The Keys to the Great Budget Debate: Listen then Ask

The wedding and event budget is always a topic of debate. When and how do you bring it up? Should you bring it up? There are lots of questions and many possible answers.One of the basic tenets of sales is to make it all about the buyer, showing them that their wants and needs are important. So, when meeting with potential clients, don’t lead with the budget question. While to qualify them, you may want to ask about budget first, imagine if you were the customer and the first question someone asked you was “What’s your budget?” That makes more sense when buying products than services. Though, if you’re doing full-service planning, you can and should be asking your client’s budget during initial inquiry conversations. Once you’ve started a conversation, you can bring it up. Remember that if you’re already having a conversation with a couple, whether in person, on the phone, or via email, they’re at least a little interested in hiring someone for those services. Full-Service Planning BudgetsThere are really two questions here—about the wedding budget and the budget for your services. When and how to discuss each will vary. To discover the total wedding budget, first have them tell you about the wedding they want. Then, ask if they’ve considered what it might cost. Q: What is your wedding budget?If you’ve ever seen the TV show “Property Brothers,” the premise is that the brothers ask the homebuyers for a wish list of wants, including neighborhood, size, number of bedrooms, etc. Then they ask for their budget. Later, they bring the homebuyers to a house that has everything they’ve asked for, but the price is way higher than the budget they’ve set. The point is that to get everything you want, you often have to spend more. So, as with most things in life, there are compromises to be made. The same goes for weddings. Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram display an unrealistic view of weddings, because budgets are not displayed with the photos. We can’t blame couples for thinking they can have those weddings, even when they don’t have the budget. Therefore, ask what they want and what they think it will cost to see if they have a realistic budget in mind. If they’re not forthcoming with an amount, give them a range, based upon your experience. Then, ask if that fits within their budget.Q: What is your budget for wedding planning services?When it comes to talking about the couple’s budget for your services, you can either figure it into the total cost of the wedding you quote them or break it out. You might want to quote the total, including your services, so you don’t have to give them a higher number later. Be sure to quote how much time you’re going to spend to make it happen. You need to give them the “why,” not just the “what.” “What” you do looks, at least on paper or on a website, pretty much like what every other planner does. “Why” they should choose, specifically, you is what makes the difference between hiring “a planner” and hiring you at your price. When they want you, they have to pay your price. If they feel someone else can make their wedding a reality at a lower rate, then they’ll go with them. If they feel only you can make it happen the way they envision, they have to hire you to get that result.When quoting your rate, don’t be tentative, and don’t apologize. If you’re confident in your services, and confident that your rate is fair for the value they’re receiving, then quote it with confidence. Too many planners undersell themselves, because they underestimate the amount of time they’ll be spending. If you keep track of time spent on a wedding, and then calculate your true, hourly rate, are you getting paid well?Day-of Consulting ServicesFor day-of services, the wedding budget isn’t as important as their budget for your services. The truth is, many couples probably don’t budget for a day-of planner. They get closer to their wedding and realize how much still has to be done, or a friend/relative convinces them to hand it off. If they have figured it into their budget, they might be more likely to have a realistic amount set aside for your services. In your initial conversations, you still should start by asking about their wedding. Have them tell you what they’ve already done and whom they’ve chosen, so you can get a handle on what you’ll need to do and with whom you’ll be working. If this is a wedding you’d like to be a part of, then quote them with confidence, explain what you’ll do for them and why you’re the best choice.Whether full-service or day-of, quoting clients before you know what they want is like a waiter telling me how much dinner will be, before I know what I’m getting. Sales is about asking better questions and really listening to the answers. Budget questions are no different: listen first, then ask. __Alan Berg, CSP^®, www.AlanBerg.com, Kendall Park, NJ