As an event planner, you might find yourself answering the same questions over and over again with clients, especially if you’ve been in the industry for a considerable amount of time. At Fun Planners, we work with several different types of event planners, and we can see their frustration grow with clients and potential clients with some of the questions. We want to review some of these questions in this blog, and make sure you know how to properly respond to each one of them
Question #1: So, you plan parties?
Event planners tend to get this question a lot. With someone without any comprehension of the services that are provided by an event planner, along with the expertise required to execute the job successfully, you’ll find they fall short of your expectations. As an event planner, you may have a ton of respect for party planners, but if you organize Florida corporate events and conferences, you know that your role is significantly different.
While you want to remain diplomatic, it’s important to be kind, but educational. You may want to start by saying “While we have similar foundational competencies, I actually organize and plan [insert type of events here].” Who knows? You might actually make new customers once they understand exactly what you do.
Question #2: There’s a degree for that?
While some people phrase that question with so much utter disbelief that you almost cannot believe it yourself, be proud of your degree that you worked so hard for. While many find that event planning is an innate ability rather than a learned skill, there is an event management degree available at universities and community colleges. The degrees that are available tend to have a strong focus on courses with competencies in finance, marketing, project management, innovation, and human resources. You can definitely use this information when answering the person asking this particular question.
Question #3: How many celebrities do you know?
While some people make think that event planners are more like party planners, others will think that you’re living a glamorous lifestyle where you rub elbows with the rich and famous, even if what you do is organize corporate holiday parties and team building events. If you do happen to work with celebrities, you need to ensure you honor all the professionalism and confidentiality conditions in your contracts. Also, if you communicate with the person who poses this question to you an actual celeb that you know, you might find they aren’t a fan, and that bias will translate to your relationship with them. Navigate carefully.
Question #4: Do you provide pro-bono work?
At some point in time, almost everyone you come across will need to organize or plan an event. And, as you probably already know, the first person they will call is you. Some will understand the way it works and will make sure that they pay you your normal rates or even your rates at a slight discount, but there will always be those looking to plan their parties on a budget and ask for your services at no cost. You have to remember that your time and your expertise are worth money, but if this is a potential client, a family member or a friend, you need to tread carefully. If this person asking is involved in a charitable organization that you are passionate about, consider providing your expertise at no cost for a good cause.
Question #5: Can you help me put on my event tomorrow?
While this question is not common, it’s not a fun thing to encounter. A last minute event always takes extra work, extra time, and even some extra special connections. As an event planner, you can agree to take on the extra work/last minute work, but you need to make sure you’re properly compensated for the last minute efforts.
We love working with event planners at Fun Planners, and we want to help them as much as possible. Learn more about our Florida corporate event services and rentals available by browsing through our blogs or website. Contact us today for a quote by calling 407-880-3521.
