I’m sure you’ve been there before. A prospect is really enthusiastic about your venue. The site visit goes well, you send them a proposal and then….radio silence.
You follow up and also nothing.
It happens to every salesperson and in this article I am going to share some tips on how to revive those leads.
{The Early Bird Catches The Worm}
Just as most Catering Sales Managers are inundated with leads and are often overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work they are doing, so too are your clients.
Most South Asians are professionals and/or in school and tack on that they’re also planning their wedding. So if you want to catch them, email them in the early morning or at night.
Most people start their day by checking their messages, Facebook. Instagram etc. and wind down with some phone time at night too – so you want to be that message that pops up on their phone while they’re actively using it!
{Some Stats}
- Two-thirds of the US population uses a smartphone
- 100% of your Indian wedding clients do!
- 80% of mobile devise users, use their phone as the primary means to access the internet and email.
So what does this mean for you? It means you will likely get a lift in responses if you catch your clients while they’re using their phone.
And you use tools to automate emails – so you can pre-schedule emails to be sent at a certain time. This involves testing and learning but it’s worth it as trying and testing new things is what leads to growth.
{Change the “Check In” Email}
Every salesperson has sent the follow up, “checking in” email. And response rates vary. How about changing that check in message to something helpful such as pointing out unique features and benefits of your venue or providing something useful such as a link to a video from an Indian wedding that took place at your venue.
{Alternative Email: Unique Features}
So an email might read:
Hi Samta,
Haven’t heard from you in a while, so I wanted to take a moment to reiterate some of the unique features of our property:
- we have the biggest pillar-less ballroom in the city
- with your minimum, we included 2 room nights for you, and both sets of parents, something that no other comparable venues offer and a $1000 value.
- I hope you saw in the proposal that we’re also including chiavari chairs for the reception, a value of $3500.
Additionally our proximity to the airport will be a big convenience since most of your guests are arriving from around the country.
I am open to talking about additional value savings for you.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Catering Sales Manager
{Alternative Email 2: Social Proof}
Another version of this might be:
Hi Samta,
Haven’t heard from you in a while, so I wanted to share a recent video from another Jain wedding took place here: <link 1>.
They also had 350 guests as well as a morning ceremony with lunch afterwards and a cocktail hour and reception.
In the video you can see where you can watch the baraat arrive. And, ss you can see, they utilized our outdoor patio for the cocktail hour which was a nice way to take advantage of the gorgeous evening weather and since it wasn’t booked for the evening we were happy to throw that in at no additional charge.
Look forward to hearing from you!
<Your Name>
Catering Sales Manager
{How do you find videos from weddings at your venue?}
Simple!
Google search. Start with “Indian wedding at __________” your venue. And select videos.
If that doesn’t work, then you know or can look up the names of the couples who got married there. Search for them and then click on videos.
Or go directly to Youtube or Vimeo and do the same thing.
ProTip: And avoid the fluffy language in these emails – words such as “elegant” and “sophisticated”. That language already achieved its purpose of bringing this prospective client to your doorstep. At this stage of the sales cycle, they need hard facts to make buying decisions.
{Ask For Feedback}
If leads go MIA there’s a reason. Request a call to get feedback. Not to sell them, just to ask questions and listen. You can always go back to the client with new offers but the key difference is you’ll know what they value so you can structure your offer accordingly.
Venues that partner with us will ask us to reach out for feedback. And consumers are happy to talk to us because we’re a third party that relates to them.
{Take Aways}
This article is about effective ways to revive Indian wedding leads that have gone MIA and turning the typical “checking in” email on its head!
- reach out when consumers are online
- send info that differentiates your venue with the competition
- share links to other, similar weddings that took place there
This article is part of ShaadiShop’s series
{Some FYIs}
Shaadi = Marriage/wedding in Hindi/Urdu, which are two major languages spoken in South Asia
South Asian refers to people from: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives
South Asian is not to be confused with Southeast Asian which is a completely different region of the world.
South Asian is a more encompassing term as it refers to everyone in that region vs. Indian.
I hope this article has been helpful to you. If it has, please let me know in the comments; and you might like to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest – whatever your preferred media is, as we frequently publish articles to help make planning an Indian wedding just a little bit easier.
The #1 Destination For Venues to Market Indian Weddings!
Contact Us for info on advertising with us.
We have packages and services specifically designed for venues that are:
1. just getting started in Indian weddings
2. want to increase marketshare
3. knee-deep in Indian weddings
{Testimonials}
“We’re so glad we joined ShaadiShop to market this hotel to the South Asian community in the Orange County area. Every wedding we close from their leads returns more than 3x our investment. Moreover, they pre-qualify leads and educate consumers creating a much better sales cycle for our catering team. Venues looking to reach this market, join ShaadiShop!”
Thanks!
Ryan Hurd
Catering Sales Manager
Wyndham Anaheim Garden Grove
“We just booked a full Indian wedding through ShaadiShop at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. In addition to the business, we appreciate the exposure ShaadiShop creates about our venue, as the couple didn’t know about our resort until ShaadiShop told them about us. Additionally, we appreciate the pre-qualification work that ShaadiShop does to match couples and venues that are a good fit for each other. We had all the info needed to conduct the initial meeting. What a great service for venues to market to the South Asian community!”
Angie Florence
Catering Sales Manager
Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort
“Cannot say enough good things about the service from Samta and ShaadiShop who helped us research venues for our wedding this year. We wanted a non-hotel venue, and to get married within 6 months. ShaadiShop immediately found us venues, contacted them and educated us about all the things we needed to think about while selecting a venue. They put all the info together in a fabulous, super impressive, spreadsheet that helped us compare venues – seriously amazing and such a great help. Working with them made the whole stressful process MUCH easier and I can’t believe it was all free! ShaadiShop’s website is fantastic and such a great service for South Asians – so glad I found them!”
Anjli Shah, Bride
“Shaadishop helped me not only find venues but also understand how they work, the fees, and tips that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Definitely a need service in the desi community. And best of all, it was free!!”
Hinna Shaikh, Bride
Cover image: Randery Imagery