How Do You Get Couples to Commit to Booking You When You Meet For the First Time?

The first step in booking the couple at the meeting starts BEFORE the meeting.  You need to preframe what’s going to happen to stack the deck in your favor.

Before the meeting:

• Give the couple a simple “homework assignment.”  Ask them to fill out a short questionnaire or visit specific pages on your website that contain rave reviews from your clients.  This kicks in the Commitment & Consistency principle of influence and makes it more likely that they will book you.
• Give them an idea of your prices beforehand.  Don’t send them a price list, but let them know what to expect.  Adam Nyholt of Gively tells his clients, “Our prices begin at $2,000, but most of our clients end up spending about $3,000.”  This creates realistic expectations and avoids sticker shock at the meeting.
• Mention your same day booking incentive.  Let the couple know that you have a special deal available if they book on the day of the meeting, so they should bring along anyone who’s involved in the decision making along with their payment method to take advantage of it.  This arouses curiosity and prepares them for the moment of choice at the meeting.

When you do these things before the meeting, you’ve created an expectation in the couple that they will be asked to book on that day, without creating any pressure.  It’s a powerful way to book more weddings without being salesy.

On the day of the meeting, offer the couple a same day booking incentive.

You’ve prepared them for it before the meeting, so now this should be easy.  Let them know that they get an additional discount or bonus freebie if they’re able to book today.

Make sure that the extra bonus is something that excites your couples, and an offer that’s also still profitable for you.

Take it to the next level with a refundable deposit.

Every minute that passes after they leave the meeting makes it less likely that they will book you.  If they seem reluctant to commit, another option is to offer them a refundable deposit.  Let them know that if they put down their deposit today, they can take advantage of your booking incentive.  Then if they change their minds, the deposit is 100% refundable.

Practice making your offer and your same day booking incentive until you can say it naturally and with confidence.  If you’ve made a connection with the couple and they love what you do, there is no reason for them to wait before booking.

How do you get couples to book on the day of the meeting?

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