csudh-handout by Charmaine Wilkerson

Event Planning Success Is In The System Presented by: R. Kevin Stevens Using the Five Steps to Sales Success Whether you’ve set up a sales appointment or have bumped into a friend or colleague there are five simple steps to successful selling. These steps work whether you’re: • Presenting your service in a group or one-‐to-‐one setting • Offering the opportunity to engage your services • Building a strong referral of networking prospects If you follow these suggested five steps when speaking to clients in a group or one-‐to-‐one setting-‐-‐and project a successful image-‐-‐not only will you meet your sales goal, you’ll also be setting the stage for future sales contacts: 1 : Build Rapport Building a comfortable relationship with your potential clients is the first step. Take a minute or two for some friendly conversation about work, family, or the client’s home before getting down to business. Then, ask a question or make a statement that will help bring the conversation around to the client’s needs. 2 : Determine Client’s needs There are a few simple actions you can take to determine which services will best fit your client’s needs. Through conversation and questioning, you’ll learn a great deal. Use open-‐ended questions – those often begin with who, what, when, where, why, and how. Another way you can gather information about needs is by beginning with, “Tell me more about your (family, work, how often you entertain).” The responses you receive usually will give you more information

and will allow the person or persons you are speaking with to feel more relaxed and in control. 3. Match Benefits to Needs The questions you’ve asked will help you understand which services you offer best meet the needs of your customers. To help you explain what services you have to offer this would be a good time to share parts of your portfolio with your client. Hint: Try to show someone instead of telling them. 4. Close the Sale Now that you’ve determined your client’s needs and have “sold” the benefits of your service, it’s time to close the sale. Remember, you won’t get what you don’t ask for! Successful Event Planners close throughout the sales process by circling items of interest on their service provider form or by referring clients to the pages of their portfolio they have shared. Using what you’ve learned about the customer during this contact, you’ll want to close the sale with one or more of the following options: • Hiring you for the event • Inviting them to attend another event you are doing (if appropriate). • Call past clients for a referral. 5. Plan for Future Contact and Ask for Referrals Once you’ve closed the sale, the door is open for future contact. Repeat business is the core of your success! You’ll want to plan your next contact with this client before you leave. You could do any of the following: • Set a date and time to finalize the event. • Set a time to pick up the deposit. • Add your future client to your “Entertaining” quarterly newsletter mailing list. • Follow up with them after providing them with referrals.

About asking for referrals…. Everyone you talk to knows other people who entertain and may want entertainment tips or like hiring someone to handle the event. You could become their Event Planner. So never leave any appointment or end any phone call without thanking the client for their time. Then always remember to ask any of the following questions: “Charmaine, who do you know that: • Likes to entertain • May be getting married soon • Might be celebrating a special occasion • Is in charge of planning company parties” Record the names and phone numbers of these potential clients in your Tracking Leads System (try to obtain at least two names from every client) and promise to contact these potential clients promptly. Remember to send a thank you note! Charmaine ! Thank You for the referrals . I really appreciated you taking the time to share Karen's and Susie's upcoming events.

The Five Steps to Sales Success 1. Build Rapport

Example

Your First Contacts: What will you say?

What kind of Events have you been to before? What did you like the most? What kind of event would excite you?

So this event will be a Birthday party for your 5 year old daughter? Were you thinking of a Themed party?

Based on what you have shared with me I think a Madhatter Tea Party could be the way to go.

4. Close the Sale

What date or dates were you thinking of having your daughter’s Party? I’d like to be your personal Event Planner how about if we go over some planning agreements and I can get started on making your daughter’s event successful and one that everyone will be talking about for years.

2. Determine Client’s Needs 3. Match Benefits to Needs

5. Plan for Future Contact/ Ask for Referrals

Note: Your comments here will depend greatly on what you you’ve learned from steps 1 and 2.

What If the Client Says No? No matter how polished your sales presentation is you will still encounter people who are not open to what you have to offer – at least not at first! Don’t let a “no” or “not interested” discourage you. One of the skills you will learn that will serve you well is dealing with objections in a positive and potentially rewarding manner.

Here are three tips for negotiating a “no” or overcoming an objection: 1. Listen and acknowledge the objection.

Resist the temptation to keep talking or to interrupt. Nod your head in response to what they are saying. Repeat or paraphrase their concern to show understanding.

2. Empathize and answer the objection.

Empathy – the ability to imagine yourself in another’s place – is a valuable asset in sales. Ask yourself, “How can I help this client solve their problem?” You can use the “feel, felt, found” method as one way to establish a link with your client. “I know how you feel. I felt that way myself. And I found that…..”

3. Try again to close or move the conversation forward.

When possible, end with a choice between two positive alternatives. If, after your best effort, the objection remains, thank the client, offer to place their name on your e-‐mail or mailing list, and ask them to give you the names and phone numbers of two other people who might be interested in your services.

