Remember when your flower shop got its first computer? Suddenly, you were no longer handwriting orders, checks, or signature cards. Day-to-day management of your business was locked, out of reach, in a screen-faced metal box filled with wires and wisdom. And, it was all accessed by a mouse of all things. The process felt uncomfortable until you gained confidence in this mystifying electronic co-worker.

Fast forward to today, when we can't imagine running a business without our computers. In an industry based on artistry rather than technology, learning a new system can be challenging. Uncertainty often makes one fearful. Our lack of understanding for the complex technology known as AI - Artificial intelligence, can feel overwhelming.

Image: Created by ChatGPT

Replace fear with function

This new science of making a machine think like a human is based on recognizing pattern and learning from data rather than communication and new experiences like people do. Consumers worry. Will it take my job? Will it do my thinking for me? How can we replace fear with function? Early adopters know that AI and ChatGPT are user friendly, once you dive in.

Brandy Ferrer, AIFD, CFD, TMF, of Simply Beautiful Floral Company in Gilmer, Texas offers suggestions on how consumers can use AI as a tool designed to assist us, not replace us.

This human-like technology can converse with you. “It understands language and recognizes patterns from the conversations you have with it,” explains Brandy. You describe what you want it to do without using formulas or coding. “What makes it really interesting, is that it remembers the conversation. You can come back to it later.”

Brandy uses ChatGPT as a ‘little assistant’ that she doesn’t have to pay. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “If I need to consider the persona of a real estate expert, CPA, creative assistant, or an event manager, I can turn to ChatGPT for details of that persona,” Brandy continues. “We have a conversation and I gain knowledge of what products and services those potential customers might want. We work on decisions, make plans, and come up with ideas for the customer that I may not have thought of myself. “

Assign time-consuming tasks

Image: Created by ChatGPT

People fear that automation will replace their jobs. Instead, it can be used to replace the parts of your job you don't want to do.

“I use ChatGPT for tasks that waste a lot of my time,” says Brandy. “Product descriptions of flower arrangements for my flower shop website are very important. They need to be brief, but descriptive. They must be SEO enhanced, meaning there needs to be certain keywords in the descriptions for Google to detect them. I use ChatGPT to help me create tailored product descriptions. This can save me hours and helps me move up in the search engine as people search for “flowers in Gilmer, Texas.”

“A lot of little time-consuming tasks keep me away from the design table. I can get really bogged down in that part of owning a business,” Brandy continues. “If I can use ChatGPT to replace a few of these tasks, I can get back to working with flowers and nurturing my creativity.”

Handbook and a little Bible

ChatGPT helped Brandy create an employee handbook for her flower shop based on personal preference, state and federal laws.

“I also have what I call “our little Bible.” Brandy created daily “to do” lists. She typed a description of what she wanted into ChatGPT. It created a draft. She offered feedback, saying “I want you to change this … we need to do this task twice a week, put gas in the delivery van on Fridays, and other daily functions. Following her instructions, the system created another draft. “It's not replacing me, but it's definitely saving me time.”

Recently, ChatGPT saved Brandy from making an expensive mistake. A wedding reception was hosted in a 30-foot by 60-foot tent. The bride originally wanted garland strung from one side to the other across a 30-foot expanse. Allowing a slight swag, Brandy estimated that a 32-foot length of garland would be needed.

The bride decided the garland should crisscross from one corner, across the center, to the opposite side of the 60-foot tent. Then, crisscross in the same way on the opposite end of the tent.

“I don't math very well, Brandy laughs. “I said to ChatGPT, I need to know the length of garlands strung in this way. It was 43-feet!” Brandy wouldn’t have had enough garland. ChatGPT’s calculations saved her time and money.

Image: Created by ChatGPT

Brainstorm with a machine

To learn how to converse with ChatGPT, a beginner should experiment with open ended questions. When it gives you feedback, pinpoint the ideas you want to explore further. “As you become more experienced, you can utilize master prompts - longer, more detailed commands. These complex prompts are like linking prompts, producing new ideas through conversation,” Brandy explains. For best results:

• Add a task into your prompt.
 • Start with an action verb like give or write.
• Define your topic.
• Set the tone. Casual? Informative?
• Direct to a specific target audience.
• Offer context and detail your end goal.
• Create a list of questions.
• Use examples when applicable.
• Develop a detailed plan.
• Ask for step-by-step instructions, if needed.

