Let’s talk about how entrepreneurs and busy people in the flower world (and other various niches) can keep up and use social media and networking to stay connected via strategic networking.

As my Karen French Floral Designs page on Facebook gets closer to 30,000 fans and I’ve become more active on LinkedIn I’ve been exploring different ways to share my passion for flowers. I had the good fortune of meeting Christel Quek who was the lead Content for Twitter across Asia the Middle East and Africa and I was sold, so I started to Tweet. Better late than never right? I also joined the Slideshare community to share some valuable tips on Hospitality, Flowers & Your Brand. Through this amazing online world, I’m creating more and more awareness, attracting more followers and am able to spread my passion for flowers one stem at a time!

Yes, it takes time and you need to make time. But I’m compelled to share some insights because like it or hate it, the internet has changed the way business is done. There’s never been a better time to spread your wings and share your content with your networks.

Building Valuable Networks

But first you need to build those networks. I see people struggling for ‘likes’ on Facebook for their business pages and asking friends to ‘like’ them back. That’s a lazy numbers game and how many are actually really interested in what you do? What is more valuable is to have people who are genuinely interested in what you do so that you can build up a rapport, communicate and share. Building relationships will create more genuine followers and lead to more clients for your business.

Engaging Online
So how do you do that? Well with all of the social media available to all of us now the best way is to start connecting. Whether you’re an artist, a coach, a sportsman or a floral designer like myself, join groups and communities that attract like-minded people. Don’t just ‘like’ posts but comment and share interesting content.

Engaging Offline
The more interactive and engaged you are the higher the chances are of people really understanding what you do. I see people posting and then not acknowledging any of the comments. Think for a moment. What was the last thing you shared? Do you stand out? Are you different? Are you a member of any networking groups? Do you update content on your website, post on a regular basis or are your accounts rarely visited because you're too busy?

Networking offline is just as important as networking online. I see so many people fearing their competition, worried about them seeing and stealing their ideas. My answer to that is simple. If that's what you're worried about you're not differentiating yourself enough.

I don't worry that people will copy what I'm doing because a month from now I'll have moved on and be doing something different. Don't disconnect yourself from your community and become closed. Make the time to share what you know, help others and they will support you. Write articles for magazines, blog, network, and get yourself in front of a crowd.

The Proof Is In The Purchase

I recently published 'Entertain with Flowers and Flair'. Within days, it was purchased online via Amazon from flower lovers in Canada, UK and the U.S. People were writing to me to say they had seen my Author Website and had seen a press release on Broadway World Books World. I hadn't even seen them myself. Online content spreads fast. My publisher showcased the book at the Barcelona Book Fair and I did demos at my book signing in Singapore. Without social media, none of this would have been as big a success as it was and I've been able to get my messages out there at a very low cost compared to traditional methods.

This proves my point about sharing. The more you give, the more you get back. So make the time to connect, share and be passionate about what you do.

LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other companies have given us the tools to share globally what we do and reach audiences that would have been very difficult to reach just 10 years ago. So take the leap, stop waiting for 'likes' and get proactive. The tools are at your fingertips and there's a whole world out there waiting to discover new things.

With flowery wishes

Karen

Visit the Karen French Floral Designs page to find out more about Karen's work.

_{This post was first published on Karen French Floral Designs Blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

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I once enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea served by the impeccable waiters of a venue which describes itself as a hotel situated at the heart of the city’s premier shopping district, with world-class shopping at their doorstep and the grandeurs of a 5-star hotel within. An ideal residence for the discerning luxury traveler.

As I sat in the beautiful lobby, with its stunning artwork, beautiful decor and shiny marble floors I had time to observe the comings and goings. As luck would have it, I also got to observe the flowers being changed in the lobby.

I say ‘luck’ because ‘Hospitality, Flowers & Brands‘ is the title of my book and my observations reinforced a lot of the content I’ve written about.

I’m not sure about you, but my expectations of 5-star conjure up luxury, elegance and style. Yet, as I perused my surroundings, I couldn’t help but focus on a small drinking glass that sat before me. Did someone leave their gin behind? Sadly the focus wasn’t on the beautiful cymbidium that bloomed over the rim, but instead on the ugly glass.

Did Someone Leave Their Gin Behind?

On their website they describe the venue with such tantalising and beautiful phrases, “timeless elegance resides…” and “every experience will captivate your senses.”

Well, they’re right. The welcome experience did captivate my senses, but not in a positive way.

As I waited, I was disturbed to see a trolley, laden with plastic buckets being wheeled across the lobby by a rather scruffy florist. After 15 minutes of watching and listening to her talking loudly on her phone whilst snipping away at her flowers, I was relieved to see my friend arrive and escape to a quieter setting for our afternoon tea to relish the freshly baked sweet and savoury delicacies.

Plastic buckets have no place in the lobby of a 5-star hotel!


As a service provider to luxury brands, there are small details that make a difference in improving the customer experience of your clients' guests. For example, here are 6 tips for floral designers to ensure they deliver a 5-star experience:

1. Do ask your florist to use appropriate glassware and vases.

2. Whilst floral arranging can add a positive experience to your guests’ visits, a well-groomed florist is just as important as well-groomed staff.

