmental sustainability But
12:15
it's also about financial sustainability and like energetic sustainability.
12:20
Like, how can we keep doing this for the long term?
12:24
And for me, the answer was, I have got to make a reasonable salary
12:28
in this business for the insanely expensive city that I'm living in.
12:32
And knowing that, you know, I mean Seattle just continues to get more expensive
12:38
People continue to get these massive pay bumps every year because it's just
12:42
that expensive to live here So to not do that in my business felt sort of silly
12:48
like why would I not also get paid more?
12:51
When the cost of living has gone up by 20 percent, you know year over year So,
12:57
you know, those are sort of the facts of why I've raised my prices consistently
13:03
But as far as the money mindset, like, yeah, it's to go from being like a redneck
13:07
farmer who makes no money, you know, to someone who's working with, like, clients
13:14
who have plenty of money, it feels weird.
13:16
So it's definitely not, you know, it doesn't always make
13:21
sense to my brain still.
13:23
But I love working with people who have, you know, enough money that we can do the
13:29
type of work that we do really well, the volume of flowers that we do really well,
13:33
the statement pieces that we make, and get paid enough to do this for the long term.
13:39
And not just burnout in five years because we never made any money.
13:44
Becca: Absolutely.
13:45
And when you start looking at budgets like that and upwards, it means that
13:49
you can focus on quality over quantity.
13:52
And I'm guessing that's the space you're now getting to within.
13:56
The industry where it's not about how many inquiries can you get in per week?
14:00
It's about let's find the right people, which is going to bring us
14:04
on to talking about your system.
14:07
So, as I mentioned in the intro, you've developed this gentle sales
14:10
system, which I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, probably works
14:15
better when you're looking to get.
14:17
Less clients, but at a higher quality rather than a huge volume of clients.
14:21
So walk me through your initial customer journey.
14:25
What that looks like for your potential clients right now.
14:28
If they come across you on a website or an Instagram, talk us through
14:33
those steps and what happens.
14:34
Carolyn: Yeah, absolutely.
14:36
And so your point about quality over quantity, I think this type of system
14:40
will work for any volume that you're looking for, because, you know, people
14:45
do have to trust you to buy from you.
14:47
So that's sort of the crux of this system.
14:50
But right now, When people, you know, find me, they are asked to inquire on the
14:55
website, which just has a really quick intake form, where I ask them, you know,
15:00
their date, their, you know, just all the critical details you need to know.
15:04
That goes into HoneyBook, and then they get automatically sent a brochure
15:09
that has like, Tons of info, all of our services, all of our pricing, excuse
15:14
me, some add on things they can have.
15:16
If that's, you know, rehearsal dinners, rentals, they want
15:20
candles lit at their wedding.
15:22
Like that's all in there.
15:23
There are prices for that.
15:25
That's not a thing you get to like, ask us the morning of your wedding to do,
15:29
you know, it's an extra person or two.
15:32
So that's all there.
15:33
And then they also get a series of emails.
15:37
Let them know, you know, thanks for inquiring.
15:41
Here's all the info you wanted, but also here are some expectations.
15:45
Here's me.
15:46
Here's about me.
15:47
Here's why I love doing this work.
15:49
Here's why I'm an expert.
15:51
And you know, I tell them what past clients have said.
15:55
I tell them about my marriage and how much I love being married
15:59
and why I love weddings so much.
16:01
I talk about our expertise, the kinds of weddings that we're really great
16:04
at, the kinds of weddings that we love to do, and then I invite them to book
16:08
a call to just talk about their needs.
16:10
And so they get probably, I want to say like four emails before I even ask them
16:16
to book a call because I want them to know about me so that if they don't like me,
16:21
they can leave before I ever talk to them.
16:24
I just, I want to work with people who like me and who are
16:27
going to get along with me.
16:28
And then we have that call where we just talk about their
16:31
needs and their expectations.
