Whether you’re a veteran event professional or you’re still building your brand, always remember that client communication can make or break your business. Each potential customer who connects with you is planning a unique event. While everyone wants it to be perfect, they also have to work with the budget they have. This can lead to possible conflict as expectations may be higher than what they can actually achieve. The key to flawless client communication lies in trying to view things from their perspective.
Make A Memorable First Impression
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure you put your best foot forward. More often than not, a written response would be your first communication with a potential client, so triple-check for grammar or spelling issues! A well-written reply shows that you are reliable and pay attention to detail.
One way to stay efficient while making sure your responses are free of mistakes is to use saved templates. Make sure to edit each response to suit your clients, but following this tip gives you a solid structure for many common inquiries.
Prepare For Bargaining Clients
Every event professional should expect a bit of bargaining from clients once they know your rates. Don’t take this personally — event expenses pile up quickly and everyone wants to cut costs as much as possible. Set appropriate limits when discussing pricing and be firm when you have to defend your worth.
Convince clients that you’re worth your price by providing glowing reviews and photos or videos of successful events. Communicate clearly and politely, giving your guarantee that they should expect a smooth and flawless service from you. When you provide a wonderful pre-sales experience, you’re letting clients know that they can expect services that are of the same quality (or better!)
Never lower your price beyond what you feel is right. While slightly adjusting your rates to meet a potential client can help you close the deal and raise the chances of getting a five-star review and possible referrals, also weigh if it’s worth it before signing on the dotted line.
Be Kind
Showing kindness with every action goes a long way. Doing something as simple as saying thank you when a potential client first contacts you can make a difference. Be genuine with your compliments as well: if you think their event is wonderful and that you would be happy to help him or her see their vision come to life, then let them know as soon as possible.
Remember to be direct and honest about your services. Try to walk them through your process so they know what to expect. But most of all, reassure them that you are more than happy to answer any questions they may have. Don’t forget to follow through — respond as soon as possible whenever anyone contacts you, but remember to reply with kindness!
When you work on actively improving communication skills, you leave very little room for the usual misunderstandings that negatively affect client-professional relationships. By being helpful, honest, and kind, you can show clients that you are the event pro that they should hire!
Are you still waiting for customers to find you? EventKickstart will reach out to customers and bring them to you. Learn more here.
