How To Get Your First Proposal Client

When you are getting ready to add Proposal Planning to your existing services or starting your own Proposal Planning business, one of your first fears will be how you will get your first client. Any entrepreneur feels that way when they start something new.

I was once there myself. When I started The Heart Bandits 11 years ago, no one had even heard of Proposal Planning. So I not only had the stress of finding a new client, but I had to do it when no one had heard of what I was doing. There wasn’t even Instagram or Pinterest back then!

Lucky for you, things are much easier now. Hiring a Proposal Planner is now accepted and guys are eager to get the help you will be offering. So how do you find your first client? There are several ways you can get leads and score your first client. Here are a few:

Reach Out To Your Network

Since you may not have an audience yet, one thing you can do is ask everyone you know if they know of anyone that is proposing soon. You could offer your services for free or at a discounted rate in exchange for using their photos on your website and social media. Normally I would never say to work for free, but when you need photos to start showing social proof, this is an amazing way to get it done.

Introduce Yourself

Send an email or call vendors in your area that would come into contact with your target audience. For example, a jewelry store that sells engagement rings is going to be in constant contact with people that are about to propose. Reach out to them and let them know you are a Proposal Planner. Ask them if you can bring some cards by or offer them a special rate if they refer clients to you.

Utilize Social Media

Correctly utilizing social media can get you clients fast. For example, if you post a photo of a proposal and use a hashtag that is popular (but not so popular that your post will get lost quickly), you will instantly be put in front of perspective clients that are searching for that hashtag. Don’t have a photo of a proposal you have planned? No worries! You can use a stock image and give proposal advice in the post. Or you can create an ad about your Proposal Planning services in Canva so when they search for that hashtag, they will find your services.

Remember, the hardest part is getting your FIRST client. But once you do get that first client and you start having proof of your work, it can really spiral for you there. Download my FREE Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy here.

I have a couple more FREE resources for you below.

Top 3 Clients From Hell

After planning marriage proposals for 11 years now, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any clients that were a royal pain in the you know what. But there are a few that stand out and belong in my secret “wall of shame.” So why am I sharing this with you? Well I am sharing these hellish client stories for 3 reasons. 1, If you are a seasoned planner, I know that you have had your own clients from hell and I want you to know you are not alone. 2, if you are new to Proposal Planning, I want you to know that these things WILL happen and you should never let it get you down or make you question yourself. 3, I believe that the worst client experiences help shape you as a professional and help you define your future business practices. So without further ado, here are my top 3 clients from hell.

Why Don’t You Answer My Calls Guy

This client hired us on Friday late in the afternoon. We emailed him to let him know we looked forward to working with him and that we were getting right to work. Immediately upon hiring us, he started calling us non-stop without leaving a message. He would call, hang up, and call right back over and over. On the weekend, he would call all day and night and not leave messages. On Sunday we received a text message that he couldn’t believe that he paid us “this much” and we don’t return his calls. On Monday we called him and addressed his text message. We explained that we do keep normal business hours and that if there was something urgent going on and he left us a message, we would have gladly made an exception. He informed us that he expected call backs right away, day or night, weekday or not. We politely offered him a refund and told him we probably aren’t a good fit.

We felt he didn’t respect or value our time or the fact that we also valued our own family time which that is something very important to us. So we learned that if a client shows signs of that early on, we would rather not take the booking at all.

I Want A Refund Guy

You may know this guy all too well, but this particular client was extra special! He booked a rooftop in NYC for an hour proposal and it turns out his girlfriend said no. However, there is more to that story. He had proposed 3 times before and she had said no each time. So after enjoying the rooftop, even running over his time by a whole hour which we didn’t charge him for because we felt bad for his situation, we were shocked to receive an email where he was requesting a full refund. His reasoning was even crazier. He wanted a refund because there were water spots on the rooftop. NYC is a very old city and midtown is an old area. A true rooftop is exposed to outdoor elements and could obviously have water spots. Also, we include photos of the space and the water spots are not even noticeable unless you are looking hard to find something to complain about. His second reason was that he didn’t like that there were offices in the building on his way up to the rooftop. Tenants in high rise buildings constantly change and he wasn’t renting the building, just the rooftop. We politely declined the refund and he did a chargeback through his bank. We fought the chargeback and provided evidence that it was a frivolous claim. We eventually won!

