If you are asking yourself if your pricing is too high, there are most likely 2 reasons for this, but they both are still because of the same reason. Let me explain. If you are new to the business, you may want to price your services low.  It is a great way to get business and gain experience at the same time. I stand behind this principle all the way. 

So, what if you have been in business for a while you raised your prices, but you just can't book as many clients as you would like?

This has happened to me often throughout my career.  When it happened, I did a few things, offered specials and discounts just to get the business.  It did indeed work. Then after a few months, I ended up regretting giving the discounts. I and my staff ended up working really hard, I still had to pay my staff and myself and did a high-quality job, but was disappointed that I got paid less than I should have.

Analyzing this, it is obvious that I placed the negative feelings on the...

I know many planners/coordinators who put on a particular persona when they start their business.  I believe I may have even have fallen into this trap in the beginning.  I think I and many others may have thought a wedding planner needs to be a certain type of person. So, I acted that way and then got trapped in that character. So what is the Persona Principle? Personas are fictional characters, that we create based on our idea of an image that will represent what we feel will reflect an image we want to project. Then we will use that for our service, product, site, or brand in a similar way.

Creating a persona will help you to identify and understand your client's needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals.

However, if this isn't done carefully, this can cause problems in the future because it is hard to continually put on a fake image. Then this can send a mixed message.  I think it is important to do some self-reflection into who you are and...

Everyone wants more sales right? How do you get more sales?  Well, this is actually of course a very complex answer. I know you reading this because you want a solid answer that will bring you sales. Well, hang in there with me and I promise, if you follow these few steps, you will definitely get more opportunities for sales.

To sell more people, you have to ask and answer a few questions that will help you develop a solid sales process. 

You first have to ask yourself why don't you have more sales. Are you getting leads and not as many bookings or do you not have enough leads? If you don't have enough leads, you need to look into ways of getting them.  There are many options to seek out. You can book a booth at a bridal show, subscribe to wedding resource websites, you can strike a deal with a few local venues and vendors.  Some local services offer t small bridal shows or other means of advertising. If your answer was you have plenty of leads but not enough...

Sometimes I forget that understanding marketing and sales is not something that comes naturally to everyone. It actually didn't come naturally to me either, but I have been studying it for so long that it does seem to be easier for me now than in the beginning.  

It is like anything else in business, you need to put time and effort into the subject to become good at it. Just because we are business owners doesn't make us good at accounting, administration, leadership, sales, marketing, customer service, or anything else that comes along with being successful in business.  

Early in my business, when I realized I didn't know something, the first thing I thought of was to take a course, read a book, or find someone who specialized in it and learned how to be better, not to an expert level, but enough that I could get it done for my business. 

If you want to get business, you really need to find a good avenue to learn what type of marketing will work for you....

Before thinking of branding yourself, you need to decide if you want to create a brand and what that means. Many people just jump into creating a logo and a business card based on what they personally think looks good and don't give much more thought to it than that.

If you think that you can just spend a couple of hours creating a color pallet and a cute logo and then have a successful brand, you will need to think again.  Some brands have spent millions of dollars creating a brand that is memorable and helps generate income Coke a Cola, Nike, Disney, Apple, and McDonald's are just a few. 

Creating a Mental Image

 You know that a company has a successful brand if, when you see their logo, you instantly recognize it and what the company stands for. This is because the brand is not just the actual product itself, but the idea the brand creates in the mind. 

Thinking back to when I was a child, I remember a very powerful ad that had a lot of impact on...

Referring a Vendor or Venue can be a great asset to your business. Did you know that most Planners/Coordinators get a commission or a referral fee for recommending another business?  You can make quite a bit of money doing this.  The national standard rate is 10%-40% of the referred business's sales and that can add up quickly. 

Developing a referral program is a great way to increase your profits and if you are considering this as an option here are some things to think about.

Doing The Right Thing

When you are giving a referral, you can put yourself in a tough spot.  If you have committed to your client to do the best thing for them and you know they are on a tight budget, you may be tempted to serve your own best interest instead of by recommending a more expensive service because you know you will get a higher commission.  If you are a DOC and just provide a list of recommended vendors and they choose their own, then you are free from...

We all know that we hate to believe a stereotype about a people group, but then again, how did it become a stereotype if it isn't common? There are personality traits and behaviors that do typically follow a Wedding Planner/Coordinator.  From my perspective, they are not positive and can make people not want to work with you.  I think it is a good move to your long-term success to try to break those stereotypes as people relate to you. Do you know what the stereotype of a Wedding Planner/Coordinator is?

So what are the common stereotypes and if you possess those traits how do you break them?

#1 Being Bossy

Many other business owners don't like to work with Wedding Coordinators because they are pushy, try to go beyond the rules, and boss people around. You are in charge of running the schedule supervision the activities and it is your job to make sure things get done, but let's clarify a few things. First, you don't own the Venue and if you are not kind and easy to work...

So you just got Certified.  Congratulations!!!  You did it.  That is pretty exciting.  Now you have to figure out what comes next.  Every city, county, and State is different and you want to make sure you follow all of your local laws.  To get your business all set up, use the free guide that we provided when you first signed up for your program. You will find it in your library labeled Starter Kit.

Setting Up Your Work Space

Once you have everything completed you need as far as the law goes.  You will want to decide a few things.  Where will you meet your clients or potential clients?  For your safety, I suggest never using your home for a meeting location.

If you can afford it, a small office will be nice, but there are many other options to consider as well.  You can have a shared office, a virtual office, set up meetings by video conference, or meet them at a local coffee shop. 

Once you have decided where you will meet...

Over the years I can't count how often people have reached out to me and wanted me to recommend them. Some have requested a meeting, some have just sent an email, and some just DM or left me a message.  

Can you take a guess how many I ended up recommending? If you said Zero, you are right.  Look at it from my perspective.  I have been in business for a long time.  I have my favorites in different categories from quality to budget savers.  So, what would it take for me to take a chance on someone I don't even know.  I honestly can not think of any circumstance I would be comfortable recommending someone I don't even know. 

It wouldn't matter how great their website, Instagram, or business card is.  I really don't know if I can count on them, if they provide a good service, or if they are good to work with. 

But, I have a little secret that could help you not only get in the door but you just might get some business from it too. ...

Styled Shoots: Is it worth it?