Help Please...did Not See This Coming.
Business By mookamoo Updated 18 Aug 2010 , 2:21am by The_Caketress
thank you that makes total sense. You have great advice indi deb. I already made that mistake again earlier today.. A lady wanted an all buttercream wedding cake I have never worked with all buttercream and did not want to take my first stab at it on someones wedding cake. I took a while trying to write the email. Iwrote
"--------
Thank you for considering me for your cake. I want every cake that I provide to look beautiful and professional. I have never worked with buttercream only cakes so I would not be able to do this order.
There are several cake artist that do buttercream only cakes. Please let me know if you need me to give you their information.
I am sorry that I can not help you. Please keep me in mind if you ever need a fondant cake.
Thank you,
Jamie "
That is great advice.
Here is what happened...
I wrote back to her...
"--------,
"I am sorry, but I can not do this cake for less than 18 servings. I am sorry if this will not work. Please let me know if I can help you further.
Jamie"
Let me slip in one more suggestion as you progress in your business.
Avoid using negatives like "can't, not, no, never, etc". Always phrase it in a positive. When I trained my new CSR's, it was always a lesson in how to "tell them what we CAN do.".......
"The smallest I can make this cake is 18 servings. Let me know if this works for you so we can finalize the details for your event."
Remember this line from the old song as an example of how to say "no" in a positive way:
"Yes! We have no bananas! We have no bananas today!"
Indydebi is right! Avoid the negatives.. You told that woman "I'm sorry" twice in that short email. You're not in business to be sorry about it...
Confidence, Jamie. You are going to have to work on your confidence if you want to stay in business. YOU CAN DO IT! Dont sell yourself short!
~diem
thank you that makes total sense. You have great advice indi deb. I already made that mistake again earlier today.. A lady wanted an all buttercream wedding cake I have never worked with all buttercream and did not want to take my first stab at it on someones wedding cake. I took a while trying to write the email. Iwrote
"--------
Thank you for considering me for your cake. I want every cake that I provide to look beautiful and professional. I have never worked with buttercream only cakes so I would not be able to do this order.
There are several cake artist that do buttercream only cakes. Please let me know if you need me to give you their information.
I am sorry that I can not help you. Please keep me in mind if you ever need a fondant cake.
Thank you,
Jamie "
That is great advice.
Jamie, CONFIDENCE you just admitted to a potential client that you have NEVER worked with buttercream-only cakes. You went on to say I'M SORRY, stating that you CANNOT help her. BUT, you did thank her for considering you, you offered to provide alternative contact info, and you promised to be available if she ever needs a fondant cake. ...You are a sweetie full of Alabama charm! Im sending you a pm
~diem
wow! this is all great advice...i need to put my .02 in 
don't be afraid to put in "Please finalize your order with me by "date" . I have had to do this many time and it gets results in a nice way without being pushy and then you are not waiting around.
everything you should be doing in emails should be informational only. It's only business and not personal. If you are excited about an idea or something you can express that but keep it to a minimum. If you have someone with too many ideas keep it short and simple about providing options so you are not wasting your time.
you ARE sweet! But people will be more impressed with your professionalism if you KISS "Keep It Short & Simple"
In the world of the cake business, you need to say no to people who are looking for a cheap deal. You are not a volunteer, and their budget is not your responsibility. When you get more business going , it's harder to raise your prices than it is to lower them (if you get a reputation for cheap priced cakes). Be confident and the right clients will come to you and be willing to pay for your hard work. Cheers!
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