We learned that it is important to always stand your ground. I would 100% offer a refund in any case that my service was lacking. But not for things I can’t control.

Indecisive & Cheap Guy

We were hired to plan a New Year’s Eve proposal for a guy with 4 days notice. The client did not appreciate the time restraint we were under, that we were planning a proposal on a holiday, and planning an event during a pandemic. He wouldn’t make any decisions and he wanted multiple scenarios presented for every option before he could make decisions. He didn’t even end up finalizing until a day and a half before. He changed his mind so much that the violinist ended up pulling out because they just couldn’t deal with all of the changes. His proposal ended up being a success but that wasn’t the end of it. After the proposal he requested that we return all props that he had used for his proposal to get a refund. After our service had ended, he continued to text us asking to help him return the used items.

Be sure to put a clause in your Proposal Planning contract that if your client causes delays in the planning, you can’t be held liable.

Although these clients were a bit of a nightmare, most of my clients are amazing. My clients generally are very appreciative of the fact that we are there to help them through one of the most stressful moments of their life. They typically send me heartfelt emails, cards, and sometimes gifts as they are so grateful for our service. If you want to be a part of an amazing industry, check out my free resources below. In my Proposal Planning school you will learn all about being a Proposal Planner and how this profession can change your life.

Pros & Cons To Being The First Proposal Planner

I was doing a Facebook Live this week and one of my members asked if there were any other Proposal Planners in their area. At first, I was confused at the question because in my mind, I didn’t see why this would matter. But as I talked to her, I realized that she was asking because she was hoping to be the first Proposal Planner there.

Now, I get it. I understand the excitement that comes along with being a trailblazer in your industry. However, along with that excitement comes a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and stress that you might not be aware of. I decided to write a blog today and go over the pros and cons of being the first Proposal Planner in your area.

Pro: Bragging Rights

It goes without saying that there is a special feeling that comes along with being the first to do something. You can brand yourself as “The Original Proposal Planner in …” or tell people that inquire about your services that you were the first planner in your area.

Con: You Have To Do Everything Yourself

If you are the first Proposal Planner in your area, you have to do everything yourself. You have to educate the market that Proposal Planning exists, convince vendors that they should partner with you, and drum up your own customers.

Pro: You Set Pricing

Probably the most exciting thing about being the first Proposal Planner in your area is that you make all the rules. One of those rules will be about pricing. It is awesome to be able to set your own pricing and be able to charge whatever you want for your services.

Con: You Set Pricing

But as EXCITING as it is to be the one to make all the rules, it is MUCH easier to follow them. If you are NOT the first Proposal Planner, you can simply do market research and find out what other Proposal Planners in your area are charging.

Pro: You Never Have To Bend

When you are the only Proposal Planner in your area, you never have to bend if a client asks you to lower your rate or to something off-brand because there is no competition.

Con: It Won’t Last

Proposal Planning is an amazing idea, and others in your area will see your success and want in on it too. So enjoy being the first Proposal Planner but don’t get discouraged when others move in. That means your idea was awesome, keep doing you.

Pro: You Set The Bar

When you’re the first Proposal Planner, you set the bar for your area. You could come in the industry planning over the top, amazing proposals and then anyone coming in after you will have to compete with that.

Con: It Can Take Longer To Be Profitable

When you are the first Proposal Planner in your area, it could take a little bit longer to get your name out and be profitable. Be patient, it will come. But it is good to set realistic expectations in the beginning.

Are you interested in adding Proposal Planning to your wedding business? Download my FREE resources below and find out why adding Proposal Planning is a must!

PSA: Stop Judging Your Competitors

Most everyone keeps an eye on their direct competitors, and I think you should. When you watch your competitors you can keep a pulse on trends in your industry and be motivated to stay on your game. But what happens when keeping an eye on your competitors turns into an obsession? What happens when you start watching everything your competitor does and it even starts making you upset?

