Today’s Discussion: Ghosting in the Wedding Industry
Almost everyone I speak to in the wedding industry wants more inquiries. Almost everyone I speak with shares a frustration with inquiries that “ghost.”
Here are the Top 5 reasons couples are not returning your phone calls or emails after an initial inquiry, also known as “ghosting.”
#1 – Your Inquiry is From The Knot or WeddingWire
In many cases, leads from The Knot and WeddingWire are POOR QUALITY LEADS (i.e. price shopping), especially when compared to a lead directly from your website. As a result, leads from TK/WW are more likely to ghost you. Both popular wedding planning websites have commoditized an engaged couple’s process for selecting wedding services. The result is ghosting and fewer sales consultations with quality leads.
If you want more high-quality leads from your website, click here.
#2 – You Took Too Long to Follow Up
If you take too long to follow up with an engaged couple after their initial inquiry, you’ve increased the likelihood of ghosting. Wait a few hours and there is a very good chance that a competitor who followed up quickly has already contacted the couple and may have even closed the deal. Quick follow-ups (1) leave a VERY positive first impression, (2) decrease ghosting, (3) improve the likelihood of a full sales consultation, and (4) increase the odds of closing a new sale.
#3 – Your First Follow-Up Message
This is tricky and requires some testing to find a balance between providing quality information that is of important initial value and providing too much information that essentially eliminates the need for further discussion. I recommend brief messages that have the primary goal of getting to the next step in your sales process – the sales consultation.
#4 – Your Website Doesn’t Create the “Oh Yes” Moment
The “Oh Yes” moment is when a couple visits your website and they say to themselves, “Oh YES, this is what we are looking for. I want to TALK with these folks.” The bar is quite high these days when it comes to the look and feel of a wedding business website. Stale, dated, or poorly designed websites may generate inquiries, but they often are not the high-quality inquiries that turn into follow-up sales conversations for full-priced sales.
Maybe it’s time to get a professional review of your wedding business website.
#5 Your Marketing Message Isn’t Doing the Job It Should Be Doing
The words you use throughout your website to promote your products and services are a critical tipping point after the “Oh Yes” moment. If the marketing message at your website doesn’t immediately, emotionally, and psychologically connect with a couple, don’t be too shocked if they ghost you. Does your marketing copy immediately and directly communicate that you are the SOLUTION the couple is looking for? Are you effectively using social proof – testimonials, reviews, awards, and membership in professional associations?
Learn more about becoming a member of the International Association of Wedding Industry Professionals and how it can help you book more weddings.
This mini-report is available as a DOWNLOADABLE PDF AT THIS LINK.
