3 (Easy!) Ways Technology Can Help Keep Your Business Going

Now, more than ever, is a great time to re-examine your sales and marketing processes to find ways to make the entire experience more seamless. Here are three simple ways to make that happen virtually.

1. Address Availability With An Online Calendar 

Look into a calendar plug-in for your website (Calend.ly is a good option). That way, when your couple lands on your site, they’ll know exactly when you’re available for a consultation or tour. Solopreneurs and venues facing packed 2021 weekends: you can also add weekend availability so that couples know exactly when you can help them.

Wedding Pro Tip: Your WeddingWire Storefront profile includes an Availability feature that allows you to customize and add in your booked dates–take advantage!

2. Create Transparency With Easily Accessible Online PDFs

Have printed marketing materials that you used to use for in-person meetings? Get those online and in a format that is easily accessible to future clients (read: mobile friendly!). 

Wedding Pro Tip: If you haven’t used the pricing PDF feature on The Knot and WeddingWire, it’s time you took a look. Couples perusing your profile can easily access your pricing (which means by the time they reach out to you, they’ll already be qualified). 

3. Provide an Experience by Offering Virtual Video Meetings (Plus Tours, Try-Ons, Tastings, Design Meetings and More!)

There’s no better way to truly get to know your clients than by meeting in person but during these times, virtual video meetings are the next best thing. Use video meetings to get to know your couples and what they’re looking for. Think: Virtual tours, try-ons, tastings, and design meetings that help your client understand the product and experience. We highly recommend you find ways to incorporate virtual meetings into your sales and marketing process. 

Wedding Pro Tip: If this is your first time setting up a virtual video meeting with a client, know that you have several options. Below, a rundown of the three most popular solutions, plus how to set it up!

Zoom Virtual Video Meetings

Zoom is a web-based video tool that you can use on a desktop, laptop or your phone (there’s an app!). You can use Zoom with or without video but we highly recommend using video since it’s more personal. It’s free to create an account and if you’re doing 1:1 appointments, you should be able to use the basic account. If you’re hoping to host 3 or more people on a call, then you might want to upgrade your account since Zoom will limit your meeting calls to 45 minutes. 

How to Set Up a Zoom Video Meeting With a Client:

1. Go to Zoom.us and toggle over to the “Host a Meeting” tab on the upper right hand corner
2. Select video chat on/off (we highly recommend you leave it on!)
3. From there, you’ll be prompted to sign in or create an account (the basic account is free and if you’re doing 1:1 appointments, you should be able to use that option!)
4. Next, send out the meeting details to your client via email or text. Make sure you include the meeting ID and the link.
5. When it comes time for the meeting, simply click the link to launch Zoom.us, and don’t forget to turn on your video and microphone (in the lower left hand corner)

Note: Zoom will also let you share your screen (which can come in handy if you’re trying to illustrate your ideas with designs or other visuals). To share your screen, click “Share Screen” (in the bottom right hand corner). When you want to stop sharing, click “Stop Sharing.”

Google Hangouts

This is a great option for those who are already familiar with Google’s email suite and are using it because it’s built in. You can host a Google Video Hangout from a desktop computer, laptop or even your phone. Hosting a hangout is also entirely free to use–it just requires that you are using Gmail to manage your email.  

How to Set Up a Google Hangout:

1. Go to Hangouts.Google.com or go to the sidebar in Gmail and look for the Google Hangouts icon.
2. Invite a person by choosing their name from your contacts or adding in their email address. If you’d like to do a group video call, you can also select multiple people. 
3. Once you have everyone you’d like to invite, click video call to start the call.
4. If you’re setting up a Google Video Hangout meeting for a later date,  you can simply create a calendar invite and then enable Google Hangouts from the meeting invite.  

FaceTime

If everyone has an iPhone, iPad or Mac computer, then you could go the route of using FaceTime for your virtual video meetings. To use FaceTime, you just need to make sure that everyone has the FaceTime app downloaded.

How to Set Up a FaceTime Meeting:

1. Simply open up the FaceTime app and tap the + button
2. Add the people you want to chat with by tapping the + button and tapping on their contact
3. Finally, tap the “video” prompt to start the call

About the author: Anja Winikka is the former editor of TheKnot.com and The Knot Magazines turned educator and contributing editor @WeddingPro. She’s on a mission to help creatives, community leaders, and wedding businesses own their stories and tell the world about it (follow along via Instagram @anjawinikka).

Photo Credit: eva_blanco/Shutterstock.com