16:33
And then if I think I can help them, then we move on to all of those, like, design
16:39
details, which for floristry can just be, like, a lot of information that we need
16:44
to be able to price things out correctly.
16:46
So we send them a questionnaire with all of the, like, you know,
16:50
how many bridesmaids, how many grooms, you know, that kind of stuff.
16:53
And then we develop a customized proposal for them.
16:56
And walk them through that and then send them booking documents
17:00
if everything looks good.
17:02
But for us, it's a very iterative process that's co collaborative with our clients.
17:08
Because we want to nail it before asking people to, you know, give us money.
17:14
So that's how we do it.
17:17
Becca: That makes total sense.
17:18
So now I want to dig into it a little bit deeper.
17:21
Because this is the kind of geeky conversation that
17:24
I absolutely love to have.
17:25
So if I land on your website today, can I see your minimum spend right out the door?
17:30
Or is that coming once I get your brochure?
17:32
Carolyn: Both.
17:32
So if you go to our services page, it's on there.
17:36
Here's what our wedding typical range is.
17:38
And then when I send the brochure, all of that like minimum spend is here.
17:43
Here's what our couples typically spend.
17:45
All of that is there.
17:46
Becca: And are all of those first four emails automated or
17:50
are you sending them personally?
17:52
Carolyn: Everything is automated except for one email that I send
17:55
personally, which is my welcome video.
17:57
So I literally send them a video of myself saying, Hey, Becca, welcome to Bloom Poet.
18:03
I'm so excited.
18:04
You're here.
18:05
Here's what we do.
18:06
Here's how I think I can help you.
18:08
I can't wait to learn more about your wedding and I can't wait to meet you.
18:11
So everybody gets that one video, but it takes me like, Maybe two minutes to do.
18:18
For me, that investment is super minimal, but that's the only
18:21
one that I do send manually, but everything else is automated.
18:25
Becca: And whereabouts does the video come in those, that sequence?
18:28
Does it come right after the brochure?
18:29
Does it come a little bit later?
18:30
Carolyn: It depends on how busy I am.
18:33
So I kind of send it when I have time.
18:36
If it's a wedding week, it might be after a few emails have already gone out.
18:40
And if it's not, then I can send it pretty soon after they inquire.
18:43
So.
18:46
Becca: So the idea is then, that by the time they've looked through your website,
18:49
filled out the form, got the initial brochure, had a good look through it,
18:54
received a couple of the other emails, they really have a good grasp on whether
18:58
they can afford you, whether they like your work, whether they like you,
19:01
before you even have a conversation.
19:03
Is that right?
19:04
Yes.
19:05
Carolyn: They, they know as much about me as I'm like, willing to divulge without
19:09
having a face to face conversation.
19:12
But like, it's...
19:13
There's no surprises like what you see is what you get and that's kind of what I how
19:18
I want to start building trust with these clients because a lot of times couples
19:24
are frustrated at the lack of information or the lack of Transparency with wedding
19:29
businesses with pricing specifically But I think with a lot of things where
19:33
we're just being gatekeepers for no good reason And I want my clients to instantly
19:38
feel like oh my gosh, this person gets me You know, I know what they're about
19:43
and I feel like this is worth having at least a conversation with them.
19:47
Becca: Yeah.
19:47
And so much of it, they can do.
19:49
Because they don't have to speak to you.
19:51
They can get all that information themselves.
19:52
That's something I talk about a lot is that right now in the world that
19:55
we're living in, people want answers and they want answers now, but we as
19:59
business owners don't want to be giving them the answers all day and all night
20:02
because we have lives and we're busy and we're doing all the other things.
20:06
And so if they can get all the information.
20:08
As much as we can possibly give them up front to help them make
20:12
an informed decision, that's only going to help our cause.
20:15
So I love all of the things that you shared about that.
20:18
Now, what happens if a client wants to jump the process?
20:21
So, you know, someone recommends you, they go to your website, they
20:24
fill out the form, they get the brochure and they already know
20:27
they want you for their wedding.
