Special Event Sales Strategies | 'Tis the Season of the Upsell



Photo By Amber Medley

Well, the year may be almost half over, but contrary to popular belief, the wedding selling season is not and it is always the season for upselling! Typically, the time to book the bulk of your current year's weddings is immediately after Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, and then again after Valentine's Day (popular times to "pop" the question!)
Depending on where your business falls in the bride's "booking process", most of the weddings for the year may be already booked. For example, if you are a jeweler, bridal shop or location venue, the bride will book you as soon as she is engaged. So, you will be contacted earlier in the year. If you are a bakery, florist or photographer, it will be a little later. In either case, just because we are half way through the year doesn't mean your job as a sales person is over. Far from it! Now is the season of the "upsell". Basically, there are two ways to grow your wedding revenues:

1.  Book more weddings
2.  Increase the per-event revenue (upsells!)

Depending on your specific business, you have to have creative ways of increasing the services you provide or increasing the "experiential factor" of what you offer in order to have an enticing upsell offering. Venues have lots of opportunities for upsells with food (don't just think salad, entree, and dessert), beverage, linens, china, glass & silverware, and many partnerships with various vendors. You can even take the popular format of a bridal show, and create an evening of "Extra Special Touches" showcase. Invite all of your booked and tentative brides to an evening that showcases every possible (well, almost!) upsell you could offer, and provide her with a clip board and "order form" as she walks in. Beautiful table linens with over the top centerpieces, upgraded wines and hors d'oeuvres, late-evening snack ideas, entertainment options such as lighting and dancers, etc. Ask each vendor who participates what their ultimate upsell would be and showcase it! Usually, sometimes the "sell" is as easy as making the suggestion...


Whatever your industry, you now have the opportunity to go back to the bride now that she is further along in her planning and has seen and heard many more things, and offer the "extras" that will increase her wedding experience for not only her and her groom, but all the guests in attendance. She just may be looking for that personal touch to add something extra special to her day. You, as the expert in your industry, are in the best possible position to offer it to her.


Article by Lynne LaFond DeLuca, Sr. Vice President Beverly Clark Hospitality Training