3 Things Wedding Professionals Can Do for More Bookings

Jul 8

Blog post brought to you by Weddings For Real podcast

You’re in Control

Take a moment and breathe a deep breath. I don’t know about you, and I don’t know what your past year has looked like, but I imagine it hasn’t been full of rainbows, sunshine, happiness, and hugs… especially not hugs. I know you’re mentally tired and emotionally drained. I’m sure you’re tired of the unknown and frustrated about not knowing how to move forward. It’s easy to get tired of angry and anxious wedding vendors and clients, and we’re all tired of postponements and cancellations. Some days you might feel hopeful, and some days you might feel that your empathy tank is empty. I so wish that I had a magic wand to make it disappear or that I had a guaranteed end date to the end to the beating our industry is taking, but I don’t. The positive is that we are approaching the end to the craziness and we can be hopeful for a more normal future.

Although I don’t have all of the answers, I do have tips for the things you can control right now. You can’t control your local or national government for mass gatherings. You can’t control what other vendors in your market are doing. BUT, you can control you, your business, and what steps you take to remain viable in 2021 and beyond.

Tip 1: Identify what makes you different and sell that more authentically.

There’s a famous quote that says, “When you speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one.” That quote really resonates with me and it is relevant for how you market your business. Being the wedding vendor for all clients is not a positive thing. Dig deep and ask yourself, “What makes me unique?” Think about which clients you want to serve.

I asked one of my Planner’s Vault members on a coaching call about what clients she is aiming to serve. She said, “I love adventure, and I love nature. I’m not a hotel ballroom or country club type of wedding planner.” From that conversation, we identified that her target client is between twenty and forty years old, very active, loves to be outdoors, loves the idea of a unique venue like a brewery, winery or other outdoor space. Her ideal client is not the type of client that hires a planner to handle all the details and simply make it pretty for the couple to just show up on the wedding day. This wedding planner is brand new to the industry, but she’s already steps ahead of her competition. She knows who she is the ideal wedding planner for and who she is not. She knows her strengths and what drives her. She knows where to put her marketing efforts and what venues and vendors to connect with. She’s not just putting information out into the world and hoping it reaches someone organically who wants to book her.

Do you know the ideal clients for your business? Maybe you are super quirky and get excited about working with a quirky, outside-the-box couple. Maybe you’re focused on reaching a sustainable couple. Or, perhaps, you are all in on being a high-end luxury wedding vendor working to exceed the expectations of particular and meticulous clients. Lastly, maybe you’re new to the wedding industry and you’re trying to find your niche, which is perfectly okay too! For now, your selling point could be your drive and initiative with each client, or it could be your attention to detail. If you get to know your strengths and weaknesses as a busines owner, you can refine your messaging. This messaging is utilized in your website copy, social media posts, and branding. In general, casting a wide net leads to catching even less fish (or in this case, couples) because there will be holes in your net. Hone in on you, who you want to serve, and what that business model looks like. To learn more about identifying your ideal client as a wedding vendor, I recommend the book titled Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. In the book, Miller helps readers to learn how to best speak to and reach potential clients.

Tip 2: Uncomplicate your sales process.

For this tip, take a look at the number of steps and winding paths it takes a potential client to navigate your website and contact you. Then, how many steps does it take to schedule a consultation with you and actually book you.

I find that wedding vendors in all categories tend to make the process more complicated than it has to be. The goal of your website and inquiry form is get a client to say, “Yes! We want to hire you!” as quickly as possible. It’s important to keep in mind that there is guidance and education that goes into it on your end to help them get there, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated.

When evaluating your inquiry process, I want you to ask yourself some questions.

Is your process clunky and outdated? What I mean is, would you be proud of it if it were displayed on a large screen in front of one hundred newly engaged couples? If not, we have work to do. If you’re not proud of your process, it doesn’t mean that you have to invest thousands of dollars into a new website. However, you do need to invest the time into making small tweaks and changes to get it to a place that you are proud of.
Are there too many words? Too many headings? Sometimes websites can be overwhelming to prospective clients, so we can avoid that by oversharing.
Do you list too many options for offerings and packages that lead to confusion?
Do you make your prospective inquiries think too hard about what they need? Or do you make them navigate a series of unnecessary steps before they connect with you? For example, do you make them fill out a questionnaire before you schedule a discovery call with them? (Pro tip: Stop doing this!)

