How to brief a wholesale florist so the quote comes back right

Most enquiries we receive are missing at least two things we need to price accurately. That turns a two-hour quote into a three-day conversation, which nobody wants when the event is in ten days.

Give us the volume in the right unit

Roses are sold per stem, marigold by the kilogram, garlands by length. "500 roses and some marigold" is not a quantity we can price. "500 rose stems, 40cm grade, plus 30kg loose marigold" is.

If you don't know the volume, tell us the installation instead — backdrop dimensions, number of tables, mandap size — and we'll work it out.

Be specific about the date, and say what kind of date it is

There's a real difference between "we need it on the 14th" and "load-in is 6am on the 14th, guests at 7pm." The second tells us whether to ship buds or open blooms.

Tell us the grade or tell us the use

You don't need to know grade nomenclature. Telling us it's for stage backdrop versus bridal bouquet lets us pick the right grade for you.

Name the delivery point precisely

• Venue, warehouse or split delivery?
• Is there loading access, and what are the hours?
• Who signs for it, and on what number?

Say what your budget is

Buyers hold this back thinking it costs them negotiating room. In practice it costs them time. Knowing the budget lets us quote the right grade first — otherwise we guess, and the first quote is either too rich or visibly cheap.

Flag the flexibility

Tell us what can move. If the palette is fixed but the variety isn't, say so and we'll find the best value match. If nothing can move, say that too — we'll price the certainty in rather than discover it later.

A brief with these six things gets a firm written quote the same working day. Without them, we're guessing, and a guessed quote helps nobody.