Become a Top Wedding Planner - 8 Warning Signs That You Shouldn"t Take a Bride As a Client
If you are just starting your wedding planning business there is a real temptation to accept any bride and groom as clients.
However no matter how new you are, some clients will not be worth the time and energy it takes to try to please them.
Here are 8 warning signs that tell you the potential clients could bring trouble: 1) They talk to you as if you will be their assistant.
You are a professional who has the expertise people need to plan and execute the weddings they dream of having.
You are not a couple's assistant or "right hand", don't act like one and don't let people treat you like one.
2) They complain about other vendors or already had a wedding planner and are looking for a new one.
It is possible that the potential clients had some bad vendors who did not do their jobs as requested.
However, be careful about accepting anyone who has a great deal of complaints or a long list of vendors whom they have already fired, it could mean they have unrealistic expectations.
3) They ask you your prices first, tell you that you are too high and want to negotiate beyond what is reasonable.
Or, they tell you another wedding planner is much less expensive for the same services, but they really want you and want you to meet that price.
If price is the first thing they ask about when they call or email you, they are only interested in getting a low price.
They will not treat you with the respect you deserve or value the work you do for them.
If they believe another wedding planner will give them the very same service for a much lower price, they need to use them.
(I've had someone tell me this.
When I told them they needed to go with the other planner, they hired me at my price and never mentioned it again.
) Don't compete on price, it devalues you and your services.
4) They want you to be dishonest.
If they tell you they will want you to keep secrets from their other half, will want you to pit vendors against each other to get good pricing, or ask that you lie about anything, walk away.
You don't want to be a part of any dishonesty.
It is wrong and will ruin your reputation.
5) They don't give you an opportunity to speak and seem to "know it all".
You will have difficulty controlling this client, your expertise will not be valued and you could be blamed for things that do not go well.
6) They call and email you constantly with questions, before you even meet them.
If they are already constantly demanding your attention, it will get worse after you accept them as clients.
7) They seem very emotional.
It's natural to be emotional when planning a wedding but if they inappropriately share a lot of personal stories and seem to have one unusual crisis after another, before you meet in person, these might not be the right clients for you.
You could be doing a lot of hand-holding in addition to wedding planning.
8) They can't pay the deposit right away but they want to hire you and will pay you on payday.
You need a signed contract and a deposit before you start work.
If you don't get these things you could find yourself doing some work for free.
No matter how honest they seem and how complimentary they are to you, don't do it.
Honest people respect you and pay you when you ask them to.
Always trust you intuition.
If your inner voice or gut tells you could be asking for trouble if you take this client, pay attention and follow that advice.
It's almost never wrong.
However no matter how new you are, some clients will not be worth the time and energy it takes to try to please them.
Here are 8 warning signs that tell you the potential clients could bring trouble: 1) They talk to you as if you will be their assistant.
You are a professional who has the expertise people need to plan and execute the weddings they dream of having.
You are not a couple's assistant or "right hand", don't act like one and don't let people treat you like one.
2) They complain about other vendors or already had a wedding planner and are looking for a new one.
It is possible that the potential clients had some bad vendors who did not do their jobs as requested.
However, be careful about accepting anyone who has a great deal of complaints or a long list of vendors whom they have already fired, it could mean they have unrealistic expectations.
3) They ask you your prices first, tell you that you are too high and want to negotiate beyond what is reasonable.
Or, they tell you another wedding planner is much less expensive for the same services, but they really want you and want you to meet that price.
If price is the first thing they ask about when they call or email you, they are only interested in getting a low price.
They will not treat you with the respect you deserve or value the work you do for them.
If they believe another wedding planner will give them the very same service for a much lower price, they need to use them.
(I've had someone tell me this.
When I told them they needed to go with the other planner, they hired me at my price and never mentioned it again.
) Don't compete on price, it devalues you and your services.
4) They want you to be dishonest.
If they tell you they will want you to keep secrets from their other half, will want you to pit vendors against each other to get good pricing, or ask that you lie about anything, walk away.
You don't want to be a part of any dishonesty.
It is wrong and will ruin your reputation.
5) They don't give you an opportunity to speak and seem to "know it all".
You will have difficulty controlling this client, your expertise will not be valued and you could be blamed for things that do not go well.
6) They call and email you constantly with questions, before you even meet them.
If they are already constantly demanding your attention, it will get worse after you accept them as clients.
7) They seem very emotional.
It's natural to be emotional when planning a wedding but if they inappropriately share a lot of personal stories and seem to have one unusual crisis after another, before you meet in person, these might not be the right clients for you.
You could be doing a lot of hand-holding in addition to wedding planning.
8) They can't pay the deposit right away but they want to hire you and will pay you on payday.
You need a signed contract and a deposit before you start work.
If you don't get these things you could find yourself doing some work for free.
No matter how honest they seem and how complimentary they are to you, don't do it.
Honest people respect you and pay you when you ask them to.
Always trust you intuition.
If your inner voice or gut tells you could be asking for trouble if you take this client, pay attention and follow that advice.
It's almost never wrong.