SAF Research Shows The Importance Of Sales Training

SAF Recently released some statistics from their members relating to sales in December 2015. Included was the following chart that showed the percentage of online sales – floral orders placed online with an ecommerce website.

 

 

SAF has long championed the importance of having an online presence and presumably included this data to support that idea. And it holds up – about 70% of the shops surveyed are seeing at least 5% of their sales come from their floral websites. Almost 25% of the shops surveyed generate at least 16% of their total sales through their websites. Clearly it is very important for florists to have an online presence.

But – if we flip the numbers around and look at them another way we see something very different: "Traditional" sales – phone orders and walk-ins – are still the absolute, undisputed heavyweight king of this business:

 

45% (maybe 55%*) of shops get 10% or less of their business from their website
∴ 90% or more of the sales volumes for 45% (maybe even 55%*) of shops involves a call or other interaction

65% (maybe 75%*) of shops get 15% or less of their business from their website
∴ 85% or more of the sales volumes for 65% (maybe even 75%*) of shops involves a call or other interaction

76% (maybe 86%*) of shops get 20% or less of their business from their website
∴ 80% or more of the sales volumes for 76% (maybe even 86%*) of shops involves a call or other interaction

* assuming the n/a means none or inconsequential.

 

That doesn't mean that a floral website isn't important. It is, and providers of websites for florists would correctly point out that even if the customer doesn't order online there is a very good chance that they found and contacted the shop because of the website.

But those calls are part of the vast majority of sales volume not actually processed on the website. Every one of those "traditional" sales, the vast majority of overall volume for the vast majority of florists, still involve an interaction. Sales training makes each and every one of those interactions better and more profitable.

 

Sales Training Will Improve The Profitability Of At Least 80% Of The Sales Volume For At Least 76% Of Shops

The original and still best sales training in the floral industry comes from FloralStrategies. There may still be time to arrange in-store training prior to Valentine's Day, if not their Valentine's Day webinar is absolutely essential.

 

Real Feedback from Real Florists from Tim Huckabee on Vimeo.