Today, I’m sharing with you my three-step strategy for crushing you wedding client consultations, to ensure that you get booked event after event without fail.
Step #1: Pre Wedding Client Consultations
This is everything you need to get prepared for your wedding client consultations. Think about your entire process before a client schedules an appointment with you and how you can improve this.
- How are you delivering information?
- Is it clear how they can book you?
- How easy is it to get a spot in your calendar?
These experiences will help to give clients a taste of what the experience is like when working with you.
First, ensure that you’re not doing everything that everyone else is doing.
Most event and wedding planners will usually respond to potential clients with these generic emails. For example, when clients asked for a price and you respond with just a price list and no other information.
What I’d like you to do instead is make your potential clients feel like you’re inside their minds. Get personal. Use any information or detail they share to customize your response. This will win your clients over every time.
The key to winning any client is to show them that you hear their concerns and that you’re paying attention to their needs.
Ditch the Questionnaires
Another thing I want you to do is get rid of the 10-16 pages questionnaire before you’ve met with your potential client.
As I’ve shared previously in How to Stop Clients from Ghosting You, your clients are shopping around and when they shop around for wedding planners, there’s a high chance that they’ve already met a couple of other vendors. Most often than not, wedding planners and event planners are not the first vendors they’ve reached out to. For example, they might have already hired a photographer for their engagement shoot and they might have already secured a venue. And if most of the vendors they’ve reached out to have provided them with a questionnaire, then you are another one in the list of repetitive information to provide.
To fix this situation, speak to your clients. I know that there is some information that you definitely need to have before you can put together an event proposal, but think about what the key information is that you need right away – instead of the 16-page questionnaire.
This could be the date, time, location, number of people in their wedding party, and their buget. Try to keep it simple.
Step #2: The Consultation Meeting
Based on everything you’ve discussed with your clients, you should now have a better idea of what you need to bring to your meeting. Here are some tips that can help:
- Arrive early, especially if you’re meeting outside of your office. Get there ahead of time so you can choose a good spot. Choose a space where you’ll be able to speak with them that’s quiet and pull out all your materials and show them what you can offer them.
- Bring your portfolio that highlight past events that would be suitable for this particular client. And be sure to bring a portfolio that you can leave with you potential clients or have a dedicated page on your website that you can refer them to.
- Bring your policies and any other document that you think would be helpful for them to have on hand when comparing your company and making a decision.
- Discuss your price. Not every client will have the budget to hire you, it’s important to understand what your clients are comfortable with so you’re able to gauge if this is the client for you are not.
NOTE: Take notes during the meeting, listen & interact with your client. Do not rely on your memory. Listen carefully to the items they complain and/or gush about – this will be key to customizing your experience with them.
Step #3: After the Wedding Client Consultations
After your wedding client consultation meeting, ensure that you follow up with your potential clients. Send them an email, thank them for their time and give them an opportunity to ask any questions they still have lingering that you might not have gotten a chance to discuss.
NOTE: Don’t hesitate to let your potential clients know that you would like to be hired. This is not the time to be shy, but make it clear where you stand. You are selling and it’s important to actually sell yourself!
Conclusion
Not every client will hire you, but it’s important to set yourself up for success. Be prepared before your client consultation meeting, pay attention and listen during the meeting, and follow up with your potential clients after. The interactions in these three steps are key to winning over any client.
Are you currently struggling to book clients? Contact Jody-Ann to see how she can help.
