4 THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / FASHION <strong>May</strong> <strong>25</strong> to <strong>31</strong> <strong>2014</strong>
<strong>May</strong> <strong>25</strong> to <strong>31</strong> <strong>2014</strong> THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / MOTIVATION 5 PART 2 CONTINUED WHEN I kick-started my own business, I was so excited that I was embracing my passion — I was finally going to be a full-time wedding and events manager. In my excitement, I must admit that I did not give much thought to where exactly I would get clients from, or what I would charge, how I would market my business, how much I would make, or how I would work on a daily basis. I am sure this makes one wonder whether I was thinking at all! I believed that the most important thing was to get my first client as soon as possible. I began by advertising my services on email to all my contacts in the corporate world. I sent out flyers to friends, and I visited some wedding venues to encourage them to refer their clients to me. I was very pleased with myself – even more so when my first client came through within a month of my mini-advertising effort, via the emails I had been sending out. So I had my first wedding planner “sales pitch” with two amazing, motherly ladies, one of whom had a daughter who was getting married. I cannot recall what I said, but I know for a fact that my sales pitch was a complete disaster. Fortunately for me, they took an instant liking to me and hired me immediately. I charged what I thought was a very good rate, and I made a loss. They were pleased with my work, so pleased, that they told me my rates were ridiculous, and they paid me more than I had charged them. I have been coordinating all their family weddings since 2007. The fact that I advertised and closed a sale within a month of starting, gave me a false sense of success and security. I was relaxed, thinking that customers would come in abundance, looking for my services. After all, there are weddings in Harare every single weekend in a given year, so it seemed impossible to fail! I kept on using the same advertising channels as I used when I first started out. Well, guess what? Nobody wanted a wedding planner or an events manager. In fact, several people I approached looked down on my profession and said it was a waste of money. “What does a wedding planner do for me that I can’t do for myself ?” was a question I was often faced with. Events management, in my opinion, must be one of the most challenging services to sell in Zimbabwe. I tried to push. I perfected my sales pitch, listed all the reasons why I should be hired and why my service is essential, to no avail. The dream I was supposed to be living was starting to become a nightmare. I was determined to make this work. I knew that I was very good at my job, and I was convinced that there were customers out there somewhere – people that would have an appreciation of the value that I could bring to their event. I decided to put together a plan of action for ProEvents. I should have started with a plan. But I did learn some more valuable lessons during this season of frustration. Make a Plan! So you’ve decided to pursue your passion. If you want to make money out of it then take it seriously, treat it as a business, and create a business plan for it. If you are not sure where to start, there is no harm in asking for help. Find a coach who has experience in entrepreneurship to help you put together a realistic plan. Clearly identify your product or service, and make sure it’s a product that people will actually want to buy. We all want to be different, and think outside the box, or these days think “without” the box, but we need to apply our creative ideas appropriately. Make sure there is demand for your product or service if you want to make money. Then come up with creative ideas to market it. In my case, I was offering a service that no one seemed to want, but when I went back to the drawing board, I realised that I was trying to sell to the wrong people, and my sales pitch was far too aggressive. Identify your target market, and tailor your advertising effort to suit that particular market. I started to network more with business people, and I discovered that there is a market here in Zimbabwe that actually appreciates the value in taking on a professional events manager. The key to getting their business was not to try and convince them that they needed an events manager – it was to convince them that they needed me and my company to manage their event. Sales and Marketing are essential for your business to succeed. I continued to advertise through the usual channels, but I realised that the best way to grow ProEvents, was to ensure that I offered my current clients world class, personalised service. The kind of service that would have them talking about me for a lifetime, and have them refer their friends and family to me. In addition to that, I also learnt that you do not necessarily have to wait for referrals – you can actually ask your clients for referrals. Nothing beats a referral in any line of business. When someone refers a client to you, they have already done the selling for you, and statistics have shown that 92% of people trust the recommendations of colleagues, friends and relatives, more than any other form of advertising. Charge the right price for your product or service, stick to that price and avoid discounting. Giving discounts will affect your bottom line. I have discounted on my services to the point where in some cases I may have used my own cash to make an event a success, hence making a loss. You are not in business if you are consistently donating your services. I do believe that sometimes you may need to offer your services at a discount in order to gain exposure, or loyalty, but I have learnt to make sure it’s strategic, not accidental. Decide on the value of your product and stick to it. Take a step. I took a giant step by resigning from formal employment to start living my dream. And somewhere along the road I went back to formal employment. And resigned again! That’s how my journey started, and now I can honestly say I am running a viable business. We all have different circumstances. Your first step could be activating that idea that you have had for the past few years — without leaving your current job. Draw up that business plan. Send that email. Dreaming is good, but doing is better. PURSUING my PASSION Rufaro Mushonga