As a new wedding planner, it’s natural to be anxious to get your first brides. But too often, I’ve seen new wedding planners appear so desperate to get brides to hire them that they actually scare off good, potential clients.
Review these 6 signs of desperate wedding planners and see if they sound like you:
1) You offer deep discounts
A sure sign that you are desperate to make a sale would be to offer discounts far below what your services are worth. You attract bargin-hunting brides who don’t value you or your services and make you work hard for little money.
2) You talk too much
If you do all of the talking and just pitch your services, hoping you can convince a bride to hire you, you won’t be listening like you should. A bride wants someone who will listen to her so she can trust the planner to create the wedding she wants.
3) You are too persistent
Of course you need to follow up when you are trying to get a bride to hire you, but don’t inundate her with a constant stream of voice mails, emails, and texts. If she doesn’t respond after a few messages, chances are good she has changed her mind and you need to move on.
4) You give away too much information
There will be brides who will email or call just asking for the names of your vendors and for customized proposals without being willing to make an appointment to meet with you. Don’t give out this information too easily, these brides are often just looking something free. Insist that they commit to a meeting with you so you can better help them. Offer consultation services if they aren’t interested in full service wedding planning.
5) Your social media updates are all sales pitches
Brides follow you to find out what you know about weddings and wedding planning. It’s fine to occasionally make a pitch for your services but don’t make them the only messages you send out or you will lose your followers.
6) You tell brides that you’re desperate
A bride doesn’t need to know that you are new. In fact, you’re probably not a new wedding planner, just new to having a wedding planning business. She also also doesn’t need to know you need her to hire you to pay your rent or mortgage. Keep your personal information to yourself. A bride wants to work with a successful wedding planner who concentrates on planning her wedding, not on his/her own personal business.
Frantic activity doesn’t bring high-quality clients to you, it scares them off. Take some time to look at what you are doing overall to bring in business and see where you may need to make changes to meet more brides, vendors, and people who can bring you referrals.