I remember when I started my proposal planning company 11 years ago. I had a client instruct me to wrap boxes in Tiffany blue colored paper and to stack those presents next to a table for 2 for his proposal. I did exactly what was asked of me. But to my surprise, when I posted photos of the proposal later, one of my competitors accused me of copying their idea! The thing is, I hadn’t copied their idea, I was taking the direction of my client.

And that is what leads me to the topic of this blog. I urge you, not to judge your competitors and here’s why:

You Don’t Have The Whole Picture

When you see a photo of your competitors work, you may think, “they copied me,” “that is ugly,” or some other negative thought. But the reality is, you don’t know what the client asked for. You don’t if the client came to that planner with an existing vision and the planner was merely executing the vision. You don’t know if the client had a specific budget and the planner had to substitute things to accommodate. You simply don’t know any parameters that the event planner was working under.

You Don’t Know What Information They Had

With Wedding Planners, they are allowed to work with the bride AND groom to create their vision. A Proposal Planner has a serious challenge in that we are ONLY allowed to work with the Proposer yet our goal is to satisfy the Proposee. It may be easy to look at a proposal and think it was missing or lacking something, but sometimes the clients do not provide correct or ample information and the event planner doesn’t have much to go on. We have to assume that the information they provided about their partner is thorough and accurate.

We All Start Somewhere

Proposal Planning is a relatively new niche that is expanding and growing by the day. New Proposal Planners are entering the industry on a daily basis and they aren’t going to be the Dave Tutera of Proposals coming out of the gate. We all start somewhere and you may see a proposal and think “meh” but remember, the newbies are learning and fine tuning their craft too. We should be supportive and remember, we all started somewhere.

It Is Negative Energy

Hating on someone else is a non-productive habit. We should be lifting each other up and not tearing each other down. So keep these things in mind next time you think about your competitors. And hopefully they will do the same!

Proposal Planning is an amazing niche in the Wedding Industry and completely changed my life. Do you wonder if Proposal Planning might be right for you? Looking for a Proposal Planning school? Download my FREE resources below to learn more.

Mistakes To Avoid When Creating All Inclusive Packages











With both my Proposal Planning and Pop-Up Wedding businesses (The Heart Bandits and Pop The Knot,) I sell all inclusive packages.  These packages are responsible for a considerable part of my multiple six figure income, so I know a thing or two about creating them.  





Yet I see so many wedding professionals doing it wrong.  So I thought today I would talk about the mistakes that you should avoid when you are creating all inclusive packages.





1. Offering Too Many Items





My business mentor told me years ago, “a confused mind doesn’t buy,” and it is so true.  While you might think that the more things you add, the more money you can make; too many choices can actually be a turnoff to the buyer.  So you want to be cautious of offering everything and the kitchen sink.  





2. Not Charging Enough





Another mistake I see is that people don’t charge enough for the packages.  When creating the packages, wedding professionals get nervous when they start tallying up all the costs and so they cut back on their profit to make the package “more affordable” to the client.  However, your job isn’t to make the packages “more affordable.”  Your job is to provide enough value that your fee and the overall cost of your package is worth the price you are charging.





3. Overcomplicating The Offering





Some wedding professionals spend a lot of time creating these really grand ways of showcasing the package.  But we all know, sometimes less is more.  The client really just wants to know what you are selling and how it will benefit them. You don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles to explain that, just keep it simple and straightforward.





Are you thinking about offering pop-up wedding packages or proposal packages?  If so, download my FREE resources here.  





Free Download, “3 Reasons You Must Add Proposal Planning Services To Your Business Now.”





Free Download, “The Ultimate Guide to Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages.”


      
Intimate Events & The Holidays







If you have been following any of my companies (The Heart Bandits or Pop The Knot), then you already know that planning intimate events are my jam.  I focus on planning marriage proposals for 2 and pop-up weddings for 25 guests or less.  Being a planner specializing in intimate events is good for many reasons, but today, I want to focus on one important reason.





Intimate events are extremely popular during the holidays. 





Marriage proposals are very popular between November-February.  In fact, most people refer to these months as “engagement season” or “proposal season.”  There are a few reasons that people love to propose during the holidays.  