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SPECIAL EVENT MANAGEMENT Presented by

Charmaine Wilkerson For the C e rt i f i c at e o f C o m p l e t i o n i n Meeting & Event Planning

College of Extended & International Education

DEFINITIONS Special Event A unique moment in time of public assembly celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs Event Leadership / Event Management The profession requiring Management of a Special Event for the purpose of celebration, education, marketing, or reunion

Definitions - contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

EVENT LEADER / EVENT MANAGER AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE PROFESSION OF EVENT LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT WHO IS AT THE HELM OF A SPECIAL EVENT

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EVENT MANAGEMENT SPECIALTIES

Civic

Expositions

Fairs & Festivals

Hallmark

Hospitality

EVENT MANAGEMENT SPECIALTIES – CONT’D

Meetings & Conferences Corporate/Associations

Sports

Retail

Tourism

Social Life-Cycle

Music/Entertainment

WHY ARE SUBFIELDS IMPORTANT? Business and Job Opportunities

Wolfgang Puck Born in St. Veit, Austria, Puck apprenticed as a chef in France. In 1973, he became Executive Chef of Ma Maison In LA. In 1982, he opened his own flagship restaurant, Spago, catering to celebrity clientele. Wolfgang Puck Catering (WPC) has created the cuisine for the Oscar’s Governor’s Ball at Hollywood and Highland and provides exclusive catering services to venues across the nation. Wolfgang’s empire includes branded cookware, utensils and appliances sold on Home Shopping Network, Sam's Club and the Frontgate catalogue.

Mary Micucci

Along Came Mary THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS "Surround yourself with committed, passionate, creative people; then you can't lose. I can't tell you how happy with and proud I am of the people who work here, how I've seen them grow, how I've seen them make a commitment to our clients, stretching their own imagination and creativity. It's the thing that makes me proudest. It's a team, a remarkable team of people."

Colin Cowie “Born in Kitwe, Zambia, educated in South Africa, and a United States resident since 1985, Colin Cowie is recognized around the world as an arbiter of style. Colin Cowie Lifestyle – the world’s premier event planning, interior design and lifestyle company, with offices in Los Angeles, and New York – is the undisputed leader in its field.”

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SPECIAL EVENTS MAGAZINE

$250 million +

5 CRITICAL STAGES OF SUCCESSFUL EVENT MANAGEMENT •  Research •  Design •  Planning •  Coordinating •  Evaluation

RESEARCH •

Quantitative - is generally conducted in a survey manner which describes mostly demographics

•

Qualitative - is to probe for hidden meanings in the quantitative studies

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RESEARCH To produce an effective event incorporate in your market research the 5 W’s: •  Why •  Who •  When •  Where •  What

RESEARCH “Why” should you produce this event to begin with “Who” will be the stakeholders •  Internal - board of directors, committee members, staff •  External - those who will be investing in your event Sponsors, guests, donors

RESEARCH “When” will the event take place. •  Time of year may influence location. i.e. outdoors vs. indoors affects your event management time frame “Where” will the event be held

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RESEARCH “What” is the end result you wish to accomplish both for the guests and internal stake holders. This should tie in with the rest of the W’s Why, Who, When & Where Once you have answered the 5 W’s, the next is “How”

RESEARCH “How” will your organization fund the event. This will also determine some of the W’s. Budget - having it determined is crucial to producing a successful event.

DESIGN •

Brainstorming

•

Creativity

•

Theme Resources - www.event-planner.com, www.specialeventsmagazine.com, www.specialevents.com, www.party411.com

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PLANNING

Timing •  Space •  Tempo •  Marketing •

PLANNING Timing involves the question “When” do you plan to hold your event. As the conductor, the Event Manager, is responsible to determine if the planning process is feasible

PLANNING

Space •  Location - Site inspection •  Space of time between critical decisions

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PLANNING

Tempo is the rate at which events take place during the planning stage •  Time-Line •  Task List •  Managing Planning Committee

PLANNING Marketing your event by •  Promotion •  Advertising •  Public Relations •  Mini Events •  Local Internet Listings •  Social Media

PLANNING Promotion Know your event product. The most successful salespeople have both expert knowledge of the product and effective sales skills. Identify your target market

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PLANNING

Advertising Print not only in magazines or newspapers but in association and organization newsletters, flyers, or website

PLANNING

Public Relations •  Press Releases - pre, during, and post event •  PSA, TV •  Internet

PLANNING

Mini Events Using miniature events to promote larger events, such as

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PLANNING Local Listings u  Zvents.com u  Eventbrite.com u  Events/OC

PLANNING Social Media u  Twitter u

Hash Tags: #csudhevents, #eventprofs

u  Facebook: personal, business u  Pinterest:

use visual images to promote : ahlEVENTSBlog.com u  Internet and apps : foursquare.com u  Blogs

PLANNING Social Media – cont’d u  LinkedIn u Groups

: Event Planning & Event Management

u Sub-groups: u Social

Media and Event Technology for Event Planners and Meeting u Career Advice for Event Planning & Management

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COORDINATING •  •  •

Executing the Task List by appointing leads Overseeing Time-Line Event Production Schedule (Event Time-Line)

COORDINATING •

Volunteers

COORDINATING

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COORDINATING

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COORDINATING

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COORDINATING

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COORDINATING

SATELLITE KITCHEN

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KITCHEN SET-UP

BUS STATIONS

ROLL CALL

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GYPSY KINGS SOUND CHECK

STAFF BREAK

STAFF PHOTO

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RECEPTION

LILLY WITH A TABLE SET-UP

KITCHEN SERVICE

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HAPPY CLIENT

HAPPY EVENT MANAGERS

RECENT EVENTS

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DINING ROOM SET-UP

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DINING ROOM SET-UP

EVALUATION •  •

Stakeholders Guests/Attendees

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BUZZ 

A Spin on Event Production The Special Event Presents Las Vegas, NV, July 19, 2013 thespecialeventshow.com



2014 The Special Event Nashville, TN, January 7-10, 2014 thespecialeventshow.com



Event Solutions Idea Factory Las Vegas, March 23 - 26, 2014 event-solutions.com