The Bridal Success Academy sessions at Bridal Week were a huge success - thanks to everyone that came to see me and the other industry experts to chat all things ‘bridal business’!

I talked through a myriad of subjects with retailers, many of which are the same for most of us including challenges with staff, social media, staying motivated, driving more profit and marketing queries, but there were two key topics that I came back to time and time again and they certainly resonated with a lot of you.

Q: How can I pre-qualify my brides and build that all-important rapport and connection’ before they step over my bridal boutique’s threshold?

A: We talked in detail about this as well as why it’s so important that stylists and managers engage in pre-appointment activity and communication with brides...
Pre-appointment communication and pre-qualification is really key, because in a sea of many bridal boutiques, you need to stand out!  You want your bride to feel excited about your boutique and the experience she will have with you! If your pre-appointment communication and conversations are engaging, reassuring and exciting, she may move her mindset from being a bride that’s popping in to see you (as one of many boutiques that she intends to visit) to a bride that WANTS to find her dress with YOU - and that’s when the magic happens. Becoming a boutique that brides WANT to buy from before they’ve even tried dresses on with you is absolute gold!

It takes work, time and effort, but it’s easy when you get going! Reach out to your bride and start building a relationship with her before her appointment.  We do this by phone as soon as she books (where possible) but do appreciate that sometimes it’s hard during working hours to reach them so alternative communication platforms include WhatsApp, text message, voice notes and Instagram DM. Ask how she’s feeling and how the wedding planning is going. Talk through her fears and insecurities (if she has any) and take time to normalise these and reassure her. Chat about wedding dress shopping, the bridal experience she will have with you and the dress collection you hold and ask lots of questions about what she thinks (at this stage) she does and doesn’t like. 

Ideally we like to chat for anything up to about fifteen minutes with a bride by phone before her appointment. If we’re able to do this, we know that we are maximising rapport, building trust and settling our bride’s nerves as well as managing expectations and building excitement!

In addition to this conversation we send to our brides a little something in the post and we text message her with her appointment time and date as well as sending other important info that we need her to know. We hope that by the time we have done all of this, our bride will be excited about her visit, fully informed and closer to the mindset ‘I want to find my dress there’!

Q: What about the follow-up? How can I ensure I continue this rapport after the appointment?

A: This is a key area for brides of today, because it’s not always possible for them to make a decision at a first appointment. There is definitely more overwhelm and choice than ever before, as well as an increase in the average number of dress shops that brides will visit, so if you haven’t got a follow up system in place, decide what you’ll do and start to develop one because you will be missing out on sales - I promise!

There are several ways you can follow up your brides after an appointment. Gone are the days when you write down the style and price on a flyer and tell them to call back if they want to try it again. After the appointment, some brides will need time, some brides might want to talk with you about their favourite at your boutique or openly talk to you about how it compares with other gowns at other stores (yes that really happens, especially if you have pre-qualified your bride, built a connection and developed rapport with her. She doesn’t see you as a sales person anymore, she see’s you as a trusted ally). So decide on how you’ll instigate that post-appointment communication and welcome those conversations. We find that a phone call at this stage can feel too direct and pushy - so try a softer style of reaching out such as a text message.

Within this phase of communication, remain open to suggesting another appointment, explore fears, answer questions and be ready to suggest alternative dresses or talk about new ones that have recently arrived with you. Sometimes brides need to have a reason to return to your store and sometimes on a different day, in a different mindset, the decision to go for it can feel right so I certainly feel that the suggestion of a second appointment (when you know that she loved the gown and had a moment in it) is crucial. Don’t easily lose brides to other shops and give up too soon. There are lots of reasons why she may not have been ready to say YTTD on her first appointment with you - and there is often every chance that (if she loved it) she could say yes to the dress with you next time!

Got a question for Abi?

I coach new and established businesses on all areas of successful bridal retailing. Mini one-off projects are available after a free discovery call, and longer term coaching assistance is also possible. Catch me on Insta @abineill or on 07725804917 if you’d like to chat. I’m also a brand agent for three incredible brands: Rembo Styling, Carta Branca and Marylise. Check out www.abineill.co.uk and reach out if you need some motivational energy and guidance!