THE 5 PIECEPROFFITTPUZZLETO SNAG CELEBRITYCLIENTS

P U Z Z L E P I E C E # 2

H O W “ P A V I N GT H E W A Y ” K E E P S H I G H - Q U A L I T YC L I E N T S H A P P Y( A N D C O M I N G B A C K )

The secret is s imple. Whether you’re interested in

fil l ing up your business with famous faces , or you

just want some tips to outshine the competit ion

in your area, the answer is the same.

The truth is , celebrit ies are just l ike everyone

else. They may have bigger budgets , but they

want what your brides want . An expert who can

help them bring their v is ion to l i fe .

I f you manage your cl ient ’s expectations , add

tons of value, and communicate to them in the

way they understand, you’ l l have the perfect

recipe to attract the cal iber of br ides you’d l ike.

As we put the Proffitt Puzzle together , each

piece wil l bui ld on the last . Once complete,

you’ l l have a scorching hot plan to energize your

events business .

Let ’s take a look at Puzzle Piece #2: Paving The

Way.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW CELEBRITY WEDDING PLANNERS KEEP GETTINGUPSCALE CLIENTS?

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS LIKE A BOSS AND BOOST YOUR BOTTOM LINE

Every cl ient that comes my way has cr ystal clar ity on what

to expect . I ’ve found that managing expectations , using

the Personal ity Types in Puzzle Piece #1, help me and my

team keep cl ients happy. Managing expectations paves the

way to attract great brides , better productiv ity and bigger

profits .

After you’ve categorized your cl ient based on their

personal ity (Round-Marquise-Emerald-Radiant) , decide the

most efficient way to communicate with the cl ient and

strategize your plan of action based on their character

traits .

As a celebrity planner , I manage cl ient

expectations by taking a 360-degree view of

their l i fe . Then, I ’ l l look through the frame of

their personal ity type, and strategize around it .

I ’ l l communicate expectations surrounding:

The Planning and Execution

The Meeting Environment

Their Family and Fr iends

Their Core Needs and Values

Their Strengths

Examine each of these areas through their gemstone

personal ity type. You’ l l know how to reframe problems that

crop up, and troubleshoot with l i tt le drama. Adapting your

communication style to your cl ient ’s personal ity wi l l help

you manage their expectations graceful ly. For example, i f

you have a Marquise Bride, keep problem-solving posit ive .

She doesn’t respond well to negativ ity in any form. It ’s this

type of custom approach that wil l set you apart f rom other

event planning businesses .

You need to train your cl ients , just l ike team members .

Prepare them from the first minute r ight up to execution

day. Your brides wil l trust you as the expert wedding

authority they expect you to be.

Don’t forget your vendors ! Having a clear

communication style based on their personal ity

wi l l help you build sol id relat ionships with the

best vendors and venues in the area. I f you’re

focused on gett ing the type of results that

attract top-t ier br ides , you need trustworthy

vendor relat ionships you can count on.

Take some time to l ist the vendors and venues

you work with most , and those you’d l ike to work

with in the future. What personal ity type does

their business have? Are they extremely orga-

nized? Do they use detai led checkl ists? Are they

“out-of-the-box” thinkers who find genius fixes in

the nick of t ime? Adapting your communication

style to your vendors ’ personal ity type wil l help

them connect to you strongly. I t makes everyone

happier and more productive.

VENDORS

As your business grows you’ l l need excel lent Team Members .

Tr y to find employees that compliment your strengths and

weaknesses . I f you’re a Round ( Organized, Practical ,

Responsible) , then find an Radiant ( Creative , Spontaneous,

Flexible) to even-out your business . Remember to manage

your employees’ expectations just l ike you do for cl ients and

vendors . A happy team member is a productive team

member! Eventual ly , i f you have mult iple events on the

same day, or a personal emergency, your employees should

be as sharp as you

are. They may have

to take your place.

Weddings aren’t

about one person-

- they’re about the

team that works

together .

