I recently attended a conference session about creating 1 year, 3 year and 5 year 
plans for your business. The speaker, Liz Weber, posed some very interesting and introspective questions. I wanted to share with you some of my key takeaways and how I’m using them in my business, and with the wedding and event businesses with whom I consult.
My biggest takeaway was that my 1 year plan can be written in ink, but my 3 year, 5 year (and longer if you want) will be in pencil—or dry-erase marker if you prefer. While I have my 1 year plan written in ink, I keep the white-out handy (as when I do the NY Times crossword puzzle in ink).
As I look back at my current business (a little over 4 years now as an independent speaker, author, consultant and sales trainer) I can see that I’ve changed my business model and product/service mix a few times. There are certain services I used to offer that I no longer do. There are others that have been added to my product/service mix that I hadn’t imagined 4 years ago. Still others proved to be either not profitable, or not enjoyable for me; both good reasons to vote them off my island.
I’ve spoken over the years about the DIY (Do it Yourself) wedding couple. While many weddings have some element that was done by someone involved in the wedding (family and/or friends) there’s rarely a wedding that’s truly all DIY. Did her mom make the wedding dress? Did his/her aunt cook the food? Did his friend take the pictures or play the music? More likely they made the programs, possibly decorative items for the tables or church.
I received a very nice email the other day from a wedding pro who’s heard many of my webinars and live presentations. She was thanking me for a tip which she had heard me say, many times, but hadn’t acted on, until recently. The tip was to end each email with a question so the recipient is more likely to answer. Now that she’s ending her emails with one question, her response rate and conversion have increased (which was the whole idea). Here’s her email to me:
The beginning of the year not only signals an influx of newly engaged couples, it also serves as a psychological switch for many 2015 and 2016 upcoming wedding couples to resume the planning process after a post Thanksgiving through Christmas hiatus.
The holidays are always a busy time for engagements, and then comes the January rush of visits to websites… hopefully yours. So, is your website ready to convert that traffic into inquiries, appointments and then sales? You’re only going to get one chance to make that first impression.