Question: Couples take my free advice and then book someone else. What am I doing wrong?

Hi There You Two Superstars,

You really are amazingly smart marketers.

I have a question that has been bothering me for such a long time and I have not been able to find a solution. I have run into this again just recently, and do not know how to handle it. Can you help with a suggestion?

I get a telephone inquiry and we go through all the preliminaries regarding what I do and how I do it and our unique niche and confirm that we’re a fit. The client and I go through the services they want. Such a good accord that we have.

They want a full estimate and the site is a major important issue for them and want to ensure I can get the perfect site. And want this resolved before they sign on in the dotted line. This is normally part of the deeper planning that we get into once I’m booked.

I give a detailed estimate which means that I’m going through all the services in detail and doing all the vendors’ calls and site research and in essence doing what I do after we are officially booked. And in the meanwhile I’ve put in about 4-5 hours at this point.

Their language and correspondences state that they are working with me and so happy about it but they have not signed the reservation form and made it official. Then at their end suddenly something shifts and I’m out of the picture and their reason why makes no sense (in this case) or else is so bizarre.

Question: How do I confirm the client sticking to my rule of offering so much prior to being reserved including seeing that we are working well together and that we are fit, and keep the deeper planning for when I am officially working with them?

I can feel in my guts when I cross the line and I just have not found the language or the way to step in and handle this. Any suggestion?

I have thought of doing a very ballpark quote with a quick scan of the services and eyeballed estimate with the time also involved in putting it all together. Have not been able to do it.

Another wedding company tells the client that in order to do a full estimate it’s going to take them 2-3 hours and they charge them for it saying it would be refunded once they book.

I can’t do that. Sounds so tacky to me.

Any suggestion you can make here would be so appreciated. This has happened to me so many times over the years. It’s insane that it is still unresolved.

Mahalo

With Warmest Aloha

Libby

 

Answer: Change what you’re worth and stick to it!

Hi, Libby!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m thrilled that you’ve learned so much from us.

Here’s the hard truth:

You’re allowing these couples to take advantage of your generosity and time because you don’t place enough value on what you do.

The only reason these couples can take the information you give them and then book the cheaper competition is because you let them.

Your time is money! This is what you do for a living and you deserve to be valued and paid for what you do.

The good news: you’re in complete control here which means you can solve this problem, too.

Here are three strategies for dealing with this issue:

1) Pick one SMALL aspect of planning to provide couples up front to give them an experience of what it’s like working with you.

Rather than helping them put together a complete estimate for a location, can you simply identify 3 potential venues and make a recommendation?

Give this planning service a valuable name. For example, tell couples that you include the “Perfect Wedding Matchmaker” consultation for free, in which you’ll provide 3 potential venue matches. Then if they want to go further with the planning, they need to hire you.

2) Charge for the initial venue consultation and offer a moneyback guarantee.

Tell them, “I’m going to prepare the perfect package for your wedding for this fee. If you’re not satisfied, just let me know and I’ll refund you 100%. And if you love what I do, we’ll apply the fee towards the cost of the full package.”

This way, you get paid for your services up front without being so “tacky,” as you put it.

Few people will ask for a refund when you deliver a service like this, especially when the rapport is so good. And you’re certainly not worse off than you are right now when you’re giving this service away!

The couples who take advantage of your help and don’t hire you are NOT your ideal clients, and you’re just wasting your time.

3) Join a group on Linked In like this one and ask other planners what works for them; then you can model it.

Whatever you choose to do, you need to choose a policy that works for you and commit to it. No one is going to believe you are worth your price until you do.

What do you think?

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