Overall, I want you to ask yourself if you are complicating the process and identify places in the process that you can simplify. Here are some tactical ways to simplify your website:

Add a scheduling app like Acuity or Calendly to your inquiry process to allow a potential client to book time on your calendar when it works for them in conjunction with your schedule. In this, ask a question about the clients’ preferred method of communication for an initial consultation (like Zoom, phone call, in-person coffee chat, etc.).
Make sure that you have a warm, friendly, productive autoreply working on your behalf after potential clients fill out your inquiry form on your website. This autoreply should allow for connection before you officially respond to them with a personalized email.
Ensure you don’t have too much information on your website so that potential clients don’t get overwhelmed or confused. In the book I mentioned earlier, Donald Miller shares the reality, “When you confuse, you lose.” By having a wordy and tough to navigate website, you’re sending prospective clients to competitors’ websites who have more clear communication and who have a more streamlined process for connecting.

Still wondering exactly how you can simplify? Grab a pen and paper and write out the steps it takes for a potential client to book. Start from the moment they inquire and think about: How many questions are on the inquiry form? What happens after they fill out the inquiry?

And if you’re really stuck on how to simplify, here’s my booking process for my wedding planning business, A Southern Soiree:

1. Inquiry comes in through our website.

2. A warm, friendly, connection-focused autoreply is immediately and automatically sent out by our CRM platform.

3. Within twenty-four hours, we respond with a real live reply confirming our availability. We include starting pricing and a link to schedule a discovery call.

4. The client books discovery call so we can ask questions, understand their client needs and decide if we have a package that serves them well.

5. We send a proposal and a contract to the client.

6. The client signs the contract digitally and pays the deposit digitally.

With my tips and steps listed above, a client could inquire on Sunday evening, receive a discovery call link Monday morning, book time for the call Monday afternoon, and have a proposal and contract by Monday evening. From there, the client is booked by Tuesday morning. Urgency and simplification are key for generating more bookings as wedding industry entrepreneurs.

Tip 3: Identify smaller or modified packages for 2021

In 2021, it’s important that we, as wedding industry professionals, modify and adapt to the world around us. One way to adapt as a wedding industry entrepreneur could be to establish an intimate or micro wedding package. You could collaborate with a group of vendors to offer this, or it could be a scaled back version of your current offerings.

My friend Joe Glen, a well known DJ in my area, said it best, “Any money during a pandemic is a gift.” In a webinar I did in May 2020 with Mike Mckavolwitz author of “Profit First” he echoed this concept by saying all vendors need to examine their offerings and take one step back to discover a new package offering for right now. For example, some industry pros have taken their services and turned them virtual. Some ideas are virtual makeup lessons, live virtual cooking lessons, take out date night meals to heat and eat at home, at-home art kits for adults and kids, postponement consults by planners. Other ideas are virtual planning sessions for DIY brides, virtual open houses to show venues and vendors, and more.

What could you offer? Is it already being done in your area? That doesn’t mean that you can’t offer it too. Think about the endless options for ice cream at the grocery store and know that each company markets to a different client, and the same goes for wedding industry professionals. Own it, love it, promote it and go all in. In these crazy times, it’s important to recognize that adjustments and adaptations are needed, so shift and lean in to keep your business relevant and profitable. Make intentional changes for the short term without sacrificing your brand for long term.

You got this! Cheering you on!

If you’re seeking more bookings, be sure to listen to the full Weddings For Real episode here. And if you’re really looking to make positive changes in your business for more bookings and greater success, take a look at The Planner’s Vault. The Planner’s Vault is filled with education, mentorship, community, and it gives you the tools you need to grow your dream wedding planning business. Click to learn more today!