Many of the emails I get from aspiring planners ask me how I got my first client. I'd done weddings for family and friends on the east coast before moving to Phoenix but I never really charged anyone for it.

 

I didn't have my first paying client until six months after I launched my business in 2005. I don't remember exactly how the bride found me because at that time I didn't realize that I should be tracking that kind of information. (I do now!)  But after that, there was no miraculous flood of clients knocking on my door and I was still frustrated because I had no clients.

 

I advertised, I networked (not successfully but I was "out there") and I read lots of books on marketing and building a client base...but none of them worked really well for me. I must have changed my pricing a dozen times because I thought my rates were too low...too high. I wasn't getting vendor referrals because no one really "knew" me or my services well enough to recommend me. I had quite a few initial consultations in those six months but none of them ever turned into paying clients.

 

And then one day I had a phone conversation with the editor of a popular services guide here in town and he asked me how business was. I told him how discouraged I was that I hadn't been able to land any clients despite doing all the things I thought I should do. He told me that in the beginning stages of building a business, its not what you know but WHO you know. You've heard that before, right? Well that old adage is very true. Until your industry colleagues get to know your service style and you gain credibility, its going to be difficult to get clients.

 

My editor friend then asked me to make a list of everyone I know from work, church, my gym, my hair and nail salons...everyone. He said that these are the people that you have a relationship with and can vouch for your character.

 

Then he told me to indicate next to each person's name whether they know about my new wedding planning business or not.

 

When I was done, I had a HUGE list!  And then a light bulb went off...

People will refer business to you when they...

 

Know you...
Like you...and
Trust you.

 

Period.

 

After that exercise I realized that these were the people that knew me and that would be my biggest cheerleaders when referring my business.

 

Here are two great ways to get that first paying client using the people you already know:

 

Send letters of introduction to everyone you know. Send 5-10 letters each week. Hand write a note at the top of each one to make the letter more personal. ("Hi Rachel! It's been so long since we've seen each other. Would love to catch up over a cup of coffee. I'll call you this week. Best, Wendy.")

 

Follow up with each person by phone and ask them to have coffee with you so you can catch up on their lives and what they are doing, talk to them about your new wedding planning business and ask them if they know anyone that may need your services.

 

This is called educating your personal advocates. These are people who know you, like you and trust you so who better to get the word out about you and your business?

 

Take on a few planning projects for free. Once your circle of friends recommend brides to you, take on 1 or 2 "scholarship" brides and do some planning for them. My first two weddings in Phoenix were friends of mine from my church. I planned and designed both of their weddings at no charge so that I could sharpen my skills and start creating my portfolio.

 

Find someone you know personally or through a friend or relative, that is engaged and offer to help them plan their wedding for free. Be sure to take pictures of any design work that you do and go above and beyond in your service to them. Don't forget to have the couples give you testimonials in return for your planning work. Be specific about what kind of referral you want from them. Ask them how you made the planning process easier for them and tell them to include that in the testimonial.

 

Be sure to follow up with them every few months with any news about your business or a copy of an article or press release you've written.  Let them know about the successes you're experiencing in your business. Ask them about their lives and how things are going and find out if they know of anyone else that is getting married. I'm sure they will be more than thrilled to send new business your way!

 

And believe me...the referral cycle will grow!

 

I hope you have all your operating processes in place because once you implement these marketing strategies, your phone is going to start ringing.  If you don't have your operating processes nailed down, you need to change that.  My Before the Bride system can help.  I now offer private consulting services that will help you get set up so that you're ready when that first bride calls. Let's talk for 15 minutes and figure out together where the gaps are in your business. 

 

Visit the Services page at AspiretoPlan.com for options on how to setup your session today!  While you're there, get my f'ree report, "Seven Critical Mistakes Aspiring Planners Make BEFORE They Book Their First Bride".  You DO want to be ready BEFORE that first bride calls, don't you?

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Wendy Robinson, the Aspire to Plan Business Planning Consultant, is founder of the Aspire to Plan blog and Before the Bride Consulting Program, a 10 step program developed to help wedding planners start their businesses the right way...to become business owners and not just hobbyists.  To receive her bi-weekly business building articles on developing a successful wedding planning business, visit www.AspiretoPlan.com and sign up for her newsletter.