Catering to Couples During Engagement Season

It’s peak engagement season and, as caterers, it only makes sense that it’s our responsibility to cater to the needs of newly engaged couples. It’s easy to feel like you can excel in flavor profiles and food presentation and leave it at that, but client experience encompasses far more than just the final product. Additionally, it’s crucial that you go beyond being sales-y and really pay attention to their wants and needs on their important day.

Engaged couples in the interview stage are seeking a vendor who will treat them and their wedding with the utmost care and consideration. Thus, you need to make the booking decision easy for them by showing up and taking that extra work off their plates. If you make it simple for them in the beginning, they’ll take it as a good sign that your working relationship will remain the same.

As you start mapping out your game plan to reach newly engaged couples (remember that Valentine’s Day is around the corner!), consider these tactics to up your client experience and nab those engaged couples before your competitor does.

Start with your website

The client experience begins long before you meet a prospect and even before you receive any inquiry — it starts when they land on your website. Your brand, your services, and your site’s usability all speak to the professionalism of your company. These factors can make the difference between a bounced user and a contact form inquiry.

Give your website an objective run-through and note anything that isn’t up to your standards. Broken links, low-res images, confusing menus, and inconsistent branding are all things that can turn away a potential customer, so keep an eye out for anything that would be a red flag if you were on the other side of the screen.

Refine your social media presence

While your website is where people seek information and contact details, social media is where they’re looking at your personality and the true quality of your work. Visually striking photos, behind-the-scenes videos, and personable captions are a winning combination to connect and engage your ideal client. Couples want to work with a reputable company, but they also want to work with professionals that are more than just order-takers.

Use your social media to showcase your creativity and commitment to detail. During busy season, it can be tricky to make time for a solid social media strategy. Combat this challenge by pre-scheduling evergreen posts well in advance or hiring an intern or contractor to manage your profiles during peak business months.

Check out your competitors

Keeping tabs on your competition can be a risky game, but it’s just as dangerous to go about your business without having any clue about their operations. Knowledge is power and it’s critical to understand what your prospects are being offered elsewhere. Check their social media and website occasionally to stay updated on their company happenings.

Instead of looking at competitors for the things you consider lacking in your own business, use your research to identify the positives in your company that sets you apart from the competition. Their successes and failures shouldn’t mean anything to you, but you can use those lessons to get a better grasp on your top selling points.

Once you get prospects in the door, the rest lies on your ability to understand a client’s needs and their vision, while earning their trust in your business.