Blog
Blurred Lines Part 4 – Perception is Not Always Reality
- January 10, 2014
- Posted by: Deborah Moody
- Category: Business Tips Uncategorized Wedding Planner Advice
For the last few weeks we have discussed how to eliminate blurred lines in your business practices in order to be successful and move forward. We have covered:
- Why some brides should be denied. Every bride is not your client.
- Giving proper credit and honoring agreements
- Managing Expectations by setting guidelines early and making them clear
This article will cover:
- What you see isn’t always what you get – perception is not always reality
It is important to remember two things – Value speaks to the service you provide, and Worth is what you as an individual bring with that service; your expertise.
- Know your value – It’s not the cost… it’s the value. If a bride does not understand your value, she probably does not fit your niche. Are you wasting her time and yours? Should you refer her to someone in her price range or someone who specializes in what she desires? Be careful with the “Doing it this one time” approach. It can grow into a nightmare. Those with the least amount of money are usually the ones who ask for the most and have “unrealistic expectations”.
- Know your worth – Couples are not just paying for your time to coordinate. This is not an 8 hour a day job. You are thinking of ideas and designs all day long, even in your sleep. Couples are paying for your expertise, creativity, training, ideas, skills and knowledge. They may even be paying for counseling, negotiating and mediating.
Are you compromising your pricing for service or service for pricing? If a couple can’t afford you…they can’t afford you! Here are two options for you to consider:
- Refer them to someone they can afford
- Offer less hours with the same quality of customer service.
Compromising your prices devalues not just your services, but all those in the Wedding Planner industry.
It is important for you not to fall into the scenario of ‘The more you give the less you will get’. This happens when extras become expectations. When you start giving services away people start to think that it is automatically included in the service. You will end up working more hours, but you will not be getting paid for them. Have you ever calculated how much time you really spend on a wedding?
Wedding Day Management: $300 / 20 hours = $15 per hour Mc Donald’s
Remember, your business is valuable and you are worth your wages. Keep blurred lines out of your business practices. In doing so, you will experience the joy of being valued, having integrity and charging accordingly. Now, watch how your business begins to grow!