Where To Start?
First and foremost, you have to start immediately by doing what you do best. Be responsive, be organized, and be proactive…the three B’s. If you can’t do the basics well, you can’t woo them with any of the other simple touches.
Well Written
We've said it before and we'll say it again. A handwritten note goes a long, long way. Invest in well-branded note cards and send them a thank you note after your first meeting. Even if they don’t book you, they'll still be impressed enough to talk about you.
Welcome To The Family
The jury is still out on gifting clients for booking. Some think it's an absolute must, and others think that doing a great job and being professional is gift enough. It's totally up to you and your company. But, at a minimum, create a ‘Welcome to the Family’ post for social media. Hopefully, by this point, the couple has liked or followed your business page and you can tag them so their family and friends can see that they are working with you. Sometimes, for privacy reasons, you might have to spin things to, “We are so excited to welcome A + K to our {insert your business name here} family. We're looking forward to their {month} wedding at {wedding venue}." Not only will they will know who you are referring to, but you’ll also gain traffic from linking your post to the wedding venue.
Follow But Don’t Stalk
It's important to follow your couples on social media. Be sure to occasionally like or comment on posts that pertain to their wedding planning. Following them can help you know where they are with their planning and allow you to reach out to them offline when crowd-sourcing is going awry. It may also help you expand your team into the future by making you visible to other couples their networks.
Just Because
Some wedding pros, because of the nature of the service they offer, do not always have a lot of interaction between the time the couple books them to about 30 days before the wedding when finalization begins. Drop them a quick email every few months to touch base. “Hi, I saw this and thought of you!” with a picture of an arrangement, a wedding favor, or an "I found this great article" email will keep you in front of their mind.
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the wedding, you want to be sure you have put your business name on the tip of their tongue and in front of everyone they know. Here are 4 tips for turning your clients into your team members and wrap things up on a good note:
- Post a wedding day photo that is simple and doesn’t share too much. No wedding gown pics before the ceremony, just well wishes.
- Follow up with a thank you note. Putting it in the card box at the wedding makes sure the couple will see it before leaving on their honeymoon.
- Ask for a review! If you don’t ask the answer will always be no. Make it easy for them; include a link to several places where they can share a review on your social media, Google, or Yelp.
- Blogging and posting wedding images after the wedding is a must. It connects your business name with a beautiful day right in front of all of their family and friends, while also connecting you with all of the wedding pros you worked with.
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