A booking is a date in the diary. A client is a person.
There is a rather big difference.
When an enquiry comes in, I don't see a date, a venue, a number of guests and a fee.
I see a person who has decided to reach out.
Perhaps they are looking for someone to help bring an idea to life. Perhaps they are nervous, excited, overwhelmed — or all three at once.
And that first enquiry is where the relationship begins.
Of course, ultimately, we would love the enquiry to become a booking.
But I don't believe the booking should be the only thing we are focused on.
Because what happens after the deposit is paid?
What happens after the event?
Do they remember how you made them feel?
Do they trust you enough to come back?
Would they recommend you to someone they care about?
For me, that's where the difference lies.
A booking can be transactional.
A client relationship is personal.
And sometimes the person who enquires doesn't book.
They disappear.
They change their mind.
They find someone else.
It happens.
But perhaps that doesn't mean the enquiry was unsuccessful.
Perhaps they simply weren't ready.
Perhaps they needed more reassurance.
Perhaps we made it too difficult for them to find what they needed.
Or perhaps we just didn't make that first impression quite strong enough.
There is an old saying:
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
I've been in this business long enough to know that it applies to far more than what someone sees when they first meet you.
It applies to the way you answer the phone.
The way you respond to an email.
The way you listen.
The way you handle a question.
The way you make someone feel when they are putting something important into your hands.
A booking fills a space in the diary.
A client becomes part of your story.
And I'd much rather build relationships than simply fill dates.
#eventrelationships
