Wedding Videographer Phone - email scripts.

[Darin Holiday]

Hi I am looking for some good phone scripts or email scripts that you go by when speaking with interested brides. I know scripts can be mechanincal. I am just looking for some good ways to get the bride more interested in my services.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Blake Cavett]

YOU ask.
THEY talk.

Congratulations on your engagement!
When are you getting married?
Oh wow... that's practically next week! That date is open too, so that's great!
So where are you getting married?
And why did you choose that venue?
That place is really neat. I've done a few weddings there.

So how many guests are you expecting?
Wow, that's a lot of people! Sounds like it will be a lot of fun!
And how many people do you think are not going to be able to make it?

So why do you want a video?
Why do you want our videos?

Have you been to our website?
Have you seen the video samples?
What did you like about them?

What would be a good time to meet with you to discuss your video? I'm open next week and very flexible.

Great! I look forward to meeting you!

*Notice nothing is mentioned about price... and rarely does it ever come up on the phone. I save that for the personal consultation.*

[Jeff Wallace]

>>
*Notice nothing is mentioned about price... and rarely does it ever come up on the phone. I save that for the personal consultation.*<<

Saving it for the consultation isn't the best idea if you find out their budget is $500.

It's always good to qualify up front to see if they're even in your ballpark.

So a great time time-saving script would be:

You: What is your budget for video?

Them: $500

You: Our packages start at $3000.

Them: $3000?? That's outgrageous!

You: But we do great work and our prices are worth it.

Them: *click*

[Chris Harding]

Hi Darin

I find that phone/email sales pitches are seldom successful although I have had a few phone me up and say "I want to book!"

I try and get to see the couple pretty much before discussing anything!! They have already seen my website so they have an idea of what it will cost them and they probably have seen my online samples too so I simply tell them .."I'll come and see you..when are you available" If they want a sample DVD, I also tell them "I'll bring one with me". That way you are in control of the DVD and you can explain stuff as the video plays and skip any bits if they get bored!!

As already mentioned let them talk!! My usual question as soon as we sit down is "Tell me about your wedding" Brides have worked hard for their special day and absolutely LOVE to tell you all about it!!

Selling yourself face to face with the couple will have a way better success rate than email or phone conversation and I usually book 9 out of 10 couples I see (and trust me I am NO salesman!!!!) I could probably do a lot better with a better sales technique but I'm a wedding videographer, not a super salesman!!! Once they have discussed everything I simply ask them, "Shall we book this and get the paperwork done now??" and they usually agree.

Chris

[Blake Cavett]

Originally Posted by Jeff Wallace

>>
*Notice nothing is mentioned about price... and rarely does it ever come up on the phone. I save that for the personal consultation.*<<

Saving it for the consultation isn't the best idea if you find out their budget is $500.

It's always good to qualify up front to see if they're even in your ballpark.

So a great time time-saving script would be:

You: What is your budget for video?

Them: $500

You: Our packages start at $3000.

Them: $3000?? That's outgrageous!

You: But we do great work and our prices are worth it.

Them: *click*

And that's exactly what happens if you can't sell them and they're thinking with their HEAD instead of their HEART.
I've had couples cut other expenses in order to get me to video their wedding.

I'm not saying I'm a pro or it always works out that way, but that's the goal.

[Noel Lising]

In my opinion we should as Jeff posted, qualify the client and get a feel if they have the budget.

Scenario one:

Me: Where is the reception going to be at?
Bride: Royal York Hotel, we booked the entire Ballroom. I am getting dressed at the Presidential suite
Me: Sounds great.

( Now you know they have the capability to spend).

Scenario two:

Me: Where is the reception going to be at?
Bride: We are thinking of just doing it in our house, a small family gathering, so it is not your typical wedding. In fact Uncle Bob wants to shoot the wedding for us. Just want to know the cost. Btw Uncle Bod shot cousin Lindas wedding, did a great job.

Me: Let Uncle Bob do it.

[Philip Howells]

Darin, to continue from Chris’s wise advice, I think you need to decide the sales model which works for you - and that may not be easy.

If we’re honest, most of us don’t really know where our business actually comes from, certainly not all of it. It’d be unnatural if we didn’t like it to be from the place where we spend our money, advertising, website, wedding fairs etc, but it’s probably from many different places.

I’m not going to waste everyone’s space here and your time giving you specifics because our two markets are so different, but I would like to offer you some pointers, not necessarily in this order of importance.

