Why the Client Experience Will Always Be a Top Priority

In recent years, “client experience” has seemed to become a bit of a buzzword in the industry. It’s with good reason, as a stellar client experience is key to building a successful wedding business. Nowadays, with online reviews and testimonials aplenty, it’s essential that each of your clients walks away from their big day with only the best opinions of your service. 

That leads us wedding professionals to figure out the tricky part: What exactly can we do to enhance the client experience? How can we not just meet, but exceed expectations?

First, it’s important to understand that the client experience encapsulates every touchpoint you have with your couples — even before they’re booked clients. They need to be wowed from the moment they land on your website, all the way through to the moment you send them home from their wedding with a car full of gifts and leftovers (and even beyond!).

Getting Started with Your Client Experience

Whether you’re just starting out or it’s time for a refresh, your client experience must always start with your ideal client avatar (ICA). Understanding who you want to impress will show you how you can impress them. You need to understand your ideal client’s biggest delights, fears, worries, and challenges if you plan to help them navigate the journey that lies ahead. 

With your ICA fully fleshed out, you can begin tailoring every social media post, email, and conversation to meet them on their level. Consider these five areas in relation to your ICA and determine how you can best meet their needs at each stage.

The First Look

Prospective clients may find your business in several ways, but it’s typically through social media or by landing directly on your website. You only get one first impression, so make sure it’s one that sticks! Consider how you want your ideal client to feel when navigating your website or scrolling through your social media feeds.

Are you using imagery that will draw them in? Is your copy written in a voice that engages and welcomes them into your brand? When in doubt, ask yourself whether a piece of content is something you want your ideal client to see and associate with your brand. If so, post away! If not, go back to the drawing board to see what’s missing.

The Enquiry Procedure

Even the best-designed website will struggle to convert if there isn’t an easy way to contact you. A strong call-to-action, like a “Book Now” button, walks prospects through to the next step without any heavy lifting. Make it simple to connect with you and, when they do get in touch, be timely with your response. 

If your first response is always the same, create an automated template that goes out every time someone completes your contact form. Regardless of your schedule, every lead should be provided the five-star treatment with prompt responses and attention to their needs.

The Booking Procedure

After the initial enquiry, the booking procedure should be just as seamless. No more PDF attachments, expecting your clients to print and scan a signed contract back to you. It’s time to make use of all the digital solutions at your fingertips and use an online wedding planning system that handles the contract process for you.

A great CRM platform will also automate the payment process, allowing clients to easily pay their deposit and subsequent payments online. The whole idea is to simplify life for your clients, just as you will with the planning process in the next step.

The Client Journey

Once you kick off the working part of your relationship, it’s time to ramp up the client experience and be intentional about each and every touchpoint. Consider the following as you map out the roadmap to a successful wedding:

·      What is your onboarding process like? Does it help bridge the gap between prospective client to booked client?

·      How often do you check-in with them and what do you cover in these conversations?

·      What does your automated system look like? Have you found a way to retain your brand’s authenticity?

·      What efforts do you make to personalize their experience to their needs and preferences?

·      Do you have special wedding-related gifts for them at any point?

Seeing it all on paper, you can start to identify gaps in the client experience (if any). Perhaps you could improve the onboarding experience with a more interactive intake questionnaire, or maybe a gift card to their favorite bakery is a great way to celebrate the halfway point to their wedding.

To maximize these touchpoints, you need to understand everything about your client from their guiltiest pleasures to their favorite vacation spots to the names of their pets. The more you know, the more you can tailor the client experience to their unique personalities.

After the Wedding

While the wedding may end at a certain time, the client experience continues on even as past clients. Keeping the relationship strong is a great way to earn client referrals and returning business, so don’t just wipe your hands clean and move to the next event.

Once your clients’ wedding photos come in, share them with pride on your social media accounts and tag them in the post. Use their hashtag and include the rest of their vendor team as well. You can send them well wishes or tell a sweet story about their wedding day. 

You may also consider getting in touch personally. A hand-written thank you note is always a thoughtful gesture to let them know how much you loved working with them. I also encourage adding their anniversary date to your calendar so you can be prepared to send them a little token of appreciation when their one year celebration comes around.

Each of these stages represents the grand idea of an excellent client experience: showing your clients how much you care. It takes work to get it right and customize the journey for each client, but it’s well worth the effort to see your wedding business thrive and grow with happy clients.

Kylie Carlson is the owner of The Wedding Academy, a globally-known education organization for industry professionals. Since its start in 2007, the Academy has launched the careers of over 4,000 wedding planners with their certification courses, and Kylie has devoted her time to empowering other CEOs and entrepreneurs to build a meaningful, powerful career. She’s also the founder of Wedding CEO Club and the Wedding CEO Podcast.