When we got married, I really didn’t know a thing about weddings.
But since Jeff is a professional musician and I’m a lifelong music lover, I did know one thing: I didn’t want a cheesy wedding DJ.
The idea of some obnoxious guy throwing leiis at my guests and making them do the Chicken Dance gave me the chills. I wanted a wedding that was simple and fun, surrounded by my closest family and friends, something that really represented US.
I was so dead set against have a cheesy, cookie cutter wedding I’d seen a million times that I decided to DJ the wedding myself!
The Power of Story
That’s the beginning of the story of how my husband Jeff and I planned our wedding. It’s a story we share with our bride and groom clients, and that we tell right on our website.
Why do we share it?
Telling this story attracts our ideal couples and forms a connection based on what we have in common: a powerful love of music, the desire for a unique and personal wedding, and the stubborn refusal to be cheesy.
Studies cited in Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy by Lisa Johnson and Andra Learned (an excellent read) reveal that women connect through stories. Telling a good story is absolutely essential when it comes to getting women to BUY.
If you can tell the bride’s story better than she can, describing her doubts, fears and desires, she will assume that you are the expert who can deliver the wedding of her dreams.
I can’t tell you how many emails we’ve received from brides who read the simple story on our website and said, “I’m so glad I found you! You’re exactly what we’ve been looking for.” And even, “That’s exactly how I feel. It’s like you’re inside my head!”
Telling a compelling story like this declares what you are for and what you are against, and it’s a powerful attraction tool designed to connect with your ideal clients.
How to Tell Your Story
If you spend some time thinking about it, you probably already have at least one story that your ideal clients love to hear. Jeff and I often tell another story about we met at work and have been working together ever since, and brides just melt!
Here are the elements of a great story for your wedding business:
Beginning – Things are going great.
Middle – Things start to go wrong, and get worse.
End – You find the solution…or don’t find the solution and it inspires your business.
This might be your actual story. Many times your own experience is what inspired your business, and determines the type of clients you want to attract.
If you don’t have a “wedding story” to share, you can tell someone else’s story instead. Even the story of what inspired you to start your business can be powerful as long as it connects with brides and grooms.
Of course, whatever story you tell, it must be TRUE. Getting caught in a lie doesn’t make for a good working relationship.
Spend a little time thinking about the stories you share that really connect with your clients. How can you use them in your marketing and at your meetings?
Stories are so powerful that we pass them on from generation to generation, and they live forever. Use them strategically in your wedding business to powerfully attract exactly the clients you want to work with.
What stories do you share with your brides and grooms?