ADVICE - Should I book with a couple that already fired their planner?

I love this question. While it’s not a huge percentage, did you know it’s actually pretty common for couples to need to move of from their planner because they are not a good fit?

And can I tell you a secret? Some of my very best clients have hired me after they fired their first planner. That’s not something I ever expected.

If you really think about it- how are couples supposed to truly understand what they need, who they need and their actual expectations when planners are often one of the first decisions? Not to mention, there are such a wide range of planners, services, processes and levels of expertise. Honestly this is part of why Planner Life Academy exists!

And on the planner side- so many planners lack a solid process, fail to provide a good client experience and take on too much work in order to make a living. These planners are burnt out and failing clients.

In my experience (& all over reddit), couples let go of their planners for the following reasons:

• The planner ran away with the budget.

• They feel like the communication is lacking.

• They feel like there isn’t a clear process and plan, they have to keep asking what’s next?

• The planner misses deadlines, important details and seems too busy to do the job well.

• The planner is simply too busy.

• The fee is way too high for the services actually being provided.

But back to the question - Should I book with a couple that already fired their planner?

The simple answer is maybe. But you’ll want to do a few things first to really evaluate if you should. Diving deeper into what to do below:

GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WENT WRONG

You need to have an honest conversation about the couple’s experience with the previous planner to better understand what the issues really were. Often it is a combination of unmet expectations and mistakes. You need to ask the couple where things went well and where they went wrong? Was some of that a lack of experience or did they have unrealistic expectations?

IS THIS COUPLE THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU

In this conversation are there any red flags? Does this couple feel like a good fit for you or are you just feeling pressured to save the day? Just because you can do better than the other planner, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. BUT if there are green flags and you know you have the processes, time and capacity to do better- then do it!

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS

Let’s be sure to set everyone up for success. It’s so important to ask. “What would a successful planning experience look like for you?” “How often do you expect to communicate?”

BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE STATUS OF PLANNING

What has been planned and what has not? I recently took over a couple 60 days out and while the couples thought everything had been planned, once I reviewed the contracts, timeline, layouts and design - they all needed a complete overhaul! So be sure you know what services you are really going to provide and be sure to charge accordingly.

CREATE A CLEAR PLAN MOVING FORWARD

It’s likely a huge part of the problem with the previous planner was the process. Be sure to create a clear plan moving forward, you’ll need to earn the couple’s trust and they have already been burned so you need to stay ahead of their concerns, deadlines and stressors.

CHECK IN TO ENSURE YOU ARE ON THE SAME PAGE
Once you get into accomplishing a few things, be sure to check in and see how things are going, There may need to be small tweaks to ensure you all stay on the same page.

USE THIS EXPERIENCE TO REFLECT AND LEARN

If you look at the situation- what a gift! I new client and a chance to learn from someone else’s mistakes. Be sure to use this opportunity to reflect on your process, your education and your client experience. Edit as needed to ensure you have happy clients who love working with you.

ASK FOR FEEDBACK AFTER

This couple likely is paying attention more than most. Be sure to ask for detailed feedback on the process, their experience and the end result. So often this feedback is filled with tiny things we wouldn’t know if we hadn’t asked.

Happy Planning!

Always Cheering you on!

XO, Heather

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