3 Problems Event Planners should no longer ignore.

Helloooo beautiful planners…

It gives me so much joy to be here creating content. And this topic that have been on my mind for a while now looks like the perfect one to start with.

In any industry that’s growing, there is usually a common issue- an issue that a savvy person may be able to avoid if they spend time not only on thinking & working in their business, but also thinking and working on their business.

This post is for you if you hope to play big in the planning industry. It’s for you if you hardly find time to think/work on your business, because the thoughts in here will definitely spur you to think and then work.

Now let’s get right into it, shall we?

3 problems you should no longer ignore as an event planner

1. The industry over-saturation:

You & I know that over-saturation is a thing. What you may not know though is that it will only continue. Why? The amount of event planning training been churned out concurrently, the growing rate of unemployment in the country and ease of learning and labeling oneself as a planner.

I mean, anyone could just wake up, plan their sister’s bridal shower & label themselves as a planner.

So, if I know you know this, why am I stating the obvious..? Well, because you should no longer ignore the fact. What you should continually do is be on the look-out for how to differentiate your brand.

You should be aware that when a bride requests to get your package, she probably already has requested from 10 other event planners.The real paramount issue with these is how intangible an event planner’s work can be. It’s hard to measure.

So, when a bride gets 10 events planners’ package all of which most likely have varying prices, what she can perceive from this document is how she selects who to work with. Your goal then should be beyond standing-out. It is ensuring that what’s on your package & about your business online is enough to convince your client.

As you already know, I have some tips to make this easy, but first, let’s work through the other 2 problems you shouldn’t ignore.

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2. Charging higher has become harder:

“I have checked other planners and your prices seem to really be expensive

Does this fee come with bouncers & ushers?

Haa, is this fee just for planning the event?”

Which of these have you not heard?

I am guessing none. Well, you should no longer ignore that it is a problem, because it is.

There are 2 options here; one is to focus on your focus and increase your fees whenever you like not caring if you price yourself out of the industry, another is to not increase your price so you keep getting steady jobs, not caring if ever break even.

Both don’t look so good, so keep reading if you want to know what I think.

3. Kick-backs have become a norm: event planners getting cut from vendors’ pay is not only getting popular, it’s now being seen as the norm. And because potential clients knows this, they grow bias for you even before they hire you.

Can you blame them? But, if there is a concurrent problem of planners not been able to increase their fees, can you blame them too for wanting to find a short-cut?

Before we go further. Let’s ask these questions: Is getting kickback a bad thing?

Well for me, it’s not bad if you’re open to your client about. Practice saying this to a potential client, just before they hire you:

You: Hey Bridey, so I should let you know this, aside from this fee I charge you, I still get some % cut from vendors because well, I referred you to them and so we have an understanding.

Can you do this? If you can, I urge you to keep on with the kickbacks. If you can’t, then I need you to understand that collecting kickback is stealing from a client that should be getting good deals & spending less because they hired you.

Now, if you don’t do kickbacks, you should no longer ignore the fact other planners do it, especially if you want to stand out while a potential client is doing a pro & cons list and thinking of choosing your competitor because you charge higher.

What you should do is make it obvious that you don’t do it. How can you do this?

Simple, add it to your bio online, talk about it openly or if you like to be subtle with your objections, include it in your package just like I did.

I will tell you categorically right now that 3 brides this year have told me something along this line: Your fees are a lil higher than what I see elsewhere, but I like your transparency policy/ how honest you seem/ that I can trust you. Some even went further to ask: so, what’s the best you can do for us?

And that brings me to the solution to our number 2 problem.

Package customization and favorable policies clients can’t argue: When you go shopping in a mall, no matter how hard you try to cut cost, one thing you can’t cut is VAT. I pay it, you pay it and everyone pays it. Think about this as you read the next lines.

A really good way to let your client know your fees are standardized is to insist on removing features as you reduce prices, it works for me all the time as I propose package customization to them.

Let me paint a scenario: so say a package price is N750,000 and you already gave them your best price as N700K. They seem to like you but their budget is lower, they then ask you that vital question.

What’s the best you can do for us?

Your answer should go along the lines of..

You; Oh well, I truly want to work with you guys cause I even like that the your brief is ______ (something you have learned when speaking to them) and that you seem like _____ ( a common ground you have found with them). We’d really have a great time planning for you, it’s just that these fees that we charge are what we know will allow/ help us do a great job for you. I can however customize something that works with that 550k budget that you have, if we remove the complimentary services for that package, remove this _____ , ______ and this ______. 550k will definitely work.

What you have done is make them see the value of your work and your willingness to work with them. And you know what? They would either negotiate your new proposal or decide that paying for your full package is worth it. Either way you win.

Being transparent in your planning packages got their attention and their attention will eventually you the job. If you need help crafting craft the sh*t out of your planning packages so that its compelling, attractive and does its job of getting your clients interested in you, we can help you.

And lastly to our industry over-saturation problem, here are 2 solutions:

1. Make short- & long-term goals
2. Diversify

In making short- & long-term goals, here are questions to ask yourself and ensure you proffer true answers to.

If I continue to run this business the way I am running it, will I break even?

What’s my 5-year plan in this industry?

What’s my plan to continue to stay relevant? Are these plans feasible?

Who can I identify that is ahead of me that this plan seems to be working for?

Active questioning is one of the best things you can do for your business, try it & thank me lerra. Get access to more of these reflective questions when you download our FREE audit guide:

Now to diversifying: there are lot of ways to do this; I mentioned a few in this blog post; take a look at it:

5 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS AN EVENT PLANNER

The path I am currently trending is training; and believe me, it’s been amazing. Let me let you in on this: from the time I launched my event planning course (March 2022) till now, I have made about 2 million naira in revenue from that stream.

The interesting part is that it’s an online course recorded once and structured in a way that its resell-able to as many people as possible. Check out on the courses here:

Well, here at Planners Hack, we’re working on a service that teaches you exactly how create and sell your own courses. Get on this wait-list to be the first to know when its ready..

Another way I am diversifying is with this beautiful business I am proud of- Planners Hack (PH)

Honestly, PH makes me so proud and if I tell you just how much revenue we are generating, I am gonna have to kill you. Haha 😂

And that’s it for now savvy planners! 😎

My name is Damilola Akingbola, lead Planner at Rightessential Events and founder of Planners Hack.

Wondering what Planners Hack is all about? Well, it’s a platform made for savvy planners by a planner who applied some basic principle to her business, saw her income go over the roof and is bent on spreading the news and helping other planners as well. Stay tuned & subscribed for all we have in store for you!

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And I’d catch you in the next blog which you absolutely have to read.