20:29
Can they jump straight to the call or do they have to wait for all the emails?
20:32
Carolyn: They're still going to get the emails because I am not going to
20:35
go in and turn them off for them, but I will, I'll reply if I see that they're
20:39
like chomping at the bit to talk with me and I'll just send them the link to
20:42
schedule a call so that if they're that excited, go ahead and schedule, can't
20:47
wait to talk to you kind of a thing.
20:49
Becca: Fantastic.
20:50
I love that.
20:50
I just love everything about this system and you are right.
20:54
It could be used for everyone, not just.
20:56
Low amount of inquiries.
20:58
I absolutely can see how this can work for a high amount of inquiries too, if
21:02
you've got, and I guess, you know, the time is going to be spent initially
21:05
getting it set up, getting your systems working, getting your automations, but
21:09
then the time saved in the long run when these things are going out is incredible.
21:14
Carolyn: It's incredible.
21:15
Like having this all set up, it does take time and it does take effort
21:19
to write all the emails, get all the links, you know, do all the things.
21:22
Right.
21:22
But.
21:23
Once it's set up, I mean, for me to spend two minutes replying to an
21:27
inquiry and then everything else is automated is Insane, like I love it.
21:33
It's so easy and it you know, no matter I don't know if you guys get this
21:36
But I get a lot of Sunday night 11 p.
21:39
m.
21:39
Inquiries You know people are freaking out about their wedding on the weekend and
21:45
and staying up late on Instagram And this system allows me to get them information
21:52
right away and send them the right information at the right time so that
21:56
You know, they have peace of mind or they at least know what they're getting into.
22:01
Becca: Yeah, and it's fantastic because also it means they can filter themselves
22:04
out before they spend any of your time.
22:06
So if they look at the stuff and they see your emails and they think,
22:09
no, actually this isn't right.
22:11
They don't even have to spend the time on the call or you don't have
22:14
to have that awkward conversation wondering why they've disappeared
22:17
because you kind of just let them go.
22:19
I'm guessing.
22:20
Do you do any chasing outside of those emails?
22:22
Carolyn: So I do have a little sequence.
22:25
So my sequence is 10 emails, I think, which is a lot, but
22:28
not everybody gets all 10.
22:30
So if they book a call, like I sort of turn it off and say,
22:34
okay, great, we're going to chat.
22:35
That's all we need.
22:36
If they don't reply to anything, I still give it the old college try
22:41
and follow up repeatedly to see if there's anything I can help them with.
22:45
Because I want to be helpful, that's where I'm coming from, is just a place
22:49
of service for everybody who inquires with me, so, you know, I send them
22:54
like a link to a blog post, like, hey, here's questions you can ask if you're
22:59
meeting with a florist, you know, because you're probably interviewing other
23:02
florists, so let me help you with that.
23:05
Here are some things you need to know.
23:07
I send them like a Pinterest tutorial, like, Hey, if, if you're worried
23:10
about your vision and that's what's getting you stuck, here's how you use
23:15
Pinterest to put together a mood board.
23:17
And I'm, I've been doing this for years.
23:18
I'm happy to help you with your vision.
23:20
Let me know how I can help.
23:22
So even if they have no interest in booking me at that point, I
23:25
still want to help them on their journey because like it's a lot of
23:29
work to plan a wedding yourself.
23:31
Like it's just so much pressure and it's so much work.
23:35
So anything that I can do to lighten their load is a win for everyone else and the
23:40
florist they go to, you know, the other wedding pros that they go to, because.
23:44
They know, okay, this is what I should expect to spend, or this is how I use
23:48
Pinterest well, or these are the questions I should ask, like anything I can do
23:53
to educate them before they go out into the world and unleash themselves on my
23:58
colleagues, that's a win for everybody.
24:00
Becca: This is, this is so good.
24:02
This stuff that you're sharing is so good because you're right and
24:07
you're having that attitude of service is something that I love.
