3 Ways to Book Couples Using Video in the Sales Process
You can be the best [insert your vendor category], but if people don’t book your services, well, no one will ever know.
And that’s a shame because couples need you to make their celebration amazing.
If you can’t attract and convert new clients, you won’t get the chance to be creative in ways that wow the world. Or guide a couple through a stressful planning process. Or make someone feel comfortable in front of the camera. Or dance their faces off until the wee hours of the morning.
Or whatever brings value to your clients.
If engaged couples don’t know about your services, they won’t get to experience all the greatness you offer them.
And in a noisy world where people are getting hit with 5k+ marketing messages a day, it’s hard to get 10 or 20 or 50 (or however many couples you want) on your calendar each year.
That’s why I help businesses in the event industry. I want you to have the knowledge and skills to showcase your work in ways that make it easy for clients to book.
3 keys to success
If you’ve tuned into anything I’ve put out in the past five years, you know my simple approach to hitting your revenue goals is to provide the right information at the right time in the right way.
In fact, it’s less about what you share during the buyer’s journey than it is about when you share it and how you share it.
I spend a lot of time talking about the “when.” When to share pricing? When to ask questions during the discovery process? When to propose services? When to follow up?
As they say, timing is everything.
But today I want to dig a little into the “how.” Because you can have all the right things to say and do it at the right time, but if you can’t get people’s attention – and keep it – it’s all a big loss.
So how do you put out information about your services to potential couples “in the right way?”
The Novelty Effect
Engaging content is one of the most important parts of your sales and marketing efforts. It’s good to create something for your audience to consume. But it’s waaaaaaay better to have something they enjoy learning from – and even come back for more.
Video is a great way to do that.
It’s why TikTok and Instagram Reels are so popular. They’re a powerful way to get your content seen by followers. And I’m not talking about the algorithm here. I’m more focused on getting and keeping attention spans.
Education professionals know this as much as any marketing executive. How do you get a 12-year-old to sit through six hours of instruction every day?
Make it interesting.
Make it fun.
Make it new.
Do these things, and kids will pay enough attention to learn what you’re teaching them.
It’s because humans are driven by a “novelty effect.” When we see/hear/experience new things, we often experience a dopamine release in our brains that makes us feel good.
More importantly for our businesses, though, people who experience that dopamine release often remember more about what they’re learning.
This is why sharing information in the right way is so crucial to the success of your sales and marketing efforts. You want your brand top of mind and on tip of the tongue when they’re deciding who to pick.
So, how do you do that? How do you stand out with a novel approach to sharing the same information all the others in your comp set are sharing?
More than a 15-second clip
Sure, you could do more on TikTok or Reels. But even if you went all-in on these platforms, it’s only going to help so much. That’s because these help make people aware of your brand in the early stages of choosing a vendor.
But they don’t necessarily offer the same impact later in the buyer’s journey. When couples are comparing your services to others’ your focus should be on value and reassurance, but this can’t be done effectively in 15-30 second clips on social media.
Here are three ways you can use video in the later stages of your sales workflow to convert more bookings:
FAQs
I’m not a huge fan of FAQs early in the buyer’s journey, but I think they’re incredibly effective as couples move through the decision-making process. They provide a quick way to overcome objections and demonstrate expertise in key areas. And when you answer questions on video instead of written words, you’re giving them the content in an engaging, novel way.
A couple of things to consider. Studies show we connect with people by looking into each others’ eyes. That’s a good thing for building trust and expressing empathy. However, other studies show we get so distracted by the connection that we have a hard time processing and remembering what’s being discussed.
So, my recommendation when doing video FAQs is to ask the questions while looking into the camera, which will create a connection and develop trust. But then provide the answers with a voice-over over images or video. Or, you could grab a colleague and do more of an interview style, where you’re looking off-camera while responding.
Proposal introduction
The most important piece of sales and marketing material you can share is your service proposal. Ultimately, it’s your presentation to the committee of decision-makers. Our company spends a lot of time working with clients on their proposal design and copywriting because it’s crucial to get right.
But you’re not sending over the proposal without an introduction to provide context. Yes, you’ve (probably) talked with one person about why you create custom proposals around their unique needs. But you’re not selling your services to an individual. You’re pitching at least to a couple, and more likely to a group who’s involved in making the decision.
It’s necessary to introduce yourself to these people as well, and there’s no better way to do it than with a personalized message from you to them through a camera.
Keep it short and simple
Do a new one for each proposal
Be yourself
Show interest in them and their event
Talk about how excited you are to help them
These will go a long way in giving the kind of reassurance they’ll need to choose you over others they’re considering.
How it’s made
Have you heard of the Discovery Channel show, “How It’s Made?” It’s one of TVs longest running education programs with 32 seasons and 416 episodes about how everyday items are…made. Each episode is filled with five-minute segments that break down the materials and construction process for things like matches, chains, candles, and false teeth.
Any TV program that goes for 20 years is doing something right. It’s part of a genre called “infotainment,” which is a combination of information and entertainment. Basically, engaging content.
Most people who get married have little understanding of what you do and why it costs so darn much. So, pull back the curtain and let them see the machinations behind the scenes.
To build value in the finished product and provide reassurance in the process, stay focused on the creative process, sourcing materials, constructing designs, and other interesting and informative subjects.
Push your infotainment on IGTV, your website’s blog, YouTube, and with a direct link in email correspondence during the inquiry process.
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I hope you’ve picked up new ways to distribute content in a more engaging way. Now go out and share what you do so you can fill your calendar with high-paying clients.
If you want more insight into how to use video – including 3 more ways – tune into my new podcast, Own Your Business. I just released a new episode on this topic last week.