How to Beat the Low Priced Competition and Book More Weddings Without Slashing Your Price

There’s nothing more frustrating than having a bride or groom ask, “How much are your packages?” and then when you answer, they follow it up with, “But So-and-So will do it for $400 less.”

ARGH!

Here are some truths wedding pros often forget…

• The “How much?” question is the #1 buying signal. It means you have a prospect who’s going to buy from you, if you’re smart enough to land the wedding by using a system that turns price inquiries into booked weddings.
• Couples ask for your price first because they simply don’t know what else to ask. It’s up to you to help them differentiate between you and the lower-priced competition.
• Educating the bride or groom comes off like a lecture if you’re not careful. And couples who feel like they’re on the receiving end of a lecture don’t book you.

You’ve got to use Stealth Sales strategies to secretly educate them about your value. These are the Jedi mind tricks of the wedding business; you control the sales conversation in a way that leads them to the conclusion that you are worth your price. You plant these seeds using “mind control” without them ever noticing.

Let’s explore them, shall we?

Jedi Mind Tricks of Stealth Sales

1. When a bride or groom asks for your prices, STALL.

Do you charge exactly the same price for every service? On every date?

Of course not. There are several variables you need to know before you can give a realistic price quote. So don’t give one right away!

When asked the price question on the phone, congratulate the bride or groom and immediately begin asking the logistical questions (location, date, times, etc.) that you need to know. You’re not ignoring them; you’re simply delaying your response.

When asked price in an email, set a quick phone chat so that you can ask those questions. And if you feel compelled to respond with price in an email…

2. Give a realistic starting price or range of prices, NOT a price list.

There’s no doubt: couples want to know your price BEFORE they talk to you.

Surveys of brides after the wedding reveal that they if a wedding business does not disclose pricing when asked, they will often move on to a competitor. However, those same brides were happy to accept a starting price or price range as an answer.

Most couples don’t know what they want and are even more clueless when it comes to knowing how much that’s going to cost. They just want to make sure you don’t cost a $1 million.

Answer the price question with a general answer until you have time to establish your value by following the advice in #3…

3. Ask rapport building questions before discussing the details of your price.

The value of hiring a wedding professional isn’t just about your product or service; it’s in your personality, the quality of attention and the relationship with your clients.

The only way to communicate that value is to give them a first hand experience of it. That’s why it’s essential to build that relationship through your email or phone conversation.

Asking questions is the best way to control that conversation and guide them to the action you want. Like a Jedi, remember?

Once you’ve gotten the logistics down, ask questions such as:

• What made you choose this venue?
• What have you seen and heard at weddings that you like or don’t like?
• What 3 words best describe your wedding?

Obviously, these questions lend themselves to a phone conversation, so make that the goal of your email. Get them on the phone by leading them there with a direct question.

4. Once you know what the bride/groom wants and doesn’t want, feed it back and make a suggestion.

If you ask these questions, the bride or groom will tell you everything you need to know to “sell” them. They design their own perfect custom sales pitch, one in which you do very “selling” at all.

Just LISTEN and let them sell themselves.

Repeat back their exact words describing what they want and don’t want, and make sure you got it right. Then and only then, recommend the action next action they should take.

What are your favorite Jedi Mind Tricks?

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