Meeting your clients are one of the most important steps in event planning. This initial meeting is where relationships are established and boundaries are set. For this reason, it’s important that the consultation call remains efficient, professional and personable. How do I make all of this happen? By sticking to 5 key questions that get the job done. Using these questions as a basis for a couple consultation allows the meeting to remain specific and withdraw all of the information necessary to begin planning.
1- Tell me a little about your story
Opening up the consultation to understanding more about the couple themselves makes the whole meeting a lot more relaxed and individualized. Every couple is different, and beginning with an opening question such as this one gets the ball rolling. This creates a foundation of trust and understanding as you meet one another and get to know more about them. In addition, hearing the clients talk about their story can tell you a lot about what type of people they are and what they may want.
2- What is your budget? Within this budget, what aspects of your wedding are the most important?
Now that the introduction is out of the way, it’s time to get down to business. Knowing the couples budget is very important as it guides the whole wedding. Knowing this information upfront can give you an idea for what you’re working with and open up the couples eyes to understand what is and is not possible within this budget. The follow up question helps to specify what is most important that they would want to splurge on.
3- How much involvement would you like from your event planner?
This question helps to clarify what the couple wants from you. Couples range from being clueless about what they would like and expecting full guidance to already having prepared vendors and contacts and instead just looking for a planner to guide the experience. This question is important in determining what your role will be.
4- What are some things you do not want at your event?
In the case of event planning, dislikes are just as important as likes. In order to avoid one strong dislike ruining the day, this consultation question guides a conversation into what is unacceptable for this couple. Knowing this information can help you get a guide for what is okay and not okay for this couple.
5- Is there anything else I should know about yourself or the event?
I love concluding with open ended questions that allow for any of the couples questions or concerns to arise. With a question such as this one, the couple is able to be truly open and honest in communicating their wishes or fears with their planner who is going to play an important role in their big day.
Of course, these 5 questions are just a guide for a couple consultation call but they cover some of the basics and most important aspects in getting to know your client. Communication among the event planner and the client is very important, opening up thought provoking questions such as these creates a great base to begin planning!
