When it comes to choosing a wedding venue, couples have a lot to take into consideration. One consideration that is most often overlooked is the couples' impression of and experience communicating with the venue host.

We've pulled together four questions that you should be asking yourself every time you receive an inquiry. By being more mindful about how you respond to your inquiries, you'll be sure to leave a positive impression and increase your likelihood of booking a new event.

Let's take a look...

How quickly are you responding?

Try and respond within 24 hours.

When a couple inquires about your venue, it means that something about it stood out to them enough to want to reach out. Take it as a compliment and show your appreciation by answering in a timely manner. This is a very easy way for you to show the couple that their business means something to you.

Want to know what your average response time is at any given time? Head into the Communication tab of your Analytics where you will be able to see what percentage of your inquiries that you respond to in less than 24 hours.

What are you including in your reply?

Gone are the days of the 'attached is more info. Let me know if you want to tour.' response- if a couple is going to trust you and your venue with the most important day of their lives, they are going to expect some level of effort on your behalf to sell them on it!

Try and follow a similar template as below to cover off on being informative while also incorporating some personality into your reply-

Answer their questions. Acknowledge that you read their message and give it a meaningful response. You'll be surprised at how far this simple gesture goes.

Try and include relevant anecdotes. Did another couple recently host an event during the same time of year or have similar elements in their vision? Mention it in your response. Not only will this show the couple that are you invested in the success of their special day, but it will also give them peace of mind that you can help them make their vision come alive at your venue.

Ask questions. A great way to continue a conversation with a couple is to ask a question. Perhaps they didn't go into a lot of detail about their vision, ask what time of year they were hoping for or if they've already started their vendor search...This action may trigger a vendor recommendation or a layout suggestion that helps the couple feel more confident about their vision at your venue!

Example of a good response:

How are you sending your response?

Another important thing to bear in mind when compiling a response is the tone of the message and the method of delivery for it-

Whether a couple is straight to the point and wants to get things done over the phone, or they are looking to spend time getting to know you over email- recognize each couple's preferred method of contact and try and mirror it in your response.

The fact that you've taken the time to acknowledge and respect their preferences, will go a long way with the couple.

Example of a good response:

Have you followed up?

Be sure to follow up at least once with the couple.

You know firsthand how busy life can get. Similar to your own crazy schedule of managing your work and incoming inquiries, couples are also tasked with managing their own lives and trying to plan their wedding!

If you want to remain top-of-mind and continue to show the couple that you value their business, try and get back to the top of their inbox by checking back in and giving them another chance to respond.

Example of a good response:

At the end of the day, there will always be leads that don't go anywhere but by making small tweaks to how you respond to those leads, you'll be sure to increase your chances of bookings and leaving a positive impression!

Interested in learning about how lead management tools could power your business? Learn more here or schedule a call with a Weven team member.