Own Your Business

The wedding industry is facing unique challenges as booking couples becomes harder. Experts discuss adapting to declining marriage rates and the importance of resilience. They emphasize community support and collaboration for navigating these changes. Insights into evolving consumer behaviors reveal a need for vendors to adjust strategies amidst fierce competition. The conversation also highlights the critical role of transparency in pricing and the necessity of educating clients for better engagement and trust. Networking is celebrated as vital for future growth.

Everyone talks a big game when it comes to attracting ideal clients, so why is it so hard to actually make it happen?  It’s because there’s a LOT of work that goes into getting from A to Z, from I know what I want in an ideal client and now I have a calendar filled with them. That gap is filled by the buyer’s journey, and your job as a marketer and salesperson for your business is to craft a path that’s easy and inspiring to travel.  If you’re anything like most other wedding pros, though, you’re probably throwing up obstacle after obstacle for couples to become clients. Tune into our conversation about what’s getting in the way of you and your favorite couples.

Filling your calendar with clients you love is almost as hard as finding a potential partner on a dating app. It’s hit or miss - with a lot of ghosting. Before you blame the game, though, look at how you’re playing it. I’m not going to offer dating advice on this episode, but Katy and I will share 10 mistakes we see wedding pros make on your websites and in your sales processes. Take note so you can make quick updates in key areas.  Website review Sales process audit

Today you’re going to get a first - and a second. What do I mean by that?  In the past 3 years we’ve run a new episode each and every week. We’ve done a few different kinds of podcast approaches: - Solo episode - Guest expert on a particular topic - Katy talking about websites and copywriting with me - Celebrity guest talking about their career trajectory - Client case studies to dive deep into how pros make improvements - Panels to discuss a topic from a variety of perspectives Today, I’m going to introduce a new episode genre: Oldie but goodie. I’m going to bring back episodes from the early days that I feel are super important but are buried under 100+ newer episodes.   Here’s why I’m doing it: Some of the best content we have to share was done when we didn’t have much of an audience.  But when I look back on what’s most useful for you, dear listener, to improve your business today, these older episodes are just as relevant! In fact, I regularly send links to many podcasts from 2021 to my current 1:1 clients to review after we touch on a topic in our session. One of those is pricing presentation. How do you share your pricing in a way that increases the likelihood of someone buying your product or service? I did two sales process audits this week and found the same mistake with both clients. They used a “base plus a la carte” approach on their proposal, which is very popular - but ultimately not as effective as my recommendation.  And what is that? You’ll have to listen in to learn, and to understand why menus and single options are not the most effective way to engineer your packages and pricing. Sign up for our new panel on the state of the industry for 2024. https://ideactionconsulting.com/state-of-the-industry-2024-panel

Hi, I’m Sam, and I’m a perfectionist. I used to think I wasn’t a perfectionist. After all, I tend not to focus on the details, and I often leave projects undone, let alone done perfectly. Then my therapist called BS on that, and because she is not only a licensed expert but also knows me better than anyone else - well, I listened to what she had to say. Once I became aware of my version of perfectionism - which is one of FIVE kinds - I saw my tendencies everywhere. Then this year I read a book that rocked my world: The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler.  Two things: First, listen in on my conversation with Katy - a fellow perfectionist, but with different tendencies. Second, if you feel like you too might be a perfectionist, read the book. It’ll make you feel seen in powerful ways - and give you the courage to adapt your version of perfectionism in healthy ways.

In this conversation with KT Merry, a renowned wedding photographer specializing in ultra-luxury events, listeners gain insights into the evolving landscape of luxury weddings post-pandemic. KT shares the changing priorities of couples and the importance of emotional intelligence in client relationships. The discussion highlights resilience in the industry, effective marketing strategies, and the critical role of exceptional customer service. KT's educational program, The Abundance Plan, is also mentioned as a transformative resource for aspiring luxury photographers.

We all know referrals are helpful to booking more clients at higher prices. It’s too bad too many wedding professionals waste too much time, energy, and money chasing the wrong referral partners. I want to be clear: Many educators, mentors, course creators, speakers, conference organizers, etc. offer excellent advice. In this episode, I’m not speaking to, about or against what they’re saying. In reality, I actually try to remain ignorant of what others teach, because I don’t want to infect my mind subconsciously with others’ content too much. I do me, they do them.  When I research approaches, I focus on information from what works with my clients, and inspiration from outside the industry, especially from researchers and experts in behavioral economics. Then I use those insights to create my own strategic approaches.  Finally, I take my 30 years of sales experience to guide practical tactics for everyday use. That’s the recipe for my secret sauce. This approach has worked not just for referral strategy, but for everything I share, coach and train - both wedding pros like you and team members who do work for our clients. Now, with that out of the way, I’m going to give you three tips to consider as you create your referral strategy, or maybe just tweak the one you’re currently using.

Discover the art of effective communication in sales and how it’s more about how you say things than what you say. Explore nonverbal cues and vocal techniques that create genuine connections with potential clients. Uncover the essential elements of building trust during discovery calls, focusing on price, project, and personality. Learn the top skill you need to master for truly connecting with couples and elevating your business.

Are you getting enough inquiries? I don’t know. But I do have a formula for figuring it out - and I’m going to share it with you on today’s episode.  It’s essential information if you’re going to develop a solid marketing plan for your business.  How can you know when you’ve crossed the finish line if you don’t know where it is?  Many people are happy with their current inquiry count but actually need many more. Others out there are getting enough inquiries to charge more for their services, but aren’t - and so are leaving gobs of money on the table. Enjoy the listen.  https://ideactionconsulting.com/wedding-copywriting https://ideactionconsulting.com/wedding-business-website-audits https://ideactionconsulting.com/wedding-business-sales-coaching

You hear a lot about ideal clients from educators and experts, us included. We don’t have the market cornered on the information, but we certainly feel we add a nuanced and sophisticated approach to the concept. On this podcast, you’ve heard about buyer types and psychological motivations, which isn’t discussed much by others. We feel it’s important to do deep research on who your favorite couples are, what they believe, how they behave, and what emotional and social desires they hold deep down but don’t know how to express. When you know how to speak directly to what matters most to ideal couples, they become clients. You charge more for your services. You enjoy the experience of serving them, rather than dreading their wedding date. Over the years, I’ve steered our company upstream to help get more ideal couples for our clients. I started as a business coach, but for wedding pros to reach their goals they needed to convert more sales. To get more inquiries, Katy, my wife and business partner, started writing conversion copy for the websites of my coaching clients. We eventually expanded to additional pages like custom proposals and built a team of 10 to handle all the projects. Now we’re going even further upstream by integrating branding and website design into our in-house services. But like sales and copywriting, we’re not scratching the surface with approach. Oh no, we’re diving deep into the user experience and merging it with our work on buyer psychology and communication preferences. Today, I’m bringing Katy on to discuss the process of creating different designs for different buyer types based on how they prefer to process information on websites. Enjoy the discussion. Especially if you’re not getting enough inquiries, or inquiries from the right kinds of couples.