  1. Time Off Work – People that are proposing like to take time off to travel for their proposal or even to celebrate.  During the holiday season, they already typically have time off.
  2. Be With Family – Holidays are a time for family.  So if a client wants to propose in a way that includes family members or even wants to celebrate with family after, the holiday months are the perfect time to propose.
  3. Perfect Time To Create A Memory – The holiday season is all about creating memories.  People already tend to look back and reflect on their special holiday memories so proposing during that time makes complete sense.
  4. Engagement Rings On Sale – Many stores offer holiday engagement ring specials giving people even MORE reasons to propose during the holidays.





Likewise, pop-up weddings (which are another way to diversify your business) are also pretty popular during the holidays.  The reason being is that the target market for pop-up weddings are brides that are NOT looking for traditional weddings and ARE looking for a deal. So many of them choose to get married during off-season.  Additionally, these brides love to have their pop-up wedding during this time too for several reasons:





  1. Get A Deal On The Venue – Wedding venues can be more affordable during the holidays when it is not wedding season.  One caveat is if the venue also caters to holiday parties. However, not all wedding venues do that so you can definitely get a great deal during this time.
  2. Get A Deal On The Dress – Many bridal stores have sales on wedding dresses during “off-season” so a bride on a budget can find a great pop-up wedding dress for a bargain.
  3. Time Off Work- Most couples looking to get married want to take some time off of work for their wedding.  Since they already typically get some time off during the holidays, this makes it the perfect time to say “I Do” with a pop-up wedding.
  4. Be With Family- Many couples want their families at their pop-up weddings and many families get together for the holidays. 





So what are you waiting for?  If you are ready to find out how you can diversify your income in your wedding business, check out these FREE downloads! 





Free Download, “3 Reasons You Must Add Proposal Planning Services To Your Business Now.”





Free Download, “The Ultimate Guide to Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages.”


       
How To Diversify Your Wedding Business







Whether you are a Wedding Planner, Florist, Photographer, Videographer, venue or any other type of wedding vendor, diversifying your wedding business is a must.





We all saw it first hand during the pandemic.  Businesses that relied solely on income from large weddings sadly took a big hit.  And while I pray this ends soon and never comes back again, none of us can predict the next thing that will come and impact the wedding industry. 





That is exactly why diversifying your wedding business should be on the top of your to-do list.  In fact, if you ask any wealthy person what their secret is, 9 times out of 10 they will say, “diversification.”  It is critical to have income coming in from different avenues.  So HOW do you diversify your wedding business?  Here are a couple of options:





1. Proposal Planning





Offering Proposal Planning is such an amazing way to diversify your services.  The market is huge and the earning potential is too.  It is also such a great compliment to your existing wedding business!  A photographer, florist, planner, videographer, or venue can easily adapt their marketing plan to start attracting clients looking to propose.  And who will that client call to photograph their wedding day? Provide their wedding flowers? Plan their wedding?  YOU!!





Download my FREE resource, “3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services To Your Existing Services NOW!!”





2. Pop-Up Wedding Packages





When I started my Proposal Planning company, The Heart Bandits, I knew I needed to diversify. Wedding Planning made sense but the market is so saturated and bridezillas are not my jam.  So I decided to start a pop-up wedding business where I sell simple, streamlined pop-up wedding packages. This is a great way to diversify because once the packages are built, they are so streamlined that they are a really simple way to get a nice cash injection into your business.  And these types of weddings don’t follow any traditional wedding rules.  They are popular during off-seasons and they don’t take much time to plan.  These packages are great for any wedding vendor to add on and pop-up weddings, microweddings, and elopements are all the rage right now due to the pandemic.  When it ends, you will have a whole new source of revenue coming in!





Download my FREE resource, “The Ultimate Guide To Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages“





The Heart Bandits Academy is the only educator teaching you how to become a Proposal Planner.  Sign up here and follow my journey from being a Proposal Planner to educator teaching students around the world how to market their business to clients looking to propose.


          
Enrollment for The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint Is Open!!
proposal planning


The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™ is open for enrollment for just a FEW more days.





