Does your business have a strategy for following up with leads and nurturing them into clients? Once you secure a booking, how do you check in with clients leading up to their event? After the event is over, how do you ensure that the client relationship continues?
These questions are important to consider when developing a plan for securing gigs, providing a smooth experience for both your business and the client, and attracting repeat clients. So, we created this guide to help you develop the right strategy for your business when it comes to following up with clients from start to finish.
Tips for Successfully Nurturing Planners From Lead, to Client, to Repeat Client
1. Responding to & Following up With Leads
Staying on top of requests, responding quickly, and following up with leads properly are all key to securing event bookings. Here's how else you can be successful when it comes to the first interaction with leads and submitting a quote.
Opt into alerts
Make sure you have alerts set up so that you can get notified right away when an email with a request comes through. That way, you'll never miss a request and can respond quickly. If you're a vendor on The Bash, you have the option to get text alerts when a new lead or client message comes through, so you can be notified directly and respond as quickly as possible and on the go.
Learn more about our text message alerts and the benefits of opting in.
Never skip a quote
Especially when starting out growing your business’s presence, responding to every lead is critical. You never know when a request that doesn't initially seem like a good fit will turn out to be—maybe they have a flexible event date, budget, or requirements for their event. Responding at least allows you to learn more about what they’re looking for before passing up on the potential business.
Respond quickly
Sending a response to leads ASAP or within at least 24 hours is a best practice your business should prioritize if it hasn't already. You want to make a good first impression and stand out from other vendors they may be contacting. We see vendors who respond within 6 hours are most successful in securing the booking.
On The Bash, the sooner you submit a quote, the sooner you’ll receive the planner’s contact information and secure the booking.
Make it personal
Always add a personal touch to your message. This will help you to form a connection with a client and make them feel more comfortable and trusting when it comes to booking your business. It also shows that you are interested in more than just their budget and whether that aligns with your pricing.
Create response templates
Building response templates will help you reply to leads quickly and easily. You can make responses personal without having to start from scratch every time. If you're a vendor on The Bash, you can utilize our saved response template feature to make submitting a quote simple every time.
Check out our saved response templates for inspiration when creating your own.
Reach out by phone
After sending your initial quote, we recommend always reaching out to leads directly via a phone call. This will reduce the back and forth that can be restricting when messaging, eliminate miscommunication, showcase your personality and professionalism, and, in the end, help you close the booking faster.
Here's a helpful list of topics to cover when following up with leads by phone:
- Briefly introduce yourself and your business (share your past experience, years in business, event types you service, etc.).
- Communicate your availability for the event.
- Ask the lead to explain their vision of how your business can contribute to their event.
- Reiterate your interest in providing your services for the client's event and why you’d be a good fit for it.
- Confirm event details like the number of guests, location setting, duration of event, etc.
- Ask what stage the lead is in the planning process. Is the client considering your business over another or are they still researching potential vendors?
- Discuss their budget while also letting them know your pricing.
For advice on perfecting your message when submitting a quote, check out our 5 tips for making a great first impression.
2. Checking in With Clients Leading up to Their Event
Once your business is booked, it's not enough to just show up the day of the event and provide your services. Here are some next steps to take that will ensure a smooth going day-of for your business and the client.
Go above and beyond
Consider offering the client beyond what is described on your business's profile (within reason) to make the event personalized and special for them and their guests. This will show your dedication to making their day special and will make it even more of a positive experience for them.
Track payments
Stay on top of any deposits or other payments the client owes so that they don't have any last-minute expenses to add to the other stressors of hosting an event. Plus, this will make it easier for you too.
Double check everything
There's nothing worse than forgetting an important detail of the event or your business's contribution to it. Keeping an ongoing checklist will help you stay on top of all parts of the event.
Confirm all the details
One month prior, two weeks prior, two days prior...continue confirming and checking in on all the event details! Especially if the event is planned months in advance, it's important to ensure for your sake and the client's that there aren't any last-minute changes. It also helps reassure the client that you haven’t forgotten about them or their upcoming event!
3. Following up with Clients After an Event
Just because an event is over, doesn't mean the work has ended! Continuing to nurture client relationships contributes to a good review and repeat clients. Here are the next steps to take.
Ask for a review
If the event went well and the client is satisfied, reach out and ask the client to leave you a review. Reviews communicate client satisfaction and trust, so this will help you get booked in the future.
When asking for a review, consider this email template as a starting point:
Hi {First Name},
Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your {event}! I had a wonderful time helping make your vision for the event come to life.
I am reaching out to you today because I would love and greatly appreciate it if you could write a review for my business. Reviews really help to grow my business and secure future bookings with clients like you!
You should have recently received an email from The Bash to review my service or you can also log in to The Bash’s site and click on the “leave review” button next to my name. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is any other feedback you would like to share via email.
Thank you for your time and I hope we get to work together again soon!
All the best,
{Name}
Check out this article to learn more about reviews on The Bash.
Ask for a referral
Ask the client to refer your business to their family and friends and to make sure to tag you on social media if they post about the event. Word of mouth is a great way to grow your business through clients who you have developed a strong professional relationship with. Plus, it can be extremely effective in attracting new and repeat clients!
Maintain an open line of communication
If you have an email list, consider asking the client if you can add them. Keeping past clients updated on what's new with your business, additional offerings, and availability will keep you top of mind when they begin planning another event. It's a great way to get repeat clients!
Check out these additional resources with more tips on responding to and following up with leads:
Best Practices for Responding to Your Leads
Checklist: How to Respond Like a Pro
After the Quote Request: Why, When, & How to Follow up
_
What's your key for following up with leads? Comment below!
