Closing the Sale (and asking for it)

I think sometimes that so many wedding vendors try so hard selling to their couples that they don't even know what it is their selling to them. If you don't have confidence in your product or understand the services you are selling, how on earth can you expect your prospective clients to? What three things, in your opinion, set you apart from your competition? What makes your service unique? There is a reason why couples book you over someone else -- figure out what that is. That is your selling point. You will realize that brides aren't always shopping for the best price -- they are shopping for the best experience (regardless of price) based on what areas are a priority to them. Anyone can be a wedding planner. I sell the experience they will get with our firm. We have a 90 percent close rate with couples that meet us in person because of that. Part of that is because we prescreen and qualify them very well over the phone, so by the time they are coming in to meet us they are nearly sold on us. I think they are just wanting to see if there is a chemistry there (kind of like a first date).

Under no circumstances should you lie or bash your competition. First of all, it's illegal. (If you write badly about your competition, it is libel. If you speak untruths about them that impact their bottom line, it is slander. Both can end you up in court.) Second of all, it is simply in tacky and poor taste. If you don't care for a particular vendor that a prospect is considering, just say you know who they are.

When selling to brides, keep in mind that about 80 percent of brides are not your customer. What on earth are you talking about Kathy? Brides are brides, right? So not true!

Think about the type of couple you want to work with. Are they do it yourselfers? Are they busy professionals married to their jobs? Is this the first, second or even third marriage? Are they computer savvy? Do you enjoy working with Catholic, Jewish, Indian, Greek, Gay, or African American clients? Are they laid back or high strung? How do they dress? What is their favorite store to shop for home decor? What kind of car do they drive? What is their annual income bracket? Once you figure out which type of couple you'd like to work with, then tweak your marketing choices and materials, website, packages and pricing to fit that market segment.

It's okay to ask for the business. Just don't be too pushy about it. If the client chooses another vendor, ask who they chose and what influenced their decision. (Most will tell you something.) After you find out, figure out what you could have done differently or if you should tweak your sales pitch. If you find you are losing competition consistently to the same vendor(s), analyze their marketing materials to see what consistencies are drawing the same couples to you in the first place and what is making them go in the other direction.