24:10
I love to share and I think that's how we should all live our
24:12
lives in an attitude of service.
24:14
And it always comes back round because even if you don't get that
24:17
booking, they'll remember you.
24:19
They might pass you on to a friend, a family member that's more suitable.
24:22
The other florist.
24:23
that are getting your clients that decide not to go with you are going to know you.
24:27
There is so much good stuff.
24:29
And what's really smart and clever about it is yes, you put in the time up
24:33
front, but all this stuff is happening and you're serving people incredibly
24:36
well without actually having to do anything other than just watch those
24:41
inquiries go through your system.
24:44
And so if you're listening to this and you're thinking, I need to get
24:46
something like this set up, you could go ahead and do that yourself.
24:49
You can outsource it, find someone to do it.
24:52
If you want to reach out to me at the Wedding Pro Agency, my team can
24:55
put together a nurture sequence for you or that kind of thing for you.
24:58
But just start thinking, how could you serve people?
25:00
How could this system work for you in your business?
25:04
Now, one of the things I know you love to talk about, Carolyn, is
25:08
taking pressure off the initial calls.
25:11
Like, talk me through how you do that.
25:14
How do you take the pressure off yourself, off the couples?
25:17
Carolyn: So like you said, this attitude of service, I think the biggest thing
25:21
to think about with these calls is that the goal is not how can I close this
25:26
sale or worse, I really need this sale.
25:29
I really need this money.
25:31
So the goal instead is how can I help this person that's in front of me as a person.
25:38
And so for me that completely takes the pressure off because
25:42
I know I can help somebody.
25:43
I'm an expert in the wedding industry.
25:46
I know a lot of people in this town who can help them if I can't.
25:50
So it's just a completely different mindset and a
25:53
completely different conversation.
25:56
So coming along with that is this preparation that I have that I'm willing
26:00
to refer people out right on that call.
26:02
If their wedding is not something I can help with, so, you know, I have
26:07
my little list of florists that, you know, if their budget is X, Oh, well,
26:11
so and so can help you, you know, ask with them and if, if they don't reply,
26:16
like, or if they're booked, come back to me and I'll help you find somebody.
26:20
So that's a potential, like, that's a, that's a potential that I'm always
26:24
prepared for on my call is like, if referring someone out is the way to
26:28
help them, I'm prepared to do that.
26:31
Of course, I would love to, like, have another wedding booked, but
26:34
if it's not a good fit, why bother?
26:38
Becca: And that definitely takes the pressure off the client, particularly,
26:42
but also for you, because I think if we go into these kind of conversations
26:46
with that feeling of desperation, it just doesn't end well for anybody.
26:50
Carolyn: No, yeah, I mean, I personally think that people even on zoom or, you
26:56
know, on video, like, can pick up on what you're putting down, like your energy,
27:00
the way that you're approaching something.
27:02
And so if you're desperate to make a sale, or you feel the pressure to like,
27:07
get a yes from them on this call, it just doesn't feel good for anybody.
27:13
And so, you know, I know, people get really nervous about sales
27:16
calls, or they feel like they have to nail the sales call.
27:19
And it's like, Or you could not, you could just do it differently and just
27:24
help this person the best that you can.
27:26
And they will recognize that you're trying to help them.
27:30
So I just, I really run my calls very differently now than I used to, which used
27:35
to be like the, I'm in the driver's seat.
27:37
I need to collect all the information from you so that, you know, I can give
27:41
you a price on the call and tell you like, I need a, yes, give me your money.
27:47
Let's get this deposit.
27:48
Like that's.
27:49
Completely not at all how I do things now, so yeah, it's a very different approach.
27:55
Becca: Okay, so what do your calls look like now then?
27:58
How do you end your calls?
27:59
Are there certain questions you go through?
28:00
Do you go through a framework?
28:02
Or do you just let the meeting take you where it takes you?
28:05
Carolyn: Kind of a mixture of all of that, but I do have questions.
