How To Increase Your Leads Immediately

Years ago I hit a bump in the road with my event planning business.  My leads had slowed down, sales had decreased, and so I did what most people do at a time like that.  I panicked.

 
One of the first things I did was spend THOUSANDS of dollars hiring an SEO firm to go through every detail of my website to find out how I could better optimize it to rank for Google. And one of the very first things they pointed out was a simple fix that had a HUGE impact.  My contact form was too long!!


How many times have you gone to a website and the contact form is just overwhelming?  You know the ones that ask you things like what is your favorite cookie, asks you to “tell a little bit about yourself,” or has you put in every single detail about the potential event?


The people that have these types of contact forms (and you might be one) are well-meaning.  They want to stand out or find ways to connect with you by asking you personal questions. Some want to be efficient and get as much information from you as they can so that they can properly quote you.  But what they are really doing is asking TOO much from a potential lead.


If you are so niched that there is no one else out there that can fill their need, they may fill out your form.  But if you are in a market where there are plenty of fish of the sea, you are going to lose some of your leads. 

I will be honest, when I am looking for vendors for my clients and I come upon these types of contact forms, I go elsewhere.  I don’t have the time or patience to fill out 50 questions when I simply need a quote.  I scan the contact form for an email address and email them directly. If they don’t have an email address, I find someone else.  And you may have done that too.  Sadly, not everyone will even scan your site for the email.


So if you want to increase your leads in a big way without spending a ton of time, follow these steps.

  1. Make our contact form short. People shouldn’t have to scroll down to see it all.
  2. Only ask for critical information. Name, email (or number if you prefer), and what they need.
  3. Cut out all non-relevant questions. Do you really need to know their address, their partner’s name, etc. Those things are nice to know but if it cost’s you a lead, is it worth it?

Now sit back and enjoy the additional leads you will get simply from minimizing your contact form. If you are an Event Planner wanting to diversify your Wedding Business income, check out my FREE resources here:

Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning To Your Services NOW!​

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages

Email Marketing 101

Last week I talked about the mistake I made that cost me thousands of dollars. That mistake was not creating an email list that I could nurture and continue to market to. This week, I thought it would make sense if I explained exactly HOW to set up your email marketing strategy.

Step 1: Choose An Email Marketing Provider

You are going to need a service that can collect all of your emails and allow for you to easily email your list. I personally use Convertkit.

Step 2: Create An Opt-In

Once you have the email marketing provider in place, you need a way for your website to collect the email addresses and automatically put them in your email provider. You DEFINITELY don’t want to have to do this manually. The way that you collect the emails is by having an opt-in form on your website. You are going to offer them something for free (next step) in exchange for them providing their email address.

Step 3: Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet

If someone inquires about your services via email, then you can easily put them in your email list. But what about all the people that come to your website that don’t inquire? They aren’t just going to freely hand over their email address. You have to offer them something FREE, that is soooooo irresistible, they are willing to hand over their email address for it.

Some ideas for a lead magnet are free downloads, quizzes, guides, mistakes to avoid, how to save money tips, etc. Once you have a lead magnet that you think will be irresistible to your target market, create that resource.

Step 4: Nurture That List

The last thing you want to do is get all of those email addresses and then do nothing with them. To make this all worth while, you need to email your list on a frequent and consistent basis. Only you will know how often you should send out emails. I personally try to send one a week. I recommend doing it no less than once a month. This email can be updates about your business, highlights of your service, advice, or special deals you are running. And what this email does is put you in your customers minds on a frequent and consistent basis so that when they think about who to hire for the service they offer, they automatically think you.

Ready to get service about starting your pop-up wedding business? Want to learn how to be a Proposal Planner? Sign up for my FREE resources below:

When Is The Best Time To Start Offering Proposal Planning Services?

I was inspired to write this blog post by a few of my social media followers. Over the last year, I have been emailed by several potential Proposal Planners and they have been asking me the same question. When is the best time to start offering Proposal Planning services? One of my followers is in college finishing her degree and asked me, “Should I get started now if I am still in school?” A busy mom emailed me wondering if she could pull it off with young kids at home.

And I completely get it because I have been there before. When I started The Heart Bandits, I had a six figure corporate job and I was only 30. I kept thinking, should I really blow this business up and walk away from my “secure” corporate job when I am already this far up and I have 30-40 more working years left? I remember when I had my daughter, I thought, “how can I pull off raising a child and running my own business?”

But I am here to tell you that all of that self-talk is just your brain’s way of making you think that it is ok to put this off. Because if you put it off, you don’t have to face any of the unknowns that you will face as an entrepreneur. But what your brain isn’t telling you is that by putting it off, you also don’t get to experience all of the amazing and rewarding things that entrepreneurship, and more specifically Proposal Planning, can bring to your life.

