Lesson 7: Tips for Professional Selling

• Be considerate of the bereaved family. Use a private consultation area, if possible, and make them as comfortable as possible.
• Always offer a range of prices. Explain how a specific design can be scaled up or down to fit the needs of your customer.
• Encourage the use of coordinated tribute settings. Most family work is grouped near the casket and coordinating the color or style of the designs creates a unified look.
• Suggest color combinations rather than specific flowers. This allows you flexibility based on local market conditions, while also increasing customer satisfaction.
• Remember that flowers are appropriate for cremations. Suggest an arrangement of beautiful flowers to be displayed with the urn and a framed photograph at the memorial service.
• Take a digital or Polaroid picture of each tribute you send to a large funeral. Provide printouts or snapshots to the family as a way to assist them in acknowledging the tributes. This will also provide a visual reminder of the quality of flowers your shop provided.
• Suggest that a memorial tribute be sent to the family church each year in commemoration of the loved one.
• Suggest that a floral gift sent from friends a few weeks after the service will be comforting to the family.
• When sending and receiving sympathy orders (especially flowers-by-wire orders) be sure to include the full name and address of the sender. This will help the family to send thank-you notes promptly.
• Be prepared to handle the sympathy needs of your community.
  • Clip the obituaries from the local daily newspaper and place them by the telephone. (Use clipping to insure names are spelled correctly.
  • Place a sympathy sales book or selection guide near your sales counter for easy reference when customers come in to place an order.
  • Become familiar with funeral design terminology to assist customer who call in a funeral order.
  • Become familiar with the types and colors of caskets used in your area and the fabrics that line them.