Booked It!: Selling, Closing and Standing Out in the Special Events Industry

The biggest challenge facing salespeople today is closing the deal. So often after a meeting with a client you think you nailed it just to learn the following week that you lost it. What happened? YOU WERE OUT SOLD! What you'll learn when you read this book: You- the brand 6 critical sales skills Qualifying Vital Stages of the sale Modern strategies Close that sale And more... The special events industry is multifaceted. This means that the marketplace that the event industry provides is big enough to support your endeavor as a special event professional. There are many directions in which you can expand and the industry provides a lucrative market ready to sustain you. From wedding planners to caterers to venue coordinators, floral designers and entertainers, the tasks are myriad. Before the internet, the event professionals were the experts, coming up with the answers and ideas. Today, roles have been reversed with the clients doing researches. Let’s take the modern wedding as an example; today’s couple has a wide array of information sources from bridal magazines, the internet, wedding books, wedding TV shows. They simply have many things to look to, with bridal magazines constantly churning out issues like ‘Secrets for big day savings’, ‘Questions to ask before you book’. There is seemingly an information overload and the clients come asking questions because what they’re reading is telling them to ask the questions. She is armed and ready. Are you? The difficulty of ‘selling’ in the special events market is compounded by the fact that today’s clients have a wide array of options available to them as regards what they can buy. Hence, there is a need to understand the client, set yourself apart from the competition, and show your client how you’re different in order to close sales. It is only necessary to stand out from other event professionals like you. Just how do you do this? Sell yourself. The phrase “sell yourself” is most times misinterpreted as showcasing your positive features and throwing yourself in the face of people whom you intend to make an impression on, however selling yourself is more about pulling clients to your company. Perhaps your bookings have started to drop off lately, and you find yourself struggling to hit sales targets that you used to breeze right past. You may be fabulous at bonding with the client but still find yourself losing opportunities. It is not just enough to bond with the client. Have you ever met with a client and you instantly connected? You just have the confidence that you will book the event. A week later, the client is not responding to your calls and emails. What happened? You were outsold! No matter how hard you work, how well you qualify and regardless of how well you think your meeting with the client went, if you are weak at closing sales, you will suffer in your career in the events industry. Closing sales involves a calculated process of understanding the client’s needs, showing the client that you have what it takes to fill that need and ultimately, creating a relationship with the client so that he decides to trust you with the job of filling that need he has. How do you go about this, you ask? How do you reignite your passion in sales and go from no clients to fully-booked? What sales techniques are to be employed to propel your events company to higher heights? These and many more questions are answered in this book. It is a guide to get you started as a highly effective, amazingly memorable event professional; think of it as a behind-the-scenes road map for kick-starting sales and getting fresh perspective, ideas and motivation for your special events company. www.merylsnow.com

About the author Meryl Snow has been a mainstay in the special events industry for the last twenty-eight years as co-founder of Feastivities Events, along with its subsidiaries OffShoots Decor and Philadelphia's Picnic Company. Her philosophies have proved successful for not only her own business, but also many other companies, trade organizations, and universities have benefited from her training and advice. She speaks with groups from the heart with warmth and knowledge, and covers the funny side of life and business. Meryl@MerylSnow.com www.MerylSnow.com