3. Remind your florists that whilst in public spaces, they're also on public view and if they must take calls, to refrain from bellowing loudly on their phones.

4. When placing arrangements on coffee tables, make sure the flowers can be viewed from all sides.

5. Keep the flowers fresh and the water clean at all times.

6. Keep the mechanics hidden. Elastic bands and tape don't belong in 5-star arrangements.

These are the small but important details which ensure your brand goes beyond customer service and delivers a consistently excellent brand experience.

With flowery wishes

Karen

Visit the Karen French Floral Designs page to find out more about Karen's work.

Karen French is a sought-after talent in Floral Design. She’s created beautiful, extravagant pieces, but one of her favorite projects to date was for a private event at the Swiss Club in Singapore.

It was a surprising kind of love, as if the inspiration for floristry passed through Karen and into a pocket of her heart as she attended her first ever Christmas themed floral demonstration. She was hooked, and no one was more surprised than she! She pursued floral design as a kind of creative outlet afterwards, of which she had several, yet in the end beautiful blooms and fragrant flowers won her over.

The love built momentum over time as Karen decided to pursue professional training at a prominent floral design school. She then gracefully swept here and there around the globe attending courses, master classes, and floral experiences headed by award-winning, world-famous floral designers who were specialised experts. Since then, her love, passion, stewardship, and partnership with flowers has built a meaningful, reputable business for her creating beautiful spaces for the hospitality industry and in private homes.

Floral Design Consultation With The Swiss Club In Singapore

Word of mouth is a powerful source of business for women like Karen who strive for excellence. It was then proof of her hard work when an event manager recommended her for the event at the Swiss Club. The private affair would play host to private bank clients, high net-worth individuals and investors, so impressive design was an absolute must.

Before ever making any agreements on a potential floral project, Karen enjoys a consultation – giving her time to listen, to understand the client’s needs, to talk about time frames, the type of flowers they require, logistics and which flowers they particularly value. All of this helps Karen to better know whom she is working with, and to establish realistic expectations. Clients looking for a quick quote without a meeting are not clients Karen is interested in, so she loved that the Swiss Club was happy to meet with her and very open about their requirements, their venue, and timeline.

“You can be the most amazing and versatile designer in your niche but if you fail to establish a good relationship with your client then the project won’t have a good start. Mutual respect is key. We had a mutual respect. From the outset they valued my style and expertise, and I valued their professionalism.”

Floral Design Planning With The Swiss Club In Singapore

Established in 1871, the Swiss Club is one of the oldest and most historic clubs in Singapore. Taking into consideration the venue and its surrounding lush greenery, Karen decided on a Tropical theme utilizing exotic heliconias, cymbidium, zantedeschia, alstroemeria, and plenty of orchids with young coconut leaves and topical foliage.

Everyone involved agreed that the design and choice of flowers needed to be in harmony with the venue, wow their guests, and be robust enough not to wilt in the sweltering heat. Though exotic flowers might not strike locals or Singapore expats as anything special, they were very much an integral part of the experience for the Club’s visitors coming from abroad, and floral design stretched over two banqueting facilities and the adjoining staircase. Quite a feat for Karen and her team!

“Sometimes we start from a blank canvas. During the consultation phase we’ll have a walk through the event space. We look at the décor; the colours, the soft furnishings and art work. This time together is useful to both parties because we get a good visual of what we need to work around. Being on site we also have direct access to the staff we’ll be working with, can see how cooperative they’ll be and can ask department heads of any restrictions and what, if anything, is allowed to be moved.”

After the two parties agree on a theme, colour, time frame and flowers, Karen assembles her team to commence the working of magic!

Goals In Her Floral Design

“As a former image consultant, how it’s going to look is paramount. Thankfully I have a sixth sense and am blessed with a creative mind for visualizing the end result, so I find it easy to convey that vision to my clients through sketches, visuals and mood boards. Image is very important and my goal is to create a welcoming environment for their clients and guests. Understandably, I also want my flowers to look good in that particular setting.”

To Karen, flowers are more than simple blooms to enhance the atmosphere of a particular venue or room, they are emotion and art, that’s why in choosing each individual flower she never compromises on quality, and always makes sure her pick is fresh. Humbly, Karen admits that she relies on fine quality, fresh flowers and floral accessories from her trusted rapport of wholesalers, saying “they’re a big link in the success of any floral project from advising what’s realistically available and getting stock in on time.”

Most important for Karen is that the design makes the client happy as she incorporates proportion and visual balance; making flowers harmonise with their environment and color transitions pleasing to the eye. Every project Karen touches is a masterpiece no matter how simple or complex, and we’ve yet to witness a project that hasn’t moved its beholders to admiration!

Recent Floral Design Projects In Singapore

Karen has worked on many floral projects for corporate, private homes, and non-profit organisations. She is always inspired by bigger teams of designers coming together from around the world, like in 2010 when she was part of a world-record attempt to create the world’s largest bouquet! She’s also participated in floral exhibitions at five-star hotels, and iconic buildings such as the National Museum of Singapore.

Karen was also recently showcased in a floral fashion at the 2015 Dream Ball held at the Shangri-La! You can catch a glimpse of her design for the event in the video below at 0:34, 0:52, and 1:29!