Manage your client’s

expectations by

showing them that

your team members

are just as capable

as you are at executing events . Having a stel lar team speaks

volumes about your expert ise and leadership-- al l qual it ies

celebrit ies and big-names al ike demand from the planners

they hire .

TEAM MEMBERS

Events Planners who pave the way with a

personal ized touch get the most lucrative cl ients

and referrals . You’ l l pul l the best traits out of

your team which makes you stand out from the

crowd. And before long, your inbox wil l be ful l of

br ides who’ve heard you’re the best planner in

town.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ADD VALUE

One of the crucial things you can do to elevate your

wedding planning business from “everyday” to “wow-worthy”

is through adding value.

Added value is pr iceless . I t ’s what motivates a cl ient to write

you a love letter instead of just a thank you. It ’s why they

enjoy tel l ing their f r iends and family how incredible you are

at planning events . Value goes deeper than price-- i t warms

your cl ient ’s heart . And that gets noticed by al l the r ight

people in your city.

I ’m a huge fan of paperless systems. One way

that I add value, is by sett ing up a Google Drive

for my cl ients . I t ’s one of the easiest ways to

keep everyone in the loop. Documents , checklists

and spreadsheets can be accessed by everyone

who has the l ink. No matter where you or your

cl ient are , you can both see your documents at

any t ime. There’s no email ing back and forth. No

contracts lost or trashed. It ’s an excel lent tool to

communicate quickly and efficiently. Cl ients can

also have their family and fr iends add items to

the drive . I t ’s a fantast ic , f ree resource that ’ l l

make you look l ike a true professional .

FREE WAYS TO ADD VALUE, IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A HERO

Changes are saved automatical ly , so you never have to worr y

about saving your work. Plus , i f someone deletes crucial

information, you can undo it and track who made changes.

Al l you need to access a Google Drive is a gmail address .

Almost everyone has one, and i f not , i t takes 5 minutes to

set up. Go the extra mile and set one up for your brides ,

and teach them how to use it . This is added value that costs

you nothing but gives your bride:

Tools to feel involved in the planning process

Organization that saves you both t ime and stress

( improving productiv ity)

Peace of mind

I ’ l l have more t ips and tr icks regarding technology in a

future puzzle piece. You can find more information on how

to use Google Drive here:

https : / /support .google.com/drive/?hl=en#topic=14940

I f cost is an issue, use your expert ise to reframe

their expectations and del iver something else

they’ l l love ( instead of just tel l ing them no) . Go

above and beyond to please your bride.

Brainstorm with your team to find a creative

solution.

That ’s the type of service that gets you noticed.

When I added personal ized value based on

psychology, my phone rang of f the hook. Word

got around that I was the go-to planner for

extra-special weddings and events .

REFRAMING

Paving the Way primes your cl ient ’s , vendor ’s , and team

members ’ expectations with communication tai lored to

their personal ity type. I t adds value that feels customized--

and that ’s the dif ference between luxury and run-of-the-mil l

ser vices .

I f you take the t ime to understand personal ity types and

their psychology, you’ l l bui ld better cl ient , vendor and

employee relat ionships . Those relat ionships help you

achieve higher productiv ity and profits . Plus , your cl ients wil l

trust you as the expert . I t ’s worked for me and made me

sought-after by some of the biggest names out there.

Now, i t ’s your turn.

ABOUT ANGELA

Angela Proffitt is Nashvi l le ’s leading events and

design strategist . She’s been planning and

designing events for “Music City U.S .A’s ” hottest

residents for over 15 years .

She’s been featured in US Weekly , People

Magazine, TLC, Success Magazine, Female

Entrepreneurs , and more for her stunning

designs and entrepreneurship expert ise .

She’s a sought after productiv ity

therapist , motivat ional speaker ,

and influencer , who has

taught her success tactics

al l over the world and also

of fers coaching and

consult ing.

When taking a (rare)

break from trai lblazing,

Angela loves spending

time with her mom, her

sibl ings and niece and

nephew.

WWW.ANGELAPROFFITT.COM