We have had a year of turmoil. With the wedding industry taking a hit, in some areas, we are starting from ground zero. It is now time for real talk on matters that will help us look ahead and plan the future of our business.
Curated exclusively for the members of the DWP Insider Network, through the DWP Insider Round Tables you will be hearing from renowned industry experts, who will be sharing real experiences and in-depth insights and tips, on surviving through this together.
Kelly Mortimer has over 20 years in the wedding industry. Working for some of the leading names in hospitality in the 5* luxury market. She is the only Wedding Industry Consultant globally to have significantly increased revenue across multi-properties for big brand names. Some of her current clients include global brands such as Marriott, Hilton and Millennium hotels as well as individually owned venues and wedding suppliers & vendors.
Stalker Alert – Your Online Journey Has To Be Epic
Your couples are stalking you online. In the last year with COVID-19, there has been a huge shift in how they source their suppliers. Now it is all ONLINE! 66% of couples will see 3 venues or less in person. 24% visit one venue in person only. The same is the case with photographers, florists, cake artists and other wedding vendors. Couples are getting 5000 marketing messages every single day from social media, TV, radio, billboards and other mediums. To cut through that noise, we need to make sure our social media game is not just good but great. Take a look at your social media profiles. Ask yourself are your online profiles compelling enough to take action? Make sure your images are incredible, your call to action is clear. Everything is incredible. Your online journey has to be epic. The average will no longer win business.
Face To Face – Make A Zoom Call
The quicker you connect, the easier it is for couples to choose you. With pandemic and travel restrictions imposed across the globe, it has been a nightmare to meet the clients in person. We know that the conversion rate is higher when you meet in person. But with COVID, it has been difficult now. Now couples are stalking you online.
Kelly suggests what we need to do as the next step is to make a Zoom call. Take a strong look at your sales journey. What are we asking them to do? Is it email, a phone call, or a WhatsApp? With a Zoom call, you will see the conversion rate going high because it is easier for clients to choose you as they can see you and your work.
Make It Easy – The Sales Journey Has To Be A Slippy Slide
The world has got busy. When you ask someone to make efforts, it goes against their brain. Confused minds do not buy. So the only rational thing we can do is make it easier for them to buy. Don’t give many options like zoom call, coffee meetup, or an email. Tell them clearly what the next step is going to be. What we need to do is not ask them to do too much. If we don’t make it easy for our clients, you are not going to help them. A sales journey has to be a slippy smooth ride for them, ensuring that the entire sales process is hassle-free.
Go VIP – When They Go Low, You Go High
As Michelle Obama says – “When they go low, you go high.” Right now, people are slashing rates, whether it is a planner, florists, or any other vendors. It’s like a race to the bottom and in this race, Kelly suggested going VIP. Create a VIP offer. This goes against what everybody is doing, but this can open doors to larger avenues. Your normal offer should be there, it shouldn’t be discontinued. What this VIP package will do is it will make your usual package look like a good value deal and those who can afford higher prices will go for the VIP package. It will give them a sense of luxury and exclusivity.
Let’s stop this race to the bottom. Not everybody in this pandemic is in financial distress. We want to attract clients who still can spend and keep making gorgeous events like before.
Sell Now – Create Festive Packages
We are selling weddings for 2021, but it is now that matters. What are we selling NOW? For many of us with the Holiday season coming up, there’s a buying mindset. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Diwali festivals are coming up across the world and with that, buying gifts has already begun. We need to ponder about what can we package along with our products for these festivals. It need not be some physical stuff, it could be complementary services like a one-hour Zoom call as consultancy, wine tasting, a romantic night stay with candlelight dinner on the beach, nicely packaged as a gift for them or their friends or family.
There are a lot of ideas that are floating up. There’s engagement season coming up. Think about what engagement packages you can create. If you a venue or a planner, create a gorgeous Instagrammable set up for the couple to propose where everything is taken care of; from flowers to Michelin star candlelight dinner to breathtaking photography, they don’t have to do anything except booking. People pay for convenience and clients need the convenience of you putting together an Instagrammable proposal for them. Start advertising now, with a clear call to action. See how your services can translate into a package to really capture the engagement season.
Lastly, to motivate the wedding industry, she recommends one piece of advice- “Not everybody is in financial distress! We need to target the right people with the right techniques and, voilà, you are on the top of your game!”
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