You have probably heard the term “bridezilla”. You know, that not too sweet way to refer to brides that act a little… crazy on their wedding day (or during wedding planning).
Recently people have been asking me a lot about my stories with bridezillas. The question “have you had any crazy brides yet?” Has been popping up quite a bit.
People always get so surprised when I say I actually don’t have many stories like that to tell. Maybe one or two, but that’s it!
To be honest, when I was starting out I was sooo afraid of them. During my 2nd year in business I had a very hard client that, honestly, scared me quite a bit. That experience left such a scar on me, but now I see something good came out of it, I learned some valuable lessons with that situation.
Today I want to share with you 3 tips to stop attracting the so called bridezillas and start working with couples you adore!
- Know who is your ideal client
I know I talk about this quite a lot, but it’s honestly the number one reason why I love my clients and most of the time I end up becoming friends with them.
Your ideal client doesn’t have to be like you, but they surely have to be people you enjoy working with.
A good place to start shaping your ideal client is asking yourself these questions:
- What type of personality I have?
- What type of people I am more comfortable being around?
- What are my values and moral stands?
- What are the behaviors I do not tolerate, what’s my limit?
Defining your ideal client goes waaaay beyond answering only these questions, but this is a good place to start. Especially if your goal at this time is starting to not only attract your ideal client, but repelling your not so ideal ones.
PS: It’s ok to repel clients, we are not everyone’s cup of tea and not everyone is ours! 😉
2. Nurture a relationship
Now you have your ideal client booked and it’s time to start planning their wedding. Use this time to genuinely cultivate a relationship with your client.
People are different, so don’t expect to become their best best buddies, but make sure you get to know them and you also show them the real you.
Engagement sessions are great for that too. You can spend your time together not only getting to know how to work together, but you can also use this time to talk and get to know each other’s personalities.
3. Don’t book couples out of fear of not getting booked
Ok, Been there, done that! I totally get that we as small business owners sometimes get scared when we think about numbers.
Will I hit my goal? Will I make enough to help my family? Will I be booked by X month?
I get it, I really do. Not being sure if we are going to make ends meet is nothing short of scary! But believe me when I say, booking clients that were not supposed to be “ours” to start with, will hurt you more in the long run.
It was very hard for me in the beginning to learn that I am not the perfect fit for everyone and vice versa. As a recovering people pleaser (still working on that every day), my heart always wants to help and serve everyone. But this is not fair for me and neither with my clients.
I want their experience on their wedding day to be THE BEST OF THEIR LIVES. I want them to remember how amazing their day was. I want them to look back and think of me as that one person who helped create the best memories ever… and not the one that they were on edge and nervous about all the time.
Now, before I send couples a proposal, I need to understand if we are a good fit for one another. I became more selective with the couples I serve, especially because I have a limit on the number of clients I can book per year. Because of that I don’t book just to book. I now book with intention!
BONUS:
Learn how to set expectations
This is a gold tip for you! Use the planning months to communicate and educate your clients about how you work and what they will receive.
Set expectations!
It’s very likely that the couples you’ll work with have never been married and have never planned a wedding before. So it’s completely normal for them not to know how the industry works. Also, remember, they are working with several different vendors who have different business models. You need to be the voice, the educator of your own business.
Help your clients to understand every step. Help them relax in front of the camera, to not get nervous with possible unexpected outcomes on the wedding day and etc. Use my business mantra: “under promise and over deliver”.
By managing your clients expectations you can always find little ways here and there to wow them! In return, they will start referring you to their friends… And guess what? If they are awesome, they probably hang out with some other awesome people!
I hope these tips help you to start attracting the clients of your dreams!!!
—> You may also enjoy reading about what’s in my camera bag and how I use my gear!
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