When I worked a six figure job, I:

Worked 40+ hours a week to make someone else rich

Had to request time off to be able to visit family or travel

Would have had to go back to work after maternity leave when my time ran out, NOT when I was ready

Was always worried about job security

But since I took the leap of faith and started my own Proposal Planning biz, I:

Set my own schedule and every minute I spend on my business goes into MY pocket

I earn a MULTIPLE six figure income

I go on vacation when I want

I spend as much time with my children as I want

So back to the question. When is the right time to start offering Proposal Planning services? The truth is, there is NEVER going to be the perfect time. There will always be reasons why you “should not start now” or reasons you should wait. So what you MUST do, is do it NOW.

Just get started. Even if it takes you a while to launch, at least if you get started now you will be working towards something that is yours. And the very first step to building your own six figure Proposal Planning business, is simply getting started.

The right time to start offering Proposal Planning services is NOW. The industry is growing, the demand is high, the money is on the table. Take it!

Want to find out the top reasons why you need to start offering Proposal Planning? Download my FREE resources below.

How To Identify Your Target Market

If you are a Wedding Planner that is launching Proposal Planning services for the first time, you are probably overwhelmed at the thought of targeting this new market. After all, you are used to targeting brides in your current marking and this is a big change. And if you are new to event planning and starting your own Proposal Planning business, this is likely your first time needing to identify your target market and that can be a lot as well.

If you really want to intimately understand the type of client that books a Proposal Planner, you won’t want to miss my FREE masterclass that is coming up in March. Sign up for the waitlist here. In this masterclass, I go over the characteristics that almost ALL proposal clients have in common. But each Proposal Planner will also have a target market this is more specific to the type of client THEY want to serve. So how do you identify that market?

What Is A Target Market

Before going forward, we should define what exactly I mean when I say target market. A target market is a specific, defined segment of consumers that a company plans to serve with its services. So all Proposal Planners are targeting clients looking to propose. But you want to figure out which segment of those clients you most want to target. Examples might be LGBTQ+ community, luxury clients, etc.

Why This Is Important

You need to know exactly who you are targeting BEFORE you create any marketing materials. Marketing materials include your website, social media profiles & content, blogs, and more.

How To Determine Your Target Market

  1. Think about which segment of the market you want to service. Again, examples of this could be the LGBTQ+ community, luxury clients, etc.
  2. Think about the characteristics of that market and the aesthetic they may like. For example, for the LGBTQ+ community you may want to use bright colors and feature same sex couples throughout your website. For a luxury client, you may wish to stick to a neutral palette and a modern design.
  3. Brainstorm where this target market hangs out online. What Instagram profiles to they follow, what blogs do they read, etc?
  4. What are their hobbies and interests? For example, if you are targeting ultra high end clients, maybe they play golf and fly in private jets.
  5. Think about their values. Do they value exclusivity (being offered something no one else can get)? Do they value equality, being offered the same thing everyone else can get?

What To Do With This Information

Once you have done research on your target market, you will take everything you discovered and use it in your marketing. If you are a Wedding Planner, you will use this to create your Proposal Planning page, your blogs that are geared towards the proposer, your social media content, and your keywords & hashtag strategy. If you are new to event planning, you will use this information to create your website, your social media profiles, and all of your content, keywords, and hashtags.

Wondering if becoming a Proposal Planner is right for you? Check out my FREE downloads below.

Do You Really Need A Blog?

A question my students ask me all the time is, “Do I Really Need A Blog?” And the answer is, “YES!”

Now I know why people ask this question. I think I can safely say that most of us don’t actually WANT to write a blog. And why is that? Well, because writing a blog is time consuming and quite frankly, it can get exhausting.

So why not just scrap it then? Well there are actually 2 very important reasons:

1) SEO

Writing a blog is a CRITICAL part of your SEO strategy. When Google (or another search engine) crawls your website, it is looking for relevant keywords and fresh content. If you only have a website and no blog, there won’t be any fresh content and there will be limited keywords. However, if you write consistent blogs, you are CONSTANTLY sending signals to Google that you are the authority on the subject you are writing on. You are adding keywords over and over again and adding fresh content. If you do this CONSISTENTLY, Google will reward you by ranking you for your keywords.

2) Establishes You As An Expert

Another reason a blog is critical, is that your blog lets your target market know you are an expert in your field. For example, if someone goes to a Proposal Planner’s website and they have no blog, they can only review the website and photos. But if they go to YOUR website that has a blog that covers all kinds of Proposal topics, you are going to appear like a true expert in the field. They will also spend way more time on your site because you have so much content on your site that actually helps them with their marriage proposal. And lastly, each blog you write is an opportunity to sell your services.