28:09
I mostly am hoping to listen to them on that call, so it's a lot less about what
28:15
information I need from them and a lot more about what they need to say out loud.
28:20
To feel good about moving forward or not.
28:23
So I basically prepare with basic info from their inquiry form like their venue
28:29
and their date and all of that stuff and just confirm that I have all the details
28:34
right because I have definitely had typos on my inquiry form before with dates.
28:38
So that's always important.
28:40
I always introduce myself briefly and talk about something about
28:45
their wedding that strikes me as particularly interesting, exciting.
28:48
Something that I'm looking forward to just to kind of establish my
28:52
competency as a, as a florist and also Like let them know I did read it.
28:57
I I did read your your form like I'm prepared And then we
29:01
just talk through their forms.
29:03
So we talk about their vision for their floral design We talk about
29:07
their needs if there's anything they like really really want or really
29:11
really hate And then we talk about their budget and that's, that's it.
29:17
At the end, we just talk about what the next steps are, or I'm going to refer
29:20
you to somebody else who can help you.
29:22
Becca: Great.
29:23
So you're listening, you're getting all the information, you're letting
29:26
them talk, you're building that rapport, you're building that trust.
29:30
So if they're making signals again, like they're interested, the budget
29:34
sounds good, they're ready to go, what happens next in that customer journey?
29:40
Carolyn: Yeah, so if they're ready for the next step, I tell them on
29:42
the call, this is what happens next, you're going to get a questionnaire,
29:47
and it's going to have all of those details that you've been dreaming about.
29:51
So just fill that out, and that's the next step.
29:54
And so then, after the call, we just send them a questionnaire that has, you know,
29:59
it's the same template for every couple.
30:01
It has the million questions that we've got to ask as florists.
30:04
How many tables, you know, what kind of centerpieces?
30:07
Are they long or round?
30:09
All of that like really inane detailed stuff.
30:13
And if there's a planner, we like CC the planner on that too.
30:17
And that's the next step for them to do.
30:19
And then after that, we can put together a full proposal with like.
30:24
The number of tables, the number of bouquets, the, you know,
30:28
the correct numbers for things.
30:30
And then we ask them to have another call, a quick call, half an hour for
30:35
that, so that we can walk through.
30:37
The mood board, the proposal, the floral palette, all of the things that we've
30:41
done our homework and put together for them based on those responses.
30:45
Becca: So you do a huge amount of work up front before they sign a contract,
30:49
before they give you any money.
30:51
Does that pay off for you?
30:52
Have you ever had it where, you know, do all the work and then
30:55
they're like, actually we changed our mind, like how does that go?
30:58
Carolyn: I don't think that's ever, that maybe has happened to me one
31:02
time with this system, but it's at that point that they're like gonna
31:06
do a long questionnaire for me.
31:08
They're pretty much in.
31:10
It's just a matter of hammering out details.
31:13
And so, the way I describe our design process with couples is that it's
31:17
collaborative, it's iterative, like, I want to make sure that you love it
31:22
before, you know, we move ahead with anything that's like contractual,
31:26
and obviously there's room for changes if changes need to happen.
31:31
So the whole thing is sort of engineered to give them security
31:34
and flexibility so that they never feel like, Oh my gosh, I'm locked
31:37
into this thing and it can't change.
31:40
And I have to have all my numbers exactly right.
31:43
Like if we're 12 months from your wedding, I know you're
31:45
not going to have guest counts.
31:47
That's fine.
31:47
You know, get our best guesses in.
31:50
But yeah, it's, it's never, I think maybe it's happened one time where my
31:57
gut said, this person is not a good fit.
32:00
And I went ahead and did all of the things anyway, and then they ended
32:04
up not booking me and I was like, I actually think that's a great thing,
32:08
but I actually asked for a call with the person who was in charge and said, Hey,
32:13
can we talk about why you didn't book me?
32:16
And, they thought my process was like too much and they didn't
32:19
want to give me access to the couple to like meet with them.