Decide what about your product most makes it different from the rest eg if you’re young, you will be more in tune with young couples than someone like me. Have you some special
experience eg if you lived in India or SE Asia, you might have some advantages with couples whose families came from those areas. Maybe you’ve found an ingenious way of making single camera shoots look like multi-camera recordings. If so make that your USP (Unique Selling Proposition, sorry if you already knew that). Maybe you’re an inherently funny guy, that’s a perfectly reasonable USP.

Next decide probably by trial and error, what avenue of promotion works best in your area
and with your target market. Take some print advertising, do some wedding fairs, get a
website, and ask people how they found you. Direct more attention to that area next time and check again.

Present yourself in a style appropriate to the market; eg if your price is high your potential
clients won’t be impressed if your promotional material is tacky. Do double and triple check
your spelling and your grammar - pedants find silly mistakes grate with them but they may
have money to spend. Give away as many copies of your demo disk that you can afford.
Videos are your product and no amount of press advertising, handouts, leaflets, websites,
references etc can replace the real thing.

Follow-up, always. Even if you don’t get the job, finding out why someone didn’t choose
you is invaluable market intelligence.

Be businesslike. You’re going to have a business relationship so present your client with a
contract with terms and conditions clearly laid out and printed so they can be read. Have a lawyer check them. My father was a lawyer and always told me that a contract was an
agreement between friends for times when they weren’t. A few dollars spent now could save you many more later. Of course, most contracts don’t lead to litigation but your clients will be reassured that you’re behaving in a businesslike way. The contract will also be quite clear about what you’re going to supply and when. Your other paperwork, invoices etc should also be professional.

Be absolutely up-front. There's no piint in wasting time with people who can't afford you. Make the most frequent exit page on your website your price page. I’ve written here before about a company in our area which makes great play of its seven service levels. Regardless of the level the client chooses, the company always delivers its top price product. At the first showing the bullshit goes like this - “Your wedding was so beautiful we felt it deserved our best quality service and this is it. Now if you want the product you actually ordered it will take a few weeks more and won’t look as beautiful as this, but it’s your choice.” I regard this as immoral and unprincipled. It plays on people’s relationships when they may be quite vulnerable. Frankly these shysters give the rest of us a bad name but they’re not doing anything illegal.

Keep your customers in the loop. If you’re running behind your estimate of the delivery date tell them and explain why.

Promote yourself when the time is right. By this I mean, with the couple’s permission, give
copies of the programme to the other suppliers, the celebrant, the venue, the hotel and the car hire company etc. Don’t assume they get hundreds of them, they probably don’t and they’ll remember you much better than the hundreds of video people who just nodded to them.

Finally - and this isn’t exhaustive but all I can think of right now, network like crazy. Logo
your car, add a tag to your letters, give your visiting cards or better your demo pack to
everyone you know. Don’t assume your friends all know exactly what you do.

I have no doubt others will have different experience and advice but I hope this helps you to decide what's right for you.

[Chris Harding]

Hey Phillip

That is the most compact business sales manual I have ever seen !! I am impressed!!!!! VERY impressed. That text is worth saving and you have, almost unbelieveably, done a sales and marketing course in a single page and it's all gold!! Dunno about the OP but I'm keeping a copy!!

Chris

[Roger Van Duyn]

I'm keeping a copy too! Thanks Philip.

[Steven Davis]

One of the best things you can do is listen. Unlike some of my competition, we actually care about our clients. So what we do is listen first. And if you find clients who are excited about their day, want quality, they will invest the time in telling you about their special day. The flipside are price shoppers, and your last name could be Spielburg and if you don't match their price point, it's going to be tough.

Like mentioned above, it's hard to sell a package over the phone. The only time that works out is if they are out of town and can't meet you face to face.

[Philip Howells]

Chris and Roger, you're too kind. There are few advantages that age/experience give you except you've more to look back at.

Steven adds even more value to the topic - listening. We get the clients to write quite extensively about what they want to see in their programme - before the event. They balance off the imposition with the pleasure of looking forward to their wedding etc. It helps to get the edit right first time.

Our 29th Dec wedding was just accepted at first edit - always a cause for a wry smile inside. Like us all I don't mind honing things after the first showing but nor can I deny the pleasure at getting it right first time.

[Darin Holiday]

Thanks Phillip! Very helpful!

[Kelly Langerak]

Check this out. This guy talks about how to improve your conversation over the phone.

He also claims that he never has to meet his clients in person.

Enjoy!

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