So now that you know you must include a blog in your marketing strategy, how do you get started? You can start by downloading my FREE resource, Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy.

Want to take it a step further? Join me in my FREE Masterclass, “3 Simple Secrets You Need To Know To Effectively Market To The Proposal Planning Client.”

How Getting Featured In Media Can Boost Your Biz

My absolute favorite module of my Proposal Planning course is “Getting Featured In Media.” Why? Well because getting featured in media can really boost your business in ways you may not even know about. I want to talk about some of the ways that being featured in media can really boost your biz.

First, let me define “media.” Media is the main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively. So this means TV, radio, print, and Internet.

When you are featured in media, there are 3 things that can happen that can really boost your biz:

1. Potential Clients Will See The Media

This is probably the number one reason people hope to get PR. When you are featured in a major media outlet, you are going to get your name in front of potential clients. Some of them may contact you right after the feature and some of them will save your information for later. They may even tell their friends about your services weeks or months later in conversation. So the more media exposure you get, the more potential clients will hear about you. Now this is an amazing benefit to be featured in the media, but not the only one.

2. Potential Partners Will See The Media

One of the things that typically happens when you are featured in the media that you may NOT think about is that potential partners will see the media. Now what do I mean by this? Well let’s look at my business The Heart Bandits. After I was featured in New York Times, I had restaurants, jewelry stores, and many other vendors reaching out to me. They emailed me to say they saw my feature and they wanted to collaborate with me. Creating a partnership can not only boost your sales, but can get you in front of a whole new audience.

3. Other Media Outlets Will See The Media

Unless you have been featured in a lot of media, this may never even cross your mind. But when you are featured in major media, there is a high probability that other media outlets will see it. Again, let’s take my company as an example. After I was featured in Good Morning America, I was contacted by the Oprah Network, Time Magazine, and LA Times. They wanted to feature me as well!

All of these reasons are EXACTLY why I urge all of my students to try to get media when they launch their Proposal Planning businesses or services. Not only that, but I walk them through my PROVEN techniques on how to get featured. And believe me, they work.

Just ask my student Jasmine from Jasmine Rose Events who just emailed me that she is going to be featured in The Boston Globe and she JUST LAUNCHED!!!!

If you want to find out how starting a Proposal Planning business can transform your life, download my FREE guide here:

How The Pandemic Inspired The Heart Bandits Academy

When I was 7 years old I turned my first profit. I created a neighborhood circus and I recruited the talent, marketed the show, sold tickets, and made money.

I got my first taste of being an entrepreneur then and have been chasing that thrilling rush ever since.

I know EXACTLY what it is like to be an entrepreneur with no business idea. Or an an entrepreneur with an idea but feeling much too overwhelmed about getting started.

I know what it is like to want something so bad but not have a clear path to get there.

Because of this, I always wanted to create a training program for entrepreneurs that wanted to follow my path and start their own Proposal Planning biz.

After spending a decade running the world’s most successful Proposal Planning business, and after receiving hundred is not thousands of emails from people all around the world asking me for advice on how to start Proposal Planning, I believed this was my next calling.

But I just never had the time to do it.

And then the pandemic hit. And my industry was ravaged by a blow of event bans and gathering size limitations.

I knew I had to step up.

I created The Heart Bandits Academy and quickly launched my first course designed to help Wedding Planners pivot their business and offer Proposal Planning. And in about a month, I am going to launch The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™which will teach entrepreneurs how to start their own Proposal Planning biz from the ground up.

In The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™, I teach:

  • Everything you need to know about the Proposal Planning industry
  • How to choose your Proposal Planning target market, niche, and style
  • Create a solid Proposal Planning Business Plan
  • Develop a business naming strategy and tools to create your website
  • How to plan a proposal from A-Z
  • How to price your Proposal Planning services
  • Develop a robust Proposal Planning marketing strategy
  • How to maintain the momentum and continue to grow

If you want to be the first to know about the launch, make sure to join the Waitlist 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.

Proposal Planning During The Pandemic

proposal planning during the pandemic
proposal planning during the pandemic

I just wrapped up my 4th FREE masterclass this week called, “3 Simple Secrets You Need To Know To Effectively Market To The Proposal Planning Client.” (If you missed it and want the replay in the next 48 hours, email me at info@theheartbanditsacademy.com) One of the questions that my students kept asking is, “Are you still planning proposals during the pandemic?” And the answer is, YES!!!

I’ll be honest, in March when the pandemic first hit it shook the entire world. No one was calling that month to get engaged. Everyone was in shock and getting used to our new world. And as a business owner, I was using that time to brainstorm how I could pivot my business when people were ready to buy again – just like you!

