How to Appeal to Amazon-Addicted Couples

Jun 9

Have you ever gone to make an online purchase just to get to the checkout page where you learn that shipping is going to take a week? Or, perhaps even worse, it’s not free?!

I know I’ve closed out and given up in situations like that… just like today’s Amazon-addicted couples sometimes do with wedding pros if we aren’t careful.

While the wedding industry is much more high-touch and not a direct comparison to Amazon in terms of client experience, it’s important to understand how our prospective clients view the buying process and client experience with our small businesses.

In short, they want transparency, clear communication, and they want you to deliver on your promises. Here are 3 tactical ways you can shift your biz to meet Amazon-addicted couples right now.

1. Acknowledge the immediacy. Today’s couples love immediate action and gratification! So, give them quick, immediate wins. For example, if someone sends an inquiry, they want a response within 24 hours. So, set up an automatic email for them to book a call through your scheduling tool like Acuity or Calendly. This gives them some type of action to show them that the process is moving forward, even if it isn’t you physically responding to them at every hour of the day. Pro tip: Use your auto-reply to build trust with them by sharing some social proof and client testimonials.

2. Track the milestones. Clients want to know exactly where they are in the process. Whether you are a planner, photographer, entertainment vendor, or something else, your couples want to know what is coming next with you. This is where systems like Aisle Planner (get 25% off your first 3 months), Honeybook (one of my faves—try it for 50% off your first year!), Rock Paper Coin (another fave—get 1 year free with the code PLANNERSVAULT), and Dubsado (get 20% off your first month or year, depending on which plan you pick) come in handy. You can set up automations and portals to provide clients with immediate information, which saves you the hassle of questions and emails asking for details. Pro tip: If you ever feel like a client is micromanaging, they likely just aren’t getting the info they want, so consider being more clear with them or setting up a “Relationship Reset” meeting.

3. Adapt to the online mindset. Because of the pandemic, mindset shifts about leaving home have taken place. I’ve found that people leave their homes for great experiences (like a tasting or venue scouting), but they like to have some of the more commonplace interactions over Zoom. Some wedding pros are even offering text consultations these days! Consider offering couples a choice of if they’d like to meet in person, on Zoom, or via phone. Pro tip: If they choose not to have a face-to-face interaction, consider using Loom to record a quick video to send via email.

As you begin to make some shifts in your biz to meet the immediacy of couples today, it’s important to set and maintain your boundaries. Not having clear boundaries leads to major burnout and resentment, so don’t set yourself up for failure. Think about it, to contact Amazon you have to go through a bot and wait for a response, so don’t stress yourself out about being on 24/7. You can set boundaries through things like office hours and communication clauses in your contract. Always always always be sure to communicate those boundaries up front to set expectations early!

Want to hear more about these shifts? Tune in to Weddings For Real episode 154 where I chatted with Michelle Loretta on this topic! And, if you’re looking to implement some of those automations to respond faster to potential clients and current clients, grab these 20 Helpful Email Response Templates from the shop!