Hello Guys! Welcome to today’s class. We’d be teaching you the “Sales Funnel of an Event Planner.” Trust me, it’s gonna be fun.

Now what’s a sales funnel. According to Wikipedia,

The purchase funnel, or purchasing funnel, is a consumer-focused marketing model that illustrates the theoretical customer journey toward the purchase of a good or service.

From the above explanation, you’d notice that the sales funnel is focused on your customer, not you. It is also a journey, not a destination. Finally, it is theory, not in practice.

This means that each customer has their own journey which might not pan according to your funnel. Therefore, don’t be surprised when this doesn’t happen the same way.

That said and done, I’d be explaining this marketing model from an event planning perspective.

An Event Planning Sales Funnel is a client-focused marketing model that illustrates the theoretical steps taken by a client before arriving at a hiring decision.

Hope it makes sense? I really hope it does.

Why don’t we head immediately to the sales funnel?

Event Planning Sales Funnel Stages

1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Consideration
4. Intent
5. Evaluation
6. Purchase

Now from Uplead, you can see the various stages of the Event Planning Sales Funnel. You can also see that the size shrinks across the journey.

Personally, I believe that many event planning deals go in this way. It’s never easy sealing an event planning deal, because people place a lot of interest in their events. You’re planning an important part of someone’s life, and they need to trust you.

I’d explain each part of the sales funnel in detail:

1. Awareness Stage

At this stage, your client is aware that you’re offering this service. Maybe he heard it over social media, or someone referred you or he knows you. Either way, he has come to the realisation that you offer this service.

To get to this stage, you have to follow all the steps we have listed earlier. You have to maximise social media, target a niche, go where your customers are and market yourself.

Also in this stage, you don’t have to sell anything. Just let him(your customer) know that you have the solution to his problem. Do something that would make him call you or come to your office. Don’t try to hard sell now.

2. Interest

At this stage, the customer indicates interest in your services.

He has become aware that you offer the services and is very willing to do business with you. He might have a lot of doubts and reservation about you or what you offer, but a small part of him is willing.

Therefore, you have to intrigue his interest. It’s not yet time to sell. It’s time to listen. Listen 80% to him. Hear his plans and fantasies. Let him tell you how much he wants this.

The more he says something, the more he’s bound to do so. It’s a psychological trick called Consistency People want to do what they say. Convince him to say what he wants.

For instance, ask him if he’d love a big hall with 30 ushers all dressed well. If he’d love a foreign dish. Just listen to him talk. Let him say all he wants first. Get him interested in making this work.

3. Consideration

Allow him to go and rethink it. Most times, you  want to keep on telling him and convincing him.

However, the only person that can convince someone is himself. Let him consider how possible doing this is. If he can, he’d come back.

But give him something to consider. Let this something be in line with his dreams. Send him pictures of events like his. Show him samples. He has to see and believe it is possible.

Allow him to see his dream coming through. Remember, listen more than talk. Don’t hard sell.

4. Intent

After considering what you have sent, the client would develop intent.

Now this is different from interest. Intent here refers to a will and absolute readiness to do this. At this point the client calls more, and is more eager to have this done.

However, you can make the biggest blunder at this point. That blunder is called “Talking Too Much.” Don’t make that mistake, it’s deadly.

When the client has developed a strong resolve, all you do is show that you’re also ready to work with him. Tell him how prepared you’re to do this. Inform him of the research you’ve done and the vendors and suppliers you’ve pulled.

Tell him that you’ve even created an account on 24Rentz where he can hire the needed resources. Just show him that you’re prepared. Don’t try to sell.

5. Evaluation

Evaluation is final stage before he disbursed the funds. At this stage, it’s your turn to bring him to reality. But how you do this, determines if you sell or lose.

You should have gotten your proposal ready. By now, You should have checked 24Rentz to see the current market price of what you want to do. Moreover, you might have even reached out to our support team to help commence a negotiation with vendors.

So, tell him what it costs. Evaluate his ideas and show him how you can make it work. From his budget, help him eliminate unnecessary expenses.

Don’t decide for him. Politely ask him if reducing the number of ushers night be helpful. Tell him of a friend who used 3 bouncers and it worked well. Work with him so he evaluates his chances and makes it possible.

You see, you don’t need to sell. Just allow the customer make the journey, under your guidance.

6. Purchase

Here, the client signs the deal and disbursed the first fund.

Very few clients make it to this stage. Sometimes, only three percent do. But that shouldn’t bother you. If you have a large pool of leads coming through, you’d have a larger amount of sales.

So generate more leads and allow the funnel do the magic. Remember, don’t sell. Allow the customer buy.

Build your funnel like a web. Once an insect falls in, it can never fall out. (Michael C Bernard)

I hope this helps you on your journey to sealing more deals. Read our follow up articles for more explanation of this topic.

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