As an event professional and business owner, you may feel like your days are full of endless to-do lists. In addition to client-related work, administrative tasks demand your attention and time. However, there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. It can be challenging to show up as your best self when you have menial tasks cluttering your day.
While many manual activities seem necessary, you can reclaim your time and energy by automating day-to-day processes. From contracts to emails, there are countless solutions available to boost your productivity and ensure a seamless client experience.
But before signing up for a new program and getting overwhelmed with the latest tools, start by reviewing your business processes to determine which areas could be updated and improved. From there, research systems that support your needs.
If you need guidance, keep reading to learn about the three core workflows to consider automating in your event business!
Client Onboarding
Onboarding can make or break a new client’s experience, so consider each step of your welcome process. For instance, what's the next phase after a client signs a contract and pays the deposit? Do you send a welcome email or schedule a kickoff call? There’s a good chance you can automate most of your client onboarding workflow, leaving you with more time to focus on higher-value tasks.
For example, you could use software that automatically sends an invoice once a prospect signs a contract. You could then have a welcome email that is triggered when a deposit is paid, providing a positive experience for your new client without having to lift a finger.
If you don’t have an automation tool, consider developing email templates and pre-scheduling messages through Gmail or another email platform. While not entirely automated, you’ll still save time and energy by removing the mental load of manually writing and sending emails at any moment.
You don’t need to fill your workdays with mindless recurring tasks. Instead, some simple automation can get your new clients geared up while you work on bigger priorities behind the scenes.
Sales Process
Selling is a people-first activity, but that doesn’t mean every touchpoint needs to be face-to-face. Set aside time to assess your sales workflow and identify steps that don’t require your personal touch. For example, you don’t need to spend another minute writing emails to follow up on contracts or invoices—technology can do it for you.
With the help of email marketing platforms, you can leverage auto-drip campaigns to send welcome emails and sales sequences as inquiries pour in. That way, you can usher many prospects into your brand experience at once without stretching yourself thin.
While automating your entire sales process isn't realistic (remember: people want to know you!), you can still use tools to reduce small yet significant tasks. Take this opportunity to explore your sales process and discover new tools that will enhance your business.
Invoicing
Without efficient invoicing, you’ll have a hard time getting paid! So take a look at how you handle client invoices and the communications required. For example, do you have to schedule time in your calendar to send them out manually? How often do you check in on outstanding payments? While invoices can seem tedious, you can simplify the process by implementing invoice software.
Many programs support payment schedules, so you can sit back and let it work its magic by auto-sending invoices and follow-up emails. You may also want to add an auto-payment option, saving your clients the trouble of remembering to pay their invoice when it's due. With a robust invoice system, you can say goodbye to prodding clients every few days and focus on your zone of genius.
As you reflect on your business workflows, you'll recognize other areas to improve and build more time in your workday. If you're overwhelmed with updates, take a deep breath and start with one automated tool at a time! You don't need to implement everything overnight. Go at your own pace, and before you know it, you'll have multiple systems set up that will cut your to-do list in half and allow you to show up as your best self!
Elizabeth Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. Elizabeth is also a lead wedding planner with award-winning firm Bridal Bliss, where she manages the Seattle team. In addition to recognition by Special Events in its Top 25 Event Pros to Watch series, she also earned a spot in The BizBash 500 for 2021.
