There are many talented professionals in the wedding industry – more than you can count! But out of all the world’s planners and vendors, what makes YOU count? Well, wedding sales expert Alan Berg has a few thoughts he’d like to share. Alan has been called “The Leading Speaker and Expert on the Business of Weddings.” He’s a Certified Speaking Professional and one of only 39 Global Speaking Fellows in the world. So whether you’re a planner, designer, photographer, or florist, these insights can help you and your customers!
In my frequent travels, I often find myself in need of transportation, either to/from the airport or to/from a hotel. I started wondering why I’ll go on my phone and order an Uber or Lyft car instead of choosing to get a taxi when there are often cabs right at the airport or hotel? Often, I could just walk outside and find a cab. But, maybe I’ll find a line waiting for cabs. Or, maybe a hotel attendant will have to call me a cab. For me, it’s the convenience and certainty of knowing that I have a ride and when it will arrive. It’s also the convenience of having the charge go right to my credit or debit card without having to make that physical transaction. It feels more secure to me than swiping my card in countless taxis.
It’s also a history of problems I’ve had with cabs in the past. Things such as dirty cars, long waits and drivers not accepting credit cards, or, as happened to a friend of mine in New Orleans, a driver conveniently telling her he didn’t have change of $20 for her $6.50 ride (he ended up giving her $15 change, short-changing himself in the process). Are Uber and Lyft perfect? Far from it. Many of us who have used them have had our share of less than courteous drivers and cramped cars.
How Did They Do It?
So, what have they done to make Uber and Lyft my preferences for ground transportation, around the world? They disrupted an established player (taxis, limos, and car services) by making it easier to do business with them, and by providing information and transparency. Being able to watch the car icon moving along the map doesn’t actually get the car there any sooner, but it somehow makes us feel better because we can see the process. With one click, we can call or message the driver. Whether you ever use that feature isn’t important. The fact that we can is the bigger benefit.
Many years ago, when toll-free phone numbers were expensive, large consumer products companies put one on their packaging, with wording that encouraged their customers to call toll-free with any questions. They didn’t get that many calls, but the perception of the company in the eyes of consumers went up noticeably.
Can You Be The Disrupter?
Have you thought about how you can disrupt the status quo in your industry category? I remember seeing a videographer’s website that had a queue of the weddings that were being edited. It showed each couple exactly where they were on the list, and they could watch their name move up the list–very similar to the car coming towards you on the Uber app. As with an Uber car, it didn’t get the video to you any faster. However, he told me that he used to get numerous emails and calls from couples asking when their video would be ready. Since implementing the online queue, those calls and emails had almost completely gone away. It benefitted both the customers and the video business.
I Can’t Do That! (Or Can You?)
Picture Courtesy: @houseofhermosaph
I’ve met many floral designers who tell me they can’t create a proposal on the spot. Instead of doing it while they’re meeting with the customer, they need to research and get back to them, and so they let the customer leave. Not being able to give a price during the appointment, in my opinion, is costing them sales. Customers who are interested are being told to go home and wait for a proposal. Then, you have to get them back in or chase them down after you’ve emailed the proposal, only to be ghosted (not getting a reply to your emails and calls). I’ve also met floral designers who have invested in technology to be able to create a proposal in a manner of minutes while the customer is still there.
Others have told me that they’ve been in their business long enough that they can make an estimate on the spot. While they might occasionally be off, sometimes it’s in their favor, sometimes in the customer’s favor. It averages out over time but makes them more sales because of the immediacy. I recently taught a floral designer that he could get the customer to sign with him without a proposal, just giving them a realistic range for their wedding. He was ecstatic when a couple gave him a deposit, only knowing that their wedding would be between $12,000 and $15,000. They then scheduled a design consultation to work out the details, but he was already confirmed for their date.
