Do you need to be selfish, economical with the truth, and see your customers as walking pound signs in order to be successful? We don’t think so. Being ‘nice’ doesn’t mean you’re not serious about your business.
We’re proud of building a $1 million company without displayin any of those negative traits. We know that there are rewards for business owners – event planners included – who make a conscious decision to demonstrate trust, loyalty and generosity.
“What goes around, comes around.”
Remember this chant from your school days? You might not have set foot in a classroom in a long time, but the old adage is still as true in the business world as the playground. People will remember how you treat them. Trust your customers and treat them with respect, and they will become ambassadors for your brand. If your suppliers make a mistake, remember they’re only human – take a deep breath, be nice, then come up with a plan together.
Suppliers value honesty.
If it looks like you could have financial issues, it’s likely that suppliers will have to wait longer than originally anticipated for payment. If you give them the runaround, refuse to answer phone calls, or pretend you hadn’t had time to address their multiple emails, they’re not going to be happy. Quite simply, it’s just not nice! Being honest about the situation and putting in place a realistic payment plan will help to salvage the relationship.
When things go wrong, stay calm.
Event organisation is a stressful business, that’s for sure. You’re juggling lots of balls – including attendees who have paid a lot of money to be part of the event – and if something goes wrong, EVERYTHING can easily come crashing down. It’s easy to lash out, but that won’t solve anything. In fact, the only result will it will achieve is to secure you a reputation as someone to avoid working with.
You might be the event organiser, but you’re not alone. Whatever the size of your organisation, you will be working with suppliers who are professionals. The likelihood is that they will have plenty contacts who can step in to help. Get them to make some phone calls, pick up the phone yourself, and the issue will be sorted.
Don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers.
Being successful means spotting an opportunity and seizing it. The chances are, someone else has spotted that opportunity too. So, it’s important to be aware of the competition and what they’re doing.
Event organisation is a constantly changing marketplace, where it’s vital to stay on top of trends and tech. If you see an area where your competitors can improve, then build that improvement into your business and make sure your customers know about it.
Do you agree that being a ‘nice’ event planner is the best way to building a good reputation? Share your thoughts below or on Twitter!
