Nuptial Businesses

Do You Sell the Sizzle or the Steak?

'Do you sell the sizzle or the steak?'

by Natalie Bradley

While in many industries, it's more important to focus on the sizzle than the steak, in the wedding business, I've actually found it to work best to have combine the sizzle and the steak in your marketing and sales! Brides do want to have the experience of their lives on their wedding days, but they also want to know 'what's in it for me' on a very practical level too.  

When describing, selling or promoting your services, products and packages, always lead with the 'sizzle' first. Paint the picture of the wedding experience that the bride will experience because of working with you. Help her visualize how incredible her wedding day will be after having hired you for your service. Get specific, include details, and definitely incorporate emotions into the picture you're illustrating for her. 

But here's the thing ' don't end there. Not everyone will buy based on the experience or the picture you're painting for the bride. The bride will want to know the basics and the bullet points of what's included, but so will the groom and other vested parties (like parents). So, once you've shown her how it will be working together, you've sold the sizzle, you must then follow it up with the hard cold facts. What's included? Point by point. List it out. Just facts, no fluff.

This combination of selling both the sizzle and the steak never goes wrong.
By leading with the fabulous feelings, the 'fluff' if you will, and marketing to those underlying motivators that make brides buy, you'll get their attention fast. Brides will be very attracted to what you have to say and will want to read more. They'll pre-sell themselves because you're painting the picture of exactly what they want in their own lives. And then when you follow up with the list of what your package includes based purely on the details, they will see that they need you because they also need both '. the experience and the stuff, or the 'sizzle and the steak' if you will... It's so easy!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

Look at your packages, your services and even your products and examine how you could sell it with both the sizzle and the steak. How can you paint the picture for the bride of what she will experience by working with you? How will you help make her dreams come true? How are you the answer she's been looking for? And' what items and services can you provide that she wants to buy? 

When you combine these approaches together in your marketing and sales, you will not only get your services across clearer to brides in your marketing message, but you will also find brides saying yes a lot more to your services over and over and over again!

© 2008-2009 Soirée! Ltd. 

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: "5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business...Starting Today!l" at