At the June OWA meeting, members & guests explored various facets & common challenges of the wedding industry and worked together to come up with solutions to these challenges. Members & guests broke up into discussion groups and tackled these questions; here are the results of their conversations. Thank you to all who came & participated.
Do You Have a Preferred Vendor List that you offer to your clients? If so, why or how is it beneficial?
Those in the group agreed to that they all use a preferred vendor list. They try to refer their clients to good businesses and mutually refer among their friends/preferred vendors. They also refer vendors that are in line with their company's style.
What do you do when a potential client asks you to reduce fees because they decided to book other services and are now re-adjusting their budget?
When a client asks members of this group to reduce fees, they try to customize packages to fit the needs within their clients' budget. If a client continues to ask for further "discounts," they try to politely put their foot down or offer referrals to other vendors who are more within the clients' price range. These wedding professionals try to avoid these situations by qualifying potential clients as much as possible.
What kind of advertising do you find most effective?
Members of this group agreed that the absolute best form of advertising is word of mouth. In addition, they also mentioned
- Networking/referrals from other vendors & venues
- Expos & The Wedding Cafe
- WeddingWire/Google/SEO/Internet
- Social Media
Do you choose to pass on certain clients? What makes you decide to turn someone down, and how do you tell them?
This group agreed that in certain situations, it is advisable to pass on certain prospects:
- If it does not seem like a match--the wedding professional & prospective client need to connect in order to capture that prospect's vision
- For some wedding professionals that limit themselves to only one wedding per day, if she is already booked on that day, then naturally they must pass on the prospect
- Of course, if the client does not have sufficient financial resources (read: cannot afford) to retain the wedding professional's services, then no work will be done!
As we're all very busy with our businesses, how do you ensure to take time off for yourself?
This group gave the following suggestions:
- Designate certain days off in the week
- Have an office outside of the home so work does not follow you home
- Have a distinct work phone number--and no giving out personal cell phone numbers until the week of the wedding
Thanks again to all who participated!
Image in this post courtesy MICHAEL McDERMOTT / Fisheye Studio
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