Anya Stevens

Elias Kanaris – Customer Service is International

When I saw that my friend in New Zealand, Elias Kanaris, became CEO of the Customer Contact Network New Zealand, I just knew that I had to have him on the podcast to talk about the customer experience. There are so many things about customer experience and customer service that transcend borders. We had a great conversation that has so many applications to your business, no matter whether you’re a solopreneur or run a team.

Listen to this new episode for insight and tips into how you can create a better customer experience, right from the first contact.

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How can you work cold leads and lists?

This is another listener suggestion, this time from Meg in Las Vegas. They asked if I could do an episode on working cold leads. For this episode, I’m going to assume they mean wedding expo leads, or lists you might get by being referred by a venue or another industry partner. They send you a list of the people they’ve booked, and you get a chance to reach out to them… but they haven’t yet asked for you to contact them. As I started my career in the wedding industry selling magazine ads that came with a mailing list, and I attended countless shows as an exhibitor, this brings me back to my roots!

Listen to this new 13-minute episode for ideas that you can use when you get a list from a wedding expo or other source.

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Eric Rhodes – Raising your rates, yes, you can!

I’ve spoken about raising your rates before, and this time I invited my friend Eric Rhodes (you might know him from his Tik-Tok and IG videos) to talk about his journey to raising his rates higher than he’d ever imagined. And he’s not in a big city, he’s in Boise Idaho! Hear how he grew and then scaled back his business, and was already getting much more in his market than most others before his videos went viral.

Listen to this new episode for inspiration in seeing the value you’re already providing, and charging accordingly.

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Can a positive outcome erase a bad customer experience?

I recently had a problem with a product that ended well, with the company replacing the damaged one, but I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. But why? I got what I wanted in the end. This was a great lesson to share because we have to realize that our goal is more than just to get the customer what they want and need. It’s to make them feel great about the process and interaction.

Listen to this new 12-minute episode for the rest of the story, and some tips on how you can become more aware of the customer experience, not just their results.

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What’s a good closing rate?

This is another listener suggestion. I got an email from Scott, asking if his closing rate was good. He had good stats on his conversion from inquiry to conversation to sale. That already puts him ahead of most wedding and event pros. What I explained to him, and to you in this episode, is what stats you’d want to have, and whether or not you need to know what your closing rate is. You’ll hear how I have stats that I pay to more attention to than my closing rate.

Listen to this new 8-minute episode for more ideas on your closing rate and whether there are more important stats for you, too.

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I was watching an Instagram post by my friend Vanessa Joy where she was discussing the wedding gap. It intrigued me as I had heard some rumblings about it, but hadn’t had a chance yet to discuss it and find out more. So, I invited Vanessa on for her take on it and what it means to you.

Listen to this new episode for some clarity on what the wedding gap is, and what you can do to prepare and thrive through it.

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Don’t make them fill out forms before you have a conversation

This is another listener suggestion. A friend of mine noticed that many wedding and event pros are asking their couples and customers to fill out questionnaires before they get to have a real conversation with them. While this is easier for you, because you get more information before your meeting/call/Zoom, it also adds friction and effort to the process. The thing is that in doing this, you may be missing out on good prospects. You never know who chooses not to reach out to you because of the extra friction and effort.

Listen to this new 10-minute episode for more insight into why using long contact forms and questionnaires could be hurting your business.

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Are you still not replying to reviews?

I’ve done episodes about reviews before, so this time I want to address why so many wedding and event pros still aren’t replying to your good reviews. Many of you are replying to the less than stellar reviews, but not every review. Why not? You’re missing a great opportunity to stand out. Don’t worry, you don’t have to reply to every review you’ve ever gotten… just some. I spell that out in this episode as well.

Listen to this new 12-minute episode for why you should reply to all of your reviews, starting today!

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David Newman – Do It! Selling

Every so often I read a book and think “I need to have them on my podcast!” I’ve known David Newman for years through the National Speakers Association, and I just finished listening to his book “Do It! Selling”, and while his target client is different than yours, there are so many takeaways and useful ideas for you. Listen to this episode and be sure to have your pen or keyboard ready to take notes.

Whether you’re a seasoned wedding and event pro or just getting started, David drops nugget after nugget and you’re going to want to pick up a copy of his book just to the rest of them.

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This is another listener suggestion, this time from Brian in South Florida. He had a couple in to his venue for a wedding and they weren’t responding to the questions that seem to work with other couples. He wanted to know what to do in situations like that. What are some different questions? How do you get the quiet ones talking?

Listen to this new 9-minute episode for some questions you can use when your customers aren’t being responsive to your questions.

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