How to Use Aisle Planner's Business Management Tools to Book Clients

How to Use Aisle Planner’s Business Management Tools to Book Clients
October 19, 2017

In the last year you've seen your Aisle Planner accounts go from "just" planning tools to a powerful platform that also includes business management tools! And, as many of you sit down to fine tune things for booking season, we thought it would be a great time to run through how all of our business management tools will help you streamline your process. Read on to learn how to use Aisle Planner’s business tools to book clients!

How to Use Aisle Planner's Business Management Tools to Book Clients

It Starts With Lead Capture

When a client is excited to learn more about your services and wants to get in touch, it is important to make it that first contact easy -  for both you and them! And, over the last year, we added a couple of lead management tools that make it just that. When you start by linking your Aisle Planner Lead Contact form on your website, your potential clients (PNCs) can quickly complete the form and get you the basic information you need. The bonus for you?  When those PNCs complete the form, a lead record will automatically be created in your account – and you’ll receive a notification.

Pro Tip: We recently added Lead Inquiry Auto-Responders so those PNCs receive a customized message within moments of completing the form! And, since you can attach things like your brochure to the message, you can make a great first impression!

Stay Organized With Lead Management

When that inquiry is sent, it'll land in your Lead Management tool. (And our guess is that with booking season right around the corner, it is going to be one of the features you use the most.) After you've received notification that a new lead has been created, you can use the Lead Management tool to:

  • Reference all of the event information that was provided in the initial inquiry
  • Track notes about the potential clients
  • Assign team member responsibility for different leads
  • Track the status and dates you last contacted them
Pro Tip: Send your brochures, proposals, quotes, contracts, and invoices from within the Lead Record to keep them organized and easy to reference!

How to Use Aisle Planner's Business Management Tools to Book Clients

Quickly Send Quotes and Proposals

As you learn more about what your PNCs need and envision for their wedding or event, you can customize one of your Quote or Proposal templates to make it clear that you are the right person for the job. Use these features to share the details about how you are customizing your services and send them off to those eager-to-sign-clients in no time! Depending on your workflow, you can (and should) send a:

Proposal for Services – Send your PNCs an initial proposal that outlines the details of what’s included in the services they are considering.

Quote - Build an interactive quote that allows your PNCs to see how different combinations of services affect the total package price – without having to ask you about each and every one.

Make It Official With Contracts

Once your PNCs are ready to become clients (cue the confetti), simply pull up your Contract template, customize it with the details for that particular wedding or event, and send it off for signature!

Pro Tip: We recently added the ability to have multiple signers on a contract so, the MOB who is paying the bills can easily be included in addition to the couple!

How to Use Aisle Planner's Business Management Tools to Book Clients

Send Invoices To Secure Deposits (And Get Paid Quickly With Online Payments)

As you wait to receive notification that the contract has been signed (don’t get too comfy, with electronic signatures on our contracts, it’ll happen fast!) you can prepare an invoice to send to your newly booked clients.

No need to build an invoice from scratch! You can create an invoice directly from an accepted quote in just one click – and it will automatically include all of the selections they made. From there, you can make any necessary revisions as well as set up a payment schedule and set up automatic payment reminders.

Pro Tip: Remember to set up your Online Payments account so that your couples and clients can pay you quickly and easily with a credit card!

Create A Project In One Click!

Now that you’ve got once less available date on your calendar, creating a project on your dashboard is easy! Hop back into your Lead Management tool and click into the Lead Record of the client you just booked. Then, click on the gold export button you see in the upper right hand corner of your screen and select “Create Project.” A project will automatically be created for you and you can kick off the planning process!

Pro Tip: Once you’ve booked a new client and created a project for them, follow up with a design proposal that beautifully outlines your design ideas. You can build this off of a Note template and create a few Style Guides to get them going.

 

How have our business management tools helped you streamline your booking process? We’d love to hear in the comments below!
Share

About the Author

Aisle Planner Editorial Team
Aisle Planner Editorial Team
The Aisle Planner Editorial Team is a collective of creative writers, editors, and former event pros who obsess over weddings and special events—and the businesses behind them! Drawn to refined details, design, and creativity, our team provides intelligent and straightforward articles with insights, practical tips, and expert guidance in putting Aisle Planner's "Power of One" behind your business.