Reasons your Wedding Venue needs a VA

Someone once told me "Do what you do well and outsource everything else"

Having worked in the wedding industry for many years -this really resonates with me.

Especially during those crazy busy peak summer months where planning, co-ordinating and running back to back weddings is full on!!

Outsourcing some of your time consuming admin tasks can mean that you get to focus on what you love and do so well - Create memorable magical days for your couples!

A virtual assistant will be there to support you, in the background, working remotely, taking those time consuming or unloved jobs off your plate.

But what tasks can I outsource I hear you ask!

Don’t worry, you didn’t think I would leave you hanging without a selection of one or two ... or nine! (And that’s just to start!)

But first of all let's look at how the tasks break down within your business ...

In your wedding venue, do the same team members look after the sales journey, show rounds, co-ordinating couples and on the day management?

Do they thrive at each role?

It is a rare thing for someone to have the sales skills, organisational or admin skills and event co-ordinating skills. All very different hats.

I always find venues are strongest with a 'sales team' and an 'events team', whether these are two separate people or a team under each group.

Wedding Sales Team

Look after;

♡Marketing

♡Enquiries

♡The sales journey

♡Booking forms & Invoicing

♡Follow Up emails

Who then handover to the Wedding Events team.

Wedding Events Team

Look after;

☆Planning

☆Visits, Menu Tasting and Planning Meetings

☆Menu choices

☆Order of the Day

☆Co-ordinating suppliers

☆On the Day management

Many parts from both teams can be outsourced to give a helping hand.

Ok lets jump into a few examples of how a Virtual Assistant can support your wedding venue ...

Social Media Support

Couples spend a LOT of time researching and ’stalking’ venues before they reach out.

This means that a big portion of their research and shortlisting their favourite venues occur before you even get a chance to speak to them.

Social media plays a huge part in this research - therefore it makes sense that it (along with your website) needs to stand head and shoulders above your competitor, showing your venue to the best and allowing them to visualise their big day with you.

This can be outsourced, so you know it's happening in the background without you having to panic that nothing has been posted today, this week, this month!

Enquiries & Sales Journey

So the couple has added you to their shortlist and they have reached out to you to say they are interested in your venue - YAY ... but, there is a high probability that they have also reached out to your competitors. We all know that a quick reply and engaging with the couple will mean they are more likely to book that show round, but a quick reply isn’t always possible when you are in the middle of a run of back to back weddings.

Having a VA to offer support to this step can mean quick replies to enquiries, building that connection and relationship with your venue. They can also be the point person to book show rounds, and follow up after show rounds to move the sale along.

Booking Forms & Confirmation

You've got a couple that's ready to book - Yay! That's awesome.

Do you have a system in place now, to get the paperwork complete and signed and the deposit paid?

Your VA can help you with this system (or set it up to run smoothly). Making sure the new client form is completed, all T's&C's are signed, the deposit is paid, and the couples information is added onto your CRM making sure everything is ready to go.

Sending Out Information / Newsletters

Do you have information to update your couples with?

Welcome Packs / New Menus / Newsletters / Showcase information - A VA can help you connect with your whole client base.

Studies show, most couples average length of engagement is 33.7 months, with 49% of couples booking within 3 months of getting engaged. (Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2021)

Thats a long time in-between! Keep that conversation going with regular updates.

(You can find out more here about keeping the conversation going)

Design and Updating Brochures, Welcome Packs, Handouts

Whilst they are involved with sending out this information, a VA can also update, redesign and make sure all communication is on-brand and up to date.

Blogs

When was the last time you updated your blog, wrote a new post, or even looked at it? Maybe you begin with the best of intentions, have lots of ideas, but never complete it, because there is always a distraction and you just run out of time.

Or maybe you sit down to write but your mind just goes blank and you don't know what to say or write about? A VA can help update, repurpose and organise your blogs.

They can create new posts, generate ideas and framework, or fill out your ideas.

(These are also great starting points for social posts)

Online Directories & Reviews

Are your Online Directories all up to date? When was the last time you updated your Bridebook wording or updated Hitched photos? Is it one of those tasks, you just run out of time to do? A VA can help with all of these, along with replying to your reviews.

Competitor Research

Do you know who your biggest competitors are?

Do you know what they are doing?

What they offer and what they don't offer?

An essential part of your Market Research is to know just who your competition is.

(Businesses I work with will know about my 3 C's - Understand your Company, Understand your Customer & Understand your Competitor.)

A VA can take this research task off your plate.

Sending out Cards

Add that extra touch by sending out a Christmas Card to booked couples and anniversary cards to last years couples. A real surprise and delight moment for them.

These are just a few of the ways in which a VA can help your business.

The awesome bonus is you get to focus on running extraordinary events, knowing that the 'other' stuff is being looked after.

Feel like I can help you and your business?

Let's Chat

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