32:23
And they thought that that was not, I don't know, that I was asking too much.
32:27
And I was like, great.
32:28
I don't want to work for people that I don't meet.
32:30
So that's excellent.
32:32
Becca: It red flags for you.
32:33
And again, if you know your process and people don't fit into that process.
32:37
Let them walk on by because you'll find someone else who absolutely will.
32:41
And presumably the whole point of all that work you've done up front
32:45
is that by the time they get to this point, they pretty much already know
32:49
what's involved, what it's going to cost, like they're ready to go.
32:52
If they, you know, if they had any concerns, you'd have already addressed
32:55
them in all those emails up front.
32:58
Carolyn: Yeah, and even on this, the quote unquote, the sales call, that first
33:02
call that we have together, you know, when I talk about budget, I asked them
33:06
like, what feels like a stretch for you?
33:08
You know, what feels like you would be happy to spend?
33:12
Is your budget flexible?
33:13
Like, just so that I know what constraints I need to work in
33:16
to make this work for them.
33:18
Because I never want to say, yeah, I think that's doable.
33:21
And then show them a proposal that's got like, you know, 4, 000 of extra florals
33:27
tacked on that they weren't expecting.
33:29
So it's really important that I understand kind of their, not just the number,
33:33
but kind of how they're feeling about their budget and make sure that I speak
33:37
to that when we do finally have like.
33:40
The brass tacks laid out.
33:42
Excellent.
33:42
Becca: And do you find that once you've got brides and grooms through
33:45
this process, they, they have your flowers, they love your flowers.
33:48
I'm sure they do.
33:49
Do you then get recommendations to people, send people back to
33:52
the top of the system again?
33:54
Carolyn: Yes.
33:54
So that's the beauty of this system is like, not only is it mostly
33:58
automated and I'm able to serve people without doing very much at all.
34:02
But by the time they book with me, we now know a lot about each other and
34:07
that relationship just keeps building as we're working on their wedding.
34:11
So, I mean, we're talking about sales, but really it's more than
34:15
just that when you get someone booked because then you're welcoming
34:18
them into your business officially.
34:21
You know, we're sending them check ins.
34:22
We're telling them what we're doing behind the scenes.
34:25
We're keeping in touch with our clients.
34:27
We don't book them and then eight months later do their flowers.
34:30
So throughout that time, you know, we're, we're continuing that relationship
34:35
building so that by the time that they get our flowers, like we are friends.
34:41
We're not just a business owner and a customer.
34:45
Like it's way beyond that.
34:47
And.
34:48
You know, on the wedding day, like, of course they love the final product, but
34:53
they are as invested in my success as I am invested in their wedding going well.
34:59
And so what that leads to is I get fabulous reviews.
35:03
I get referrals to their friends and family.
35:05
I get repeat business.
35:06
I don't normally do like.
35:08
Daily deliveries or that kind of thing.
35:12
but I tell my clients you're the only people I will do that for And so
35:16
sometimes somebody's birthday happens or there's a baby shower or something
35:21
else and I do those little things one offs for my clients And that's,
35:25
you know, extra money in the bank.
35:27
Like, so it just, this relationship is just so fruitful and it just,
35:32
most of my business now is, is referral based because of that.
35:37
Becca: I think it's really smart.
35:38
I love everything you've done.
35:39
There's so many great nuggets of information in what you've shared.
35:42
It's the kind of episode that people are going to have to go
35:44
back and listen to two or three times with a pen and paper to just.
35:48
Unpick because there's so many good things in there that you share.
35:51
And I think it's going to be really inspiring for people listening to
35:54
help them think differently about that initial inquiry process.
35:58
And you've got something great to share with the listeners of this podcast.
36:02
I'm really excited about.
36:03
So if they're listening and they're thinking, this sounds amazing,
36:07
this nurture sequence, these emails sound incredible, but I
36:10
don't understand how they work.
36:12
Tell us about what you've got to give people.
