Wedding Planner Q&A – “How Do I Overcome My Fear of Competition?”

By Sharonhill @sharonhill

Wouldn’t it be great if all brides wanted a wedding planner and you were the only one available? Unfortunately, it’s not like that. There are many wedding planners for brides to choose from but you shouldn’t be afraid, there are also many brides looking for the special wedding planner who can help them, and that might be you.

Question

I really hope to be the best in this industry one day but I’m afraid I won’t do well because I have many competitors. How do I overcome this fear?

Answer

No matter what industry you chose to get into, you’ll face competition so you can’t let fear get the best of you, or let it stop you from going after your dream of becoming a wedding planner.

Understand that the presence of other wedding planners is a good thing, it usually means the wedding industry is doing well in your area and there are brides who want help planning their weddings.

Here are 4 ways to handle the your fear of competition:

1) Understand that your fear is in your head

To be successful you need to remember that there is enough business in this world for you. You need to think abundantly or you will come across to brides as someone who lacks the self-confidence and expertise to plan weddings.

2) Know your target market

Decide the type of brides you want as clients and find out as much as you can about them. The more you know and understand what they want, the easier it will be for you to see how much you can help them.

3) Know your competition

Do some research, look at websites, blogs, social media, and wedding websites where other planners advertise and learn what they offer. Remember your competition isn’t just wedding planners but also caterers, florists, and venues who have “planners” on their staff.

4) Determine what you can do differently

Once you know who your brides are, what the competition is offering them and how they are marketing to them, figure out a way you can be unique and offer something that your competition does not. Read one of my previous blog posts for tips on how to stand out from the competition.

By the way, never assume that your competition is doing better than you are. Years ago, an event planner I knew of was in the media all of the time and I assumed she was doing exceptionally well. One day she called me all upset because her business wasn’t doing well, it was all hype, and she wanted me to help her to brainstorm new marketing ideas.

So don’t fear your competition. Spend your time, energy and emotions creating and marketing a wedding planning business that offers the valuable services that brides want.

And if you want more help to become a top wedding planner, sign in to get my ezine “Wedding Planner Tips.”