New Lead? What Now?

You've worked very hard on your website. It's perfect. The copy is crystal clear; your readers will know who you are, why you do what you do and who you do it for. They know what you offer and how to get in touch with you when they read your call to action.

You receive an email or phone call from a potential client and....GULP!! You have NO idea what to say or what to do next.

One of the first things aspiring wedding planners need to work on when building their business is their operating process. An operating process is a way of doing something...the official course of action when something that happens in your business. Writing down the steps and executing them the same way each time, creates consistency and efficiency; two very good things in business.

One of the processes I think should be nailed down first is the customer service process...sometimes called, "the client experience". Planning for and implementing the steps you take in handling every potential client contact is key to turning them into an actual client. That first "touch" means everything! You know the saying, "first impressions..."? (Your website, ad space, brochure, etc. is really the first step but that's another post for another day).

You must get this right, so here are a few questions to get you started:

How/why do brides contact you?

What do they ask you?

What are your answers to those questions?

How will you document these calls/emails?

Are there any documents you need to send them in response to these questions? What are they?

What is the next step for these documents?

If you are expecting any of these documents back, what do you do with them?

What is your follow up procedure for these calls/emails?

How can you improve your client experience in this process?

How can you streamline all of these steps in your operations so that you have more time for the "glam" and creative projects?

Take the time now to setup systems and processes for your business operations BEFORE you get swamped with clients.  You'll be more professional in your approach, it will save you time and money AND it will allow you to delegate tasks to others in the future.  You know...that executive assistant you've dreamed about?

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!