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4 Clients Per Year: How to Charge More and Work Less

by D'Arcy Benincosa

Imagine working with only FOUR clients per year. And not only that, these clients trust your vision and expertise so implicitly that they reached out to you exclusively to do the job. You’re able to take a sabbatical each year, pick up your kids from school each day, travel the world, or whatever you decide YOUR rich life looks like. Your confidence and a few insider tips could get you there, so listen to this episode with Wendy of Birds of a Feather Events for all the details.

About Wendy Kay:

With a background in producing and directing live and recorded television for the better part of 10 years, Wendy is the definition of “quick on your feet.” She prides herself on being a solution-oriented problem solver—which has served her well in her 12 years of planning and executing flawless events. Wendy’s passion to create and execute original ideas for each of her couples’ weddings means that in addition to running smoothly, they are a fun, enjoyable, memorable, and tangible pieces of fine art. With a straightforward approach, Wendy builds a rapport with her clients. She believes that the more she gets to know her couples, the better (and more personal) the wedding will be. Wendy has been deemed a Top Wedding Planner and Event Designer Worldwide by Martha Stewart Weddings, and Best Wedding Planner in America by BRIDES. As a co-founder of Educate | Empower | Encourage, Wendy finds immense joy in assisting other creatives in leveling up their own businesses.

Tips for planning your year for longevity:

First thing you plan in each year is your time off and vacations.
Budget for networking events, masterminds, and coaching each year.

Keep in mind when seeking out mentorships:

It’s better to get a slap in the face than a pat on the back.
The pat on the back might FEEL good, but you only learn and grow from the slap in the face.
A question to ask yourself: Would you rather have someone respect you or like you?

It’s important to know yourself and your team:

It’s important to know yourself and where you thrive so that you can bring in the support you need, and you’ll know what clients you work best with too.
We recommend taking the Clifton Strengths test, and having team members take it too, to make sure you have a good balance.

What luxury clients want:

Keep sales calls with clients to the nuts and bolts, get to the point quickly, and show them you know your sh!t.
Skip the “how did he propose?” “How did you two meet?” questions.
High-end clients don’t care to be your best friend, they just care if you do your job and do it well. You don’t get referrals for being sweet.
Don’t offer an array of vendors. They want YOU to bring them the best of the best.
Don’t bring up ways to “save money” get things “cheaper” – that is not luxury.
Volume and luxury don’t live together. Clients don’t want you to be juggling 20 weddings. They want to feel exclusive and taken care of.
Focus on solutions, not problems. Don’t dwell in the problem space.
Blow their expectations out of the water. Don’t just give them the Pinterest wedding they sent you. Give them something they’ve never seen before.

How to work your way up to the luxury market:

You’re not going to jump from budget to luxury – you have to work the middle-market and work your way up.
Find your creative team and get on the same trajectory. When you work with the same vendors again and again you can rely on those expectations and work together more seamlessly. Your work also starts looking more cohesive and clients know what to expect when hiring you (and the creative team).
Develop the confidence to work in the luxury market. If you weren’t born with it, then you need to get on board with YOU being your favorite person first and foremost.
For all businesses there is an artist job and a business job. You either have to be both, or hire someone to do what you can’t to run a profitable business.
Saying no to the wrong opportunities opens the door to the right opportunities.
Proposing something above and beyond can sometimes get clients to bring their budget up and get away from the basic and traditional to meet the standards of what you want to do.

Make time for networking:

Be in the room – go to networking events and meet peers.
Don’t reach out to people via email and ask to do a zoom coffee date.
Have conversations with people who have the same goals and form an accountability group.