What Was Once Cutting Edge Becomes The Norm
Toll-free numbers were originally only for larger businesses that were willing to invest in them. Then the price came down, and we all had them. Credit card processing used to involve expensive technology. Now, anyone with a smartphone can process a credit card anywhere. Live chat was only for businesses with larger staff. Now, you can live chat on your smartphone from wherever you are. As someone who’s out of the office as much as I am, I’m used to relying on voicemail. Now, when you call my office phone, my cell phone rings as well. I also use Cloudli.com, a service that allows my customers to text my main office land-line. I’m able to see and respond to those texts on my phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Easier To Sell Is Easier To Buy
What can you do to make it easier and more convenient to do business with you? How can you reduce the friction at every step in the process? Having a better website experience, especially the mobile experience, will get you more inquiries. Giving them more choices on how to connect with you will get you more inquiries. Responding better and faster will convert more of those inquiries to appointments. Giving them fewer but better options will make it easier to sell and easier to buy. You can have dozens of options, just don’t show them all to the customer. They can’t all be a good fit for their needs and wants. If you hear this often, it’s likely your fault for overwhelming them with information: “You’ve given us so much to think about, we need to go home and process everything. We’ll get back to you.”
How Many Choices Is Too Many?
Pictures Courtesy: @eventchicdesigns
In my consulting with wedding and event businesses, I often help businesses like yours, scale back your offerings. While it may seem like you’re being a better resource by having a multitude of choices, it can often work against you. I see lists of products and services that look like my attic. Stuff goes in, but nothing ever comes out.
I once did sales training for a venue that had 12 different chicken dishes on their menu. I asked them why they had so many choices. They said that, over the years, as their customers requested new ones or their chefs invented new ones, they added them to the list. But none ever came off the list. I asked how many of the 12 options actually get chosen, and it was 2 or 3. The others were just clouding the decision-making process. Showing all of those options to the customer before they’ve reserved their date was delaying closing the sale. I suggested they remove the 9 or 10 that don’t get chosen. Then, make all of the chicken dishes the same price and just sell them “chicken.” Have them choose which kind of chicken after they’ve reserved their date.
I’ve suggested to many wedding businesses, especially smaller ones who only do one wedding on a day, to only offer one package on their most popular dates. If you get multiple inquiries for those dates but can only sell one or two couples, why offer your lower package? That is costing you profit. One of my venue clients offers the “Chef’s Tasting Menu”– where the client knows how many appetizer and entrée choices there are, plus the main protein, and the chef decides on the actual menu. We’ve reduced the number of decisions dramatically. DJs or Photographers may only offer an “All-Inclusive” package for Saturday nights in high season. Many wedding venues have “revenue minimums” for certain dates, so why not the rest of you?
Don’t Just Look At Our Industry
Pay attention when you’re the consumer, and see what other businesses are doing to make your customer journey easier, that can be adapted to your business. Starbucks gets us to pay way more for coffee than McDonald’s, yet people line up every day. I’ve used Uber in at least 8 countries, all of which have taxis. What are your competitors doing to make it easier to do business with them? Can you disrupt the way business is done in your industry… before someone else does it to you?
Conclusion
To sum it all up, think of all the ways you can make collaborating with your business as easy and seamless as possible. Convenience, certainty, and transparency are factors that can convert every ‘maybe’ into an instant ‘definitely.’ Additionally, technology helps with being able to give your customers a better experience, be it through your website or immediate contact options for smoother communication. With these pointers in mind, you can guarantee better relationships with your clients and gain quicker business revenue. That’s a win-win situation we all love!
About Alan Berg:
Alan has presented and done sales training in 14 countries, 5 of them in Spanish and more recently in French (both of which he taught himself). He’s the author of 6 books, including his most popular “Shut Up and Sell More Weddings & Events” and his latest “Why Are They Ghosting Me?”. He’s the host of the Wedding Business Solutions podcast, available on Apple, YouTube, and all the popular platforms. He consults and does sales training for businesses like yours, large and small.
Feature Image Credit: @sandyandodysseas
