Joke Maat-Vellekoop was born into the flower business in the green heart of the Holland's 'Westland', where most Dutch flowers are grown for export. Joke's parents owned a flower nursery. Her brother is a floral designer. Joke herself owned a flower shop for 25 years, before becoming a freelance floral consultant. She now travels around the world giving floral demonstrations, workshops, exhibitions and shop-makeovers "I even spent a year working in a flower shop in San Francisco in the 1980s," she says. "From then to now, still not enough has changed in the way flowers are sold in the USA today." 

Selling 'No' 

As Joke travels from florist to florist, advising on shop-makeovers, she says "a lack of good shop presentation remains the biggest problem - too much of everything." Potpourri, glassware, cards, chocolate, stuffed animals…you name it. And crammed in and lost among all this fluff are the flowers and plants that should drive the business. "Florists shouldn't be afraid to choose," Joke stresses. "Don't be afraid to sell 'No' to customers. It's impossible to stock everything. If small florist shops try to compete with huge supermarkets, they will lose every time."  

Shop-makeovers

Whether inviting in professionals like Joke, or doing it yourself, shop-makeovers begin by answering key questions, like: What is your main business? How much of what do you sell? What should be the focus of your sales? "Sometimes it's just a matter of rearranging stock and clearing out clutter," Joke says. "But sometimes shops require total makeovers. When I walk into a shop, I don't say much at first. I just observe, get a 'feel' for the shop, because, as they say, 'you never get a second chance for a first impression'." 

Create space

Joke strongly advises retail florists to create space for their products and customers. "Space is vital," she says. "Customers must be able to see what is for sale. Cluttered, cramped spaces make customers feel uncomfortable." Joke recommends spacious product grouping – glassware, flowers, plants, etc – and color blocking. And she says deeper assortments are better than wider assortments: "One deep, delightful assortment with power and impact is better than many different products." 

Grab & go

At the crucial 'purchase moment', Joke believes US florists must become more like Dutch florists, who profit greatly from impulse buying: "Florists sell emotions. People enter with a certain mood and flowers are the emotional outlets. So many emotions, so many sales opportunities." Florists must be ready to show and sell a range of flowers for a range of emotions. Joke: "People are always rushed. They want to see a beautiful bouquet, think, 'Wow, that's great!', grab it and go!" 

Weekly themes

When creating ranges of ready-made bouquets, "let your imagination run wild," Joke says. She suggests weekly themes, like 'Bouquets of the Week' and 'Weekend Flower', and emotional-themed bouquets, like 'I'm Sorry Bouquets' and 'Cheer Up Bouquets'. And during high school and college graduation season, "be ready with some young, fun and playful arrangements!" Joke also suggests having a few nice combinations, like Hydrangea and roses, ready-made in varying sizes and prices. "It takes some risk to create ready-mades," she adds, "but ultimately it really will pay off!"