Event Planning Tips, From the Experts
5 Career Moves GUARANTEED to Hurt Your Event Planner Salary
The most common traits of an event planner are being detail-oriented, a multitasker, a problem solver, and being highly organized to name a few. Traits that will damage your career are not sticking with a budget and not being able to stay calm under pressure, especially with last-minute changes. Today we will discuss some career moves that will definitely hurt your event planner salary.
1. Ignoring Business Basics
While most of us love to hit the ground running and start planning events, first we need to ensure we have all our bases covered. Everything from what services will we provide, our templates, our client onboarding process, and, most important, our service contracts.
It’s important to develop all the business items first. Especially all the tedious paperwork that you will need to set up and operate. Not setting up your event business to be successful will hurt your event planner’s salary in the long run. Spend the extra time setting up your business so when you do have clients, everything is done and can be seamless.
2. Omitting Research:
It’s important to do some local research on what your competitors are charging and the services they’re offering. Not to undercut them but to see what the going rate would be for someone with your experience and education so you can set your own prices. A lot of that information can be found online however reaching out to your colleagues is always a good idea as well to get feedback.
Not doing enough research and charging unrealistic rates, whether too low or high will hurt your potential earnings as an event planner. Having no understanding of the local market really does put you at a disadvantage and makes you less hireable as well. Spend the time doing research so you’re all set when the time comes to booking clients.
3. Skimping on the Visuals:
In this day and age it’s so important to have a website. I’m always surprised at how many business owners actually don’t invest in one. Potential clients want to see what you can do for them, so having a website and online portfolio to showcase your work is crucial.
Having some sort of social media is a must too. You don’t need to be on every platform. But being active on at least one or two platforms is essential. Not having a website, online portfolio, or social media will limit how potential clients will find you or be able to do research on you. Remember if clients can’t find you online, how are they going to hire you?
4. Skipping the Professional Training:
We always need to stay current for our clients. That means taking courses, participating in training, or attending seminars to help your career in the long run. Never assume you don’t need professional training. Assuming you know everything can be the kiss of death in this industry!
Having some professional education, especially specializations in niche areas of the event planning industry, sets you apart from your competition. One great avenue is the virtual events training by QC Event School. It allows you to do some training at your own pace and time.
I believe education is an investment in my career. I do love to learn new things and want to offer more value to my clients, so courses are always something I make time for. Especially in the last year when I’ve had to pivot my business and offer more customized services. Earning a professional certification while starting on the fundamentals of your business is key to getting ahead and supplementing your income.
5. Difficult chaos:
Being hard to work with and being unorganized is guaranteed to hurt your bottom line. Word travels fast in such a tight-knit industry and being professional, flexible, organized, and a great communicator is key for event planners. Being difficult with vendors or clients not only makes a working relationship go south, but it will also sour any potential future client referrals. At the end of the day, a poor attitude is guaranteed to hurt your salary as an event planner.
These are only a small portion of tips on how to hurt your event planner salary and things to consider in the early stages. Just remember to always put your best foot forward, be professional, and always do your research no matter what.
Happy planning. Stay safe. Xo