AI image creation

One benefit of ChatGPT is that AI image generation – DALL-E 3, is built into it. You can start a conversation and ask for an image to be created based on the information.

Image: Created by ChatGPT

A participant in Brandy’s AI hands-on workshop, wanted to create an image of a Marie Antoinette-esque floral design. She was typing in “create a floral design that Marie Antoinette would like,” without getting the results she wanted.

Brandy suggested she ask ChatGPT linking questions:

• What were the fashion and color trends when Marie Antoinette was alive?
• ChatGPT produced some information.
• Describe the fashion sense of Marie Antoinette.
• More information was offered.
• Create a floral arrangement image symbolizing Marie Antoinette’s fashion sense.

She got the results she wanted. This a great tool for social media, as well.

Develop a social media campaign for Valentine's Day. Tell ChatGPT to create images that you can use on Facebook and Instagram based on your conversation. Experiment to learn which words bring accurate information. Keep asking for information in different ways until it's exactly what you're looking for.

“Many business owners fail to think of their customer personas and pain points,” suggests Brandy. “You can post on social media all day long that you're creating beautiful floral designs for Valentine's Day. But, is the language that you're using actually reaching the customer you're trying to target?”

If you're trying to target men ages 25 to 65 for Valentine's Day their pain points might be convenience, desire for something unique, personalization, or budget. A man on a budget is totally different than the guy who's looking for a luxury item.

Save time by having ChatGPT target that customer persona with their pain points to create the email language for those customers or your social media campaigns. When writing marketing materials, use a writing assistant like Grammarly to check grammar and pronunciation. Ask for suggestions as to how to better phrase your words. Adapt your language style and tone of writing to fit your customers.

Image: Created by ChatGPT

Adapt to regional trends

“Rural East Texas needs a different style and tone of writing from a florist in Manhattan,” Brandy suggests. “It may be more relaxed and casual for me, while it may be a bit more formal or trendier for them. I can say, “I need you to change the style and tone of writing to be more relaxed and add a bit of humor. ChatGPT will mimic my writing and rewrite it.”

You can upload an example of your own writing. While ChatGPT can be your biggest cheerleader, it can be a critic as well. “There have been times when I asked it to critique my writing and boy, howdy, it can hurt your feelings if you want it to. I mean!” Brandy exclaims.

Trends differ in different parts of the country. Regional trends are important because they’re adapted to your location. Trends usually hit large cities first and then migrate into rural areas. What's trendy in New York City is probably not on-trend in Gilmer, Texas. Consider regional trends when requesting innovative new design ideas in written and image materials.

Use ChatGPT and other AI programs to:

• Create online content.
• Develop marketing campaigns.
• Brainstorm new floral design ideas.
• Create dream boards for brides.

Brandy says that “a lot of time and energy goes into finding words and images for a bride’s dream board. AI and ChatGPT save time that allows me to:”

• Nurture relationships.
• Contribute in my community.
• Refine my floral art.
• Participate in floral competitions.

“I think I have an addiction,” Brandy confides! “I love the rush of a floral competition. ChatGPT helped me with my prop design for a recent competition. I planned it for almost a year. Those archived conversations went on for months, trying to come up with that design. I love doing competitions for the thrill of it, the camaraderie, and the relationships that I develop with other floral designers.”

Learn more about AI?

Where can you go to learn how to integrate AI into your business? Brandy offers a free introduction to ChatGPT in a e-course and little e-book at www.bloomwithbrandy.com with a plan for adding more materials and tutorials soon.

“When I first started playing around with AI and ChatGPT, I searched online for AI tools like:”

• TikTok videos.
• Canva.
• HubSpot.
• Tango.

Search online for additional webinars, workshops, courses, training sessions, and videos. 

Focus on your floral art

Some florists think AI is too technical, expensive, and a threat to their jobs. AI will never replace your personal relationship with your customers. You know their likes, dislikes, and what they are comfortable with. You understand how current and in-coming trends can serve your customer. Technology cannot replace that human connection.

Some people fear that AI will replace their artistic touch in the flower shop. While AI can generate ideas and images, it’s the florist's personal touch, expertise, artistic interpretation, time and talent invested that will always be the true beauty of a design. No matter how we change the way we approach our customers, we always return to relationship selling. This personal connection has been a strength of our industry.

AI tools can save you money and take away some of your routine, time-consuming tasks. Leaving you have more time to focus on your passion for floral art.

What time-consuming tasks would you like to delegate to AI?

AI Resource Handouts

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