This course is a MUST have if you are:





  • Wanting to start your own Proposal Planning business
  • A Wedding Planner wanting to add Proposal Planning services to your existing business
  • A Wedding vendor (photographer, videographer, venue, travel agent, jeweler, etc.) that wants to start marketing to Proposers
  • A Proposal Planner that isn’t getting as much business as you think you should 





In this course, I teach you:





Module 1: Introduction to the Proposal Planning Industry (This is where I will teach you everything you need to know about the industry)





Module 2: Building your business foundation (Here I will teach you how to stand out in this industry)





Module 3: Getting started ONLINE (Here is where you are going to be creating your website, social media accounts, etc.)





Module 4: Getting started OFFLINE (This is where you will discover if you need a license, permits, etc.)





Module 5: Proposal Planning 101 (I am going to walk you through exactly how to plan a marriage proposal from A-Z)





Module 6: Create your Proposal Planning offering (This is where you are going to create your packages, price them, create all the documents you need to get up and running, and more)





Module 7: Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy (This is the big one – this is where I teach you everything you need to know about marketing proposal planning.  This can be applied to ANY industry that wants to focus on proposers!)





Module 8: Maintenance mode (Here you will learn how to make sure you continually get proposal clients and have a CONSISTENT source of revenue)





You will also get a Proposal Planning certification!





PLUS, you will get 3 bonuses:





🎊 Bonus #1: Secret IG Strategy To Get You In Front Of Your Target Audience Fast





🎊 Bonus #2: Case Study: Behind The Scenes Planning Of A Proposal From A-Z





🎊 Bonus #3: How To Re-purpose Your Content For Your Blog & Social Media





Learn more about the program or enroll here:







   
Avoid This Mistake That Can Cost You Thousands


There is one mistake I see aspiring Proposal Planners make time and time again. This is a mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars AND waste weeks or months of your time.  That mistake is……signing up for a Wedding Course or Wedding Certificate program.





Now don’t get me wrong, if you are hoping to be a Wedding Planner then these courses might be just what you need.  But a Wedding Course will simply NOT teach you how to be a Proposal Planner.  Proposal Planning is its own specialty and if you are going to learn how to be a Proposal Planner, you need to learn FROM a Proposal Planner.  





Here are the ways that Proposal Planning is very different than Wedding Planning





  1. Completely Different Target Market – Wedding Planners typically target females and brides.  You will be targeting males.  
  2. Different Marketing Strategy – I have spent 10 years marketing to the proposal client and believe me when I say, marketing to guys is completely different than marketing to a bride.  
  3. Each Event Is Different- A Wedding typically follows the same itinerary.  There is a ceremony then a reception with cake cutting, dancing, bouquet toss, etc.  With proposals, things are always different.  One day I am organizing a 50 person flash mob, the next day I am organizing a helicopter landing on a skyscraper, and the next working with the cast of The Nutcracker to create the perfect ballet proposal.





This is why it is CRITICAL that you learn how to be a Proposal Planner from a Proposal Planner.  To get started, I have some free resources for you below.







          
What is the ONE thing you need to know to about Proposal Planning?







to know the ONE thing you need to know about Proposal Planning to be successful?  Of course you do!  And I am so honored to be in a position to be able to share that with you.





When I first started Proposal Planning 10 years ago, there were absolutely no resources out there for me.





There were no mentors, no courses, no content ideas, no guidance whatsoever.  I had to figure out how to do everything on my own. 





After spending a decade planning over 4,000 proposals and earning 7 figures doing so, I can say with absolute confidence that if you want to be successful at Proposal Planning, there is one thing you must understand…





Marketing to the Proposer!





I see so many mistakes from other Proposal Planners in this area.  There is a misconception that simply putting up proposal pictures and saying you’re a Proposal Planner is enough and that if you do that, clients will just start pouring in.





But that couldn’t be further from the truth.  





If you want to succeed at being a Proposal Planner, you must truly understand the Proposer.  You need to understand their wants, their fears, and what motivates them to buy.  And I know just how to do that. If that interests you, I have a great FREE resource for you.  Download my Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy here.





If you want me to show you how to set up your Proposal Planning business step-by-step AND teach you my effective marketing strategies, then join the Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™ waitlist below.





Join the Waitlist here





Join my Private Proposal Planning Community