Are You Guilty of This Common Oversight That Damages Your Client Relationships?

Last month we hired a new programmer to redesign our website.  We plunked down a pretty sizable deposit to make that happen.

So when I forked over the cash and didn’t hear back from the programmer for over a week, I started getting nervous.  I emailed him once.  Again.  No response.

Did he get the payment?  Was something wrong?  Did he take my money and run?

It turned out that my emails got lost in some quirk of cyberspace, and communication has been fine ever sense.  Whew!

But going through this experience reminded me of how our brides and grooms must feel when planning the wedding.  They put down a huge deposit for their wedding services, sometimes writing the biggest checks they’ve ever written in their entire lives!  Then they usually don’t hear from us for months.

Wedding pros get so caught up in making the sale that they forget about the couple after the contract is signed; this can lead to nervous, insecure clients.

It’s not enough to just send a thank you note after the contract is signed and the deposit has been received.  Regular contact with the couple throughout the planning process leading up to the wedding makes for happy clients and less stress for everyone.

Easy Pre-Wedding Follow Up Tips

It’s natural to put your focus on getting those leads and booking weddings, but don’t forget about the couples who are depending on you to show up for their Big Day.  Here are some easy ways to keep in touch.

1) Call every 3 months before the wedding to check-in.

A bride or groom planning a wedding gets solicited for business.  A lot.

When you call them up just to check in, not asking for an upsell or trying to get them to do something, it shows that you care.  It reassures the couple that you’re not just “in it for the money.”

The first time we’d do this check-in call, the bride is surprised when I ask, “How’s the planning going?”

But pretty soon she realizes that this call was really what it was meant to be: a way to build our relationship.  She’ll ask me questions and I become a trusted resource.  By the time the wedding arrives, she knows that she can count on me.

2)  Send a friendly hello postcard with a personal note.

How often do we get handwritten note in the mail anymore?

Let the couple know that you’re thinking of them.  It’s a great way to build your relationship and remind them about the awesome pro they hired, and you just might earn some referrals in the process by staying top of mind.

3)  Send them automated follow up emails.

This is my favorite way to connect with couples throughout the planning process without eating up any of your precious time.

Email marketing services such as Aweber and Sendpepper allow you to schedule emails for delivery at any interval you like, including the number of days before the wedding date.

Write a series of emails that includes tips and inspirational stories to send 12 months, nine months, six months and three months before the wedding.  These emails can easily be personalized with the bride or groom’s name and wedding date, so that your follow up is friendly and personal.  It does the same job of building your relationship, except it’s on autopilot.

If you’re not currently following up with the couples you’ve booked before the wedding, it’s time to start.  And if you’re already doing it, step it up a notch.  Let them know you really care.

Follow up with your couples during the planning process so that they say, “You were the one thing I didn’t have to worry about on my wedding day.”

How do you keep in touch with your couples before the wedding?

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