We’ve heard from vendors about their top tips when submitting quotes to leads. Now, we heard directly from planners about what they look for in vendor quotes—we even spoke with our very own Katie D. on our Account Services Team who is currently planning her wedding! From their early planning stage to when they're ready to book, find out what party and event hosts value in a quote and what leads them to hire a vendor.
Here’s What Party Planners Want in an Event Quote and Vendor
1. Personalization
The party planners we caught up with said that personalization is a key component of a vendor quote. They want to feel like they are an important client and not just another money maker. Planners appreciate when vendors make an effort to get to know them since this lets them know the vendor cares about their event, wants to make it special, and is willing to put in the work to make that happen. Especially when it comes to celebrating a life milestone like a wedding, planners like to know that the vendor understands the event's impact and they find this reassuring.
2. Business Background
Whether vendors have a profile on The Bash, another booking platform, social media, or a website, information about their event business is most likely available for potential clients to view. However, this doesn’t mean party planners always see this information first. Introducing yourself, your business background, years of experience, and any other relevant information shows your professionalism, expertise, and excitement for what you do. In fact, the planners we spoke with appreciate it when vendors include a brief business background in their quote. Letting the planner know if you have prior experience providing your services at their event venue or a similar one is important to include in the initial quote. This will make them feel more comfortable and confident in booking your business.
3. Details of Services
Oftentimes, party planners communicate with multiple and different types of vendors at once, which can get overwhelming. Simplifying the process for them as much as possible is always helpful and appreciated. Include a list of all of the services you offer and who provides them (you or a team member), along with a price sheet if possible. Sometimes, planners may not know the going rate for a particular service, and providing a base price can help them determine their budget.
4. Package Offerings
Similarly, let planners know from the start about the packages you offer. Sometimes, a planner may not know about all of the services that a vendor offers or may be interested in booking more than one service a vendor provides. Knowing they can trust one vendor to provide multiple services for their event is much easier than leaning on multiple vendors to provide different services. Providing package details right away also eliminates a lot of back and forth, saving both you and the party planner time.
5. Follow up
The party planners we spoke with confirmed that receiving a quote as soon as possible and getting a follow-up message from the vendor plays a big part in their decision to book. Vendors who respond first are more likely to start the booking process and develop trust with the party planner sooner. Planners also want vendors to follow up with them either by email or a phone call after sending a quote to show their interest in the event. They want to know that the vendor appreciates the value that the event will provide to their business and event experience. Setting up a Zoom call to better understand the planner's needs and services the vendor can provide is a great way to get to know party planners better and shows the effort that the vendor wants to contribute to the event.
6. Vendor Photos
Displaying photos on your profile, website, or social media of past clients enjoying your services is important for communicating client satisfaction but, planners also want to see photos of you! Especially if you won't be meeting in person until the day of the event, this will only add to the trust, comfort, and confidence the client will feel in booking your business.
Overall, party planners want to feel like they are hiring a vendor they are comfortable with, who they can trust, and who is reliable. Personalizing the experience from the start, providing as much detail as possible, and showing your interest in their event helps achieve this. Especially after the difficulties the past two years presented to celebrating with family and friends, being in good hands is ultimately what will lead party planners to book a vendor.
_
What do you always make sure to include in a quote? Comment below!
