When you first start your new wedding planning business, it can be thrilling to receive that first call or email from a bride looking for a wedding planner. But not every bride who calls you is truly interested in being a client, they may just be “shopping” for a good deal.
Here’s how to handle inquires about your rates.
Question
I’m new to planning weddings. I just launched my business and had a potential bride contact me about pricing!
I don’t want to mess anything up and not get her as a client so what exactly do I need to say?
Answer
Congratulations!
It’s fabulous that you were able to attract a bride so quickly and easily.
You’ll need to have a conversation with this bride before you give pricing information. Ask her basic questions about her vision for her wedding, the role she would want you to play and her budget. Explain that you need this type of information to get an understanding of the types of services she needs. Only then can you give her an idea of how much you might charge her. If you offer free consultations to potential clients, ask her to set up an appointment to talk to you to discuss her wedding.
If she doesn’t want to tell you about her wedding vision or meet for a consultation but presses you for your rates, it’s possible that she’s “comparison shopping” and calling around town to find the cheapest prices. Politely give her some approximate price ranges for your services and explain their value. Offer to follow up with her in a week and point her to your website, blog and social media sites so she can continue to learn more about you and your wedding planning services. If she’s interested in you, she’ll take the time to get to know you and may be more open to having a consultation that will lead to her becoming your client.
However, if she is just price shopping, which is very likely since she asked you about your prices and not your services, you may not hear from her again. If so, don’t get discouraged. You want brides who hire you because of your valuable services, not your rates.
Getting an inquiry this early in your business is a good sign that you know how to market yourself so I’m sure, if this bride doesn’t become a client, there will be many other brides in your future.
And if you have a pressing question about starting or running your wedding planning business, you can send me an email at [email protected]. I’ll answer them on this blog or in my ezine, “Wedding Planner Tips,” which you can subscribe to here.
