Why Wedding Sales Are So Different
My sweet wife, Katy, has to remind me all the time to do a better job of explaining. And she’s 100% right. I get lost in my own head so much that I forget to explain to new people what’s going on here with the advice I offer.
I’m sorry. Let’s go back up to big-picture level for this post, shall we?
Okay, now that we’re at cruising altitude, I want to make something perfectly clear. Wedding sales are different than most other sales. And it’s not what you think.
It’s not that they’re emotional, irrational sales
Sorry to break it to you, but that’s not the case. Sure, emotion is involved, but not the way people probably mean “Wedding decisions are emotional decisions.” Most decisions are emotional choices we make because we humans struuuuuuuuugle to make rational decisions.
In fact, choosing a photographer or planner or floral designer for your wedding isn’t really all that different than other major choices you make in your life.
What makes decisions about who’s going to photograph or plan or design your wedding is that it’s complex.
Transactional v. complex sale process
One of the big breakthroughs in sales over the last 100 years was the discovery that certain kinds of deals required a different approach than others.
These kinds of deals were characterized by similar factors:
- Long sales process
- Multiple decision-makers
- Large amount of money
- High stakes in making the right choice
Sound familiar? Yep, I thought so too when I learned about this shortly after I started selling events in 2006.
Want to know why it’s so hard to sell your services? By definition you’re trying to navigate multiple decision-makers over a long period of time to make a choice that impacts a very important and very expensive day.
No wonder you’re struggling.
Wedding sales are different than what you buy every day
One of the best things that happened to my performance as a wedding pro was getting married myself. It revolutionized my understanding of what it meant to buy wedding services. If you were a wedding pro while you were planning your wedding you know exactly what I mean.
People don’t buy $3,500 in photography on a typical Thursday afternoon. Nor do they host a fancy dinner for 250 of their closest family and friends every other week – or year.
Now add it up and you realize that people don’t often drop $25-$250k on a single day.
Irrational decisions? I don’t think so
Wedding couples – and those who contribute financially to the big day – agonize over every single choice. They seek out information from experts, compare options from multiple providers, factor in all the needs for every person involved, and then search for reassurances they’re making the right decision.
This is anything but irrational.
All that to say: If you’re on the struggle bus selling your services to couples, welcome. Please find a seat and buckle up.
The good news? I know where to steer this beast. I’ve driven this route since 2006 and hundreds of pros have been along for the ride before you.
So pay attention to which stop is yours. I’ll point it out along the way.