Fortunately for me, proposals typically only involve the couple, so we were able to get back to work pretty quickly. And you know what, I think the pandemic made people realize even more that they were with the right person, because we got very busy. But still, things looked a bit different. Instead of renting out elaborate venues, our clients were asking us to come to their homes and either completely transform the inside OR to decorate the facade of their houses. I actually found it refreshing to be able to plan such intimate proposals in the environment where the couple had shared so many memories.

When things opened a little more, we started doing really pretty setups on the beach, parks, airbnb’s, hotel rooms, and venues (depending on the city we were planning in). We also got to be creative and do social distancing flash mobs and musical performances where the musicians had on masks that spelled out “Will You Marry Me?”

So as you can see, Proposal Planning during the pandemic is very much still going on. And this is why I encourage you Wedding Planners, no…. I URGE you, to start offering Proposal Planning services. Not only will it help you get through this time period but when life goes back to normal, you will already have this service set up and working for you.

===>>>Not convinced yet, download my FREE Resource, “Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services Now.”

If you are convinced and you are ready to get started, you have 2 options.

Option 1: You start setting up Proposal Planning services on your own

Download my FREE Resource, “4 Things You Can Start Doing TODAY TO Start Proposal Planning.”

Download my FREE Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy and get started working on that marketing plan.

Option 2: You want a step-by-step implementation guide with proven results so that you launch quickly and do it right the first time

Introducing Proposal Planning Formula™.

In Proposal Planning Formula™, I’ve taken everything I have learned over the last decade about Proposal Planning and marketing marriage proposal services (over 4,000 proposals planned and $5M revenue earned), and channeled it into a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan teaching you not only how to effectively start offering Proposal Planning, but to actually EXECUTE a marketing strategy that provides results.

Proposal Planning Formula™ is the only course of its kind that teaches you how to launch quickly, provides you a complete marketing plan, and focuses on maintenance.  

To learn more, all you have to do is head to www.theheartbanditsacademy.com/proposalplanningformula

Whichever option you do, I fully support you and just know you will do great things.

3 Mistakes Wedding Planners Make When Marketing Proposal Planning Services

proposal planning

If you weren’t able to make it to my Facebook Live today, don’t worry, I have you covered. I discussed the 3 Mistakes Wedding Planners Make When Marketing Proposal Planning Services (and how to fix them asap!) Don’t feel like watching the video? Let me recap it for you here.

Now whether you have tried offering Proposal Planning but it hasn’t had any traction OR you haven’t even started offering it yet but you want to make sure you do it the right way, learning from these mistakes will be critical to the success of your marketing strategy. 

And the good news is, they are easy to fix!

Mistake #1: Not Properly Advertising Proposal Planning Services

When I started Proposal Planning Academy and became a Proposal Planning Coach, I interviewed several Wedding Planners and asked them why they were not yet offering Proposal Planning services. Some of their answers truly surprised me because some of them said, “I do already offer it!” But when I asked them WHERE they are advertising the service, some of them said WeddingWire.

Now here is a tip, guys that are looking to plan a marriage proposal are NOT looking on Wedding Wire for a planner. In fact, I challenge you to find 5 guys that are not married that have even heard of Wedding Wire.

You have to be intentional with your decision on how to market your services.

This fix is totally doable right?

Mistake #2: Calling the Proposer the “Groom”  in your messaging

This is actually my pet peeve! A client that is looking to propose literally just made the biggest decision of their life up until this point. They just bought the ring, they are looking for the perfect proposal idea, and you already have them walking down the aisle in a tuxedo!! PUMP THE BRAKES!

These client’s are not ready to see themselves as a groom yet.  They are just taking the first step to finally ask someone to marry them.  They don’t want to be rushed.  You need to meet them where they are.  You should call the person proposing, the Proposer.  

Easy enough right?

Mistake #3: Not knowing where they hangout online

You probably know exactly where a bride hangs out online, right? They are on the Green Wedding Shoes Blog, the Ruffled IG account, and The Knot. But you know what, your target market who is predominately male, is NOT! You need to figure out where he hangs out online if you want to learn more about him.

This is good stuff right?

Do you see how even avoiding these 3 steps can really get you on the right path to attracting Proposal Planning clients?  Imagine what it would feel like if you intimately understood the Proposer and knew EXACTLY how to target them?  Well, if you liked today’s LIVE and blog, I have even more to share with you.  I have a free Masterclass coming up in a few days and you won’t want to miss this.

The free Masterclass is called, “3 Simple Secrets You Need To Know To Effectively Market To The Proposal Planning Client” and I am going to share intimate details about who the Proposer is, what they fear, and what they want to spend money on.

 Plus, I will have more time for some real-time Q&A if you have any questions. Go to www.theheartbanditsacademy.com/masterclass to get all the details… it will be live, so you don’t want to miss it. I hope to see you there!”