Wedding Industry Biz

10 Questions to Ask to Qualify Your Potential Client Couples

You’re ready to get more clients, but how do you know which ones are right for you? 

Start by qualifying leads in order to figure out which couples will be the best fit. 

Remember, it’s necessary to resist the urge to take on every client that comes your way. 

Because if you want to grow your business and earn what you deserve, then you need to make sure you’re working with your ideal clients. 

So, when you’re on a discovery call or or at a first meeting, be sure to ask these 10 questions.

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Timeline Genius

3 Ways to Get the Most out of the Timeline Genius Collaboration Features

When it comes to timeline creation, you know that Timeline Genius lets you communicate in your timeline with clients, vendors and venues (and if you need a refresher, just click here). 

But you might not know these additional tips and tricks that the Collaboration Features offer. 

So here’s how you can use the options for downloadable rights, icon indicators, and bulk item access in your timelines.

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Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 087: Nora Sheils Gives You a System for Building Your Team

Do you know the business strategy tip that we hear time and again? It’s having the right people around you supports your success.

That’s why we’re kicking off 2022 with a re-issue of one of our top episodes on team-building (plus an exclusive code for Rock Paper Coin)!

Enjoy!

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Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 080: Colin Cowie Directs You to Use Dreaming to Shape Your Future Success

When it comes to creative vision, your dreams reveal what you will build. Small dreams lead to small creations. Big dreams lead to anything you can imagine. That’s why this guest recommends that you give yourself permission to dream up the greatest stories that you want to live.

Want to hear more? Be sure to tune in for this podcast episode!

Colin Cowie is the owner of Colin Cowie Lifestyle, an event and wedding planning company specializing in creating bespoke, luxury productions worldwide. With over 30 years of industry experience, Colin is known for his design approach, which privileges the effect of all five senses on the guest experience. He is also a celebrity event planner, television host, and guest contributor with appearances on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Additionally, as a lifestyle and interior design expert, he is the author of multiple publications. His most recent work, The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted, shares his sought-after advice in an essential guide for any business owner.

In this episode, Colin talks about the fundamental role that dreaming holds in shaping your future. Specifically, he gives you his best tips for what you should do now to achieve success in your business.

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Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 079: Kate Storey Gives You 4 Steps to Convert Website Traffic into Sales

As a planner, do you ever struggle with getting the right clients? Such as the ones you want to work with because they resonate with you? Or, are you hesitant to turn away clients, even if you know they aren’t the right fit? This guest understands. Even more, she tells you how to fix it. 

So, be sure to tune in for this podcast episode!

Kate Storey and her husband Nick are co-owners of Book More Brides, a marketing firm that specializes in helping wedding planners attract and book their ideal client couples. Kate is a digital marketing specialist, copywriter, and social media expert: overall, her passion is helping wedding business owners stand out from the crowd. Additionally, she is the host of The Book More Brides Podcast. With nearly 20 years of experience, she knows how to help you connect at a deeper level with the customers you want.

In this episode, Kate explains why you should answer the emotional needs of your clients. In fact, she wants you to clarify what you will do for them and how they will feel as a result. Specifically, she gives you 4 steps you can use right now to make sure your website will book more brides.

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Wedding Industry Biz

How to Bring Your Industry Peers Onboard with Tech Solutions

Technology is a beautiful thing and, when we implement it in our businesses, it helps us to grow in otherwise impossible ways. Thanks to tech advancements, we can automate annoying tasks that take up our time, enhance the client experience, and provide seamless collaboration with our event teams.

But, wait. What if your creative partners don’t want to embrace the digital solutions you’ve implemented in your business?

Everybody deals with change differently. While many event pros are quick to adopt the latest tech, there are plenty who are perfectly content sticking with their old-fashioned business methods. After all, it has worked for them for years —why fix something that isn’t broken?

While old-school techniques aren’t “broken” by definition, they can hinder a business from reaching its full potential and, as a result, leave clients with a disappointing experience. Think about it: hand-filing might work, but it’s an extremely time-consuming task and one that will inevitably lead to missing files.

Likewise, paper contracts might have worked for decades, but with digital solutions available, they are now a tedious chore to put on soon-to-be clients. Nobody wants to print, sign, scan, and email it back —or, worse, put it in the mail! Why not save everyone the trouble by implementing an e-signing program that takes no more than a few clicks of a mouse (or smartphone)?

If you’re reading this, you’re likely already on board the virtual train. But, in an industry that relies so heavily on teamwork and collaboration, it can be challenging to bring our peers along with us.

Here are a few strategies to help guide your creative partners to the promised land of productivity, efficiency, and—most importantly—satisfied clients.

 

Be honest about your experience.

Put on your sales hat and start pitching your tech-averse partners about all of the benefits you’ve gained since adding a new app or software to the mix. In many cases, people shy away from new tech because it seems like too much trouble for a questionable gain. Let them know how easy it is to ramp up and how valuable it has been for you. When they see how your business has taken strides, they’ll be more inclined to listen to what you have to say. It’s hard to pass up an opportunity to have more time and profits.

 

Help them empathize with clients.

One of the greatest benefits of event technology is its ability to optimize the client experience to ensure the process runs smoothly for everyone involved. Encourage them to step outside of their comfort zone by showing how your clients have appreciated your digital approach. Today’s market demands digital competence, so make it clear that being stuck in the past can be damaging for their clients and, ultimately, their bottom line. Event pros are people pleasers at the core. If you make the transition about the client, your peers will see the value in trying something new.

 

Provide a helping hand.

Even if someone is willing to jump into the world of tech and automation, they may not be ready to be fully immersed. Instead, offer yourself as a resource to guide them through the early stages until they’re comfortable enough on their own. Fortunately, modern software tends to be very user-friendly—even for the luddites in the crowd!—so it’s fairly easy to pick up. However, even just the idea of knowing you’re there to answer questions and help them catch up to speed can ease the overwhelm of trying a new program.

While it may take some time and patience to get your go-to creative partners on board, it will be well worth the effort when you can collaborate effortlessly with one another. A little bit of guidance goes a long way in helping your peers’ businesses grow, making your life easier, and keeping your clients happy and engaged.

 

Nora Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. She is also the founder and lead wedding planner of award-winning firm Bridal Bliss. She was recently recognized by Portland Business Journal in its 40 Under 40 series.

Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 064: David Tutera Shares the Top 3 Keys to His Success

As a special treat, we’re reissuing our #1 most downloaded interview, and it’s one you don’t want to miss!

Wanna hear one of the top wedding planners in the world reveal the keys to his success?

If so, then this podcast episode is for you!

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Wedding Industry Insider Podcast

WII 063: Tayler Cusick Hollman Shares Five Steps to Create an Effective Marketing Plan

As a special treat, we’re reissuing one of our all-time, top downloaded interviews, and it’s one you don’t want to miss!

Do you have a marketing plan for your business, or are you figuring it out “on the fly”?

For many people, it’s the latter.  But, if you want to market effectively, then you need a strategic plan. In this episode, that’s exactly what we’ll help you create.
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