36:14
Carolyn: Yeah.
36:14
So I figured the easiest thing was just to kind of show you like literally
36:19
behind the screen of my business.
36:21
So you can get a peek at exactly what I'm doing.
36:23
So I have the gen, the 10 gentle sales emails that I send to my wedding clients.
36:29
Ready for you to download.
36:31
You can just go to carolynkulb.
36:34
com slash ready to grow and get your copy.
36:37
You'll see all of the emails in there exactly what I say to people.
36:41
And I also put in a little blurb of like, why am I sending this
36:44
email specifically in this moment?
36:47
And so I hope that that gives you like a little bit of inspiration
36:51
and some, I guess, theory behind why I'm doing it this way.
36:55
And, and ideas for your own sequence or what else you can automate in your
36:58
business to make sure that you're building that trust with clients
37:01
so that they can buy from you.
37:03
Becca: That is so generous of you.
37:05
It's such a great resource for people to download.
37:07
I'll make sure that I pop the link to that in the show notes.
37:10
So if you're listening to this, make sure you go and grab a copy of that.
37:14
Go through it.
37:15
Think of your own creative ideas, but learn and see how
37:18
Carolyn's done it in her business.
37:20
Now, Carolyn, I always end my podcast with the same question, which is
37:23
what's one thing you wish you'd known sooner in your own business?
37:27
Carolyn: I think we touched on this at the beginning.
37:29
But knowing that it's not enough to be great at your craft, at planning,
37:35
at floristry, at photography, whatever, this is a business.
37:39
And so at some point you are going to have to buckle down and learn
37:42
how to be good at business if you want to make a living from this.
37:46
So, you know, maybe 20% of my time is spent doing my amazing craft that I love.
37:52
And the other 80% is marketing, sales, you know, taking care of clients.
37:58
Doing all of the business y things, doing my taxes, like all of the
38:02
stuff that we don't like to think about, that's most of what you are
38:06
going to be doing in a business.
38:08
So if that doesn't sound good to you, like you probably are in the wrong
38:13
business and should maybe like keep it a hobby, but when I started I
38:17
thought, oh, it's gonna be amazing.
38:19
I'll just flower all the time.
38:21
I'll get to play with flowers all the time, and it's gonna be great.
38:24
And while it is great, I've also had to learn a lot of things along
38:28
the way to be a profitable business.
38:31
Becca: Absolutely.
38:31
And we're always learning all of the time.
38:34
Carolyn, thank you so much for being here today.
38:37
If people want to find out more about you, about your floristry business, where's
38:40
the best places for them to find you?
38:42
Carolyn: You can see my floral design business at bloompoet.
38:46
com.
38:47
That's for wedding clients.
38:48
But if you want to take a look at it, it's there for you.
38:51
If you want to learn more about my sales system, my emails, all of
38:54
that good stuff, go to carolynkulb.
38:56
com.
38:57
My Instagram is at carolynkulb.
39:00
And I also have a Facebook community called the wedding
39:04
expert community on Facebook.
39:06
I go live every Tuesday ish to like help people with various parts of
39:10
their systems and businesses and sales and all of that good stuff.
39:13
So if you would like to join that group, I would love to have you.
39:17
Becca: Fabulous.
39:17
I will make sure that I put all of those links in the show notes
39:20
so that people can find you.
39:22
Thank you for being here, Carolyn.
39:23
Thank you for sharing and I'll speak to you soon.
39:25
Carolyn: Thank you so much, Becca.
39:27
Thanks for having me.
39:27
It's been an honor and a privilege, and I'm just so grateful for the opportunity.
39:32
Thank you.
39:34
Becca: Didn't you just love all of that information from Carolyn?
39:37
She was incredible.
39:39
So many great pieces of information.
39:42
Things that I just, they're so simple but yet so effective.
39:46
So do go back and listen again, take notes, and make sure you go and get that
39:50
download because that will be invaluable.
39:52
I'll see you all next week.