Module 6 : Extra Services / Upsells

6.1    Summary/What you will learn

In the business of party planning you would do well to offer extra services, make suggestions and try to upsell to your client.

If you are able to succeed in all
of this, you will earn a nice profit. Upselling is something that most
businesses offer, and to do it, you simply have to make suggestions for
additional services. For instance, you might have two cake options. A basic
cake and an enhanced cake. You will make more money if a customer chooses the
basic cake, so you will certainly want to upsell this cake.

An upsell will entice a customer
to spend more. In other words, it will entice the customer to buay a more
expensive type or model of a product. Why accept a customer paying for steel
cutlery, when you can upsell them to actual silver cutlery?

A cross-sell is another option
for enticing a customer to spend more. This is when you add additional products
from other categories, which are over and above the product the customer wants.

Upselling can help you to offer
more customer service, and it can make customers feel more happy with their
party. This practice can also bring a customer closer to you, while bringing in
more profits and better retention. Upselling and extra services can be anything
that is added in addition to the essential components of an event.

 6.2    The Profit-Maximising Power of the Upsell

The party and event planning
business is the business of creating fun and pleasure
for the guests.

Yes, you probably want to get
into the kids' party planning business to have fun, but at the end of the day,
it is still a business. This means, of course, that it is about making a good
profit. When most people think of maximising their profits, they see raising
prices as a good way to do it. However, these people are mistaken.

It is difficult to raise rates in
the world of kids' party planning because the industry is saturated with other
people who are willing to do the same job as you. Plus, there is always someone
who will do it at a cheaper price. So, instead of raising your fees, try
upselling, instead.

Though the concept of the upsell
is confusing, you likely see it or experience each and every day. Think about
ordering takeway for dinner. You might think, 'yes, a pizza would be great
tonight,' so you ring up the local pizza shop, and place the order. Inevitably,
the person you speak with will ask if you would like to also order antipasto or
cake for dessert. Those are upsells.

Now, you might wonder what you
can do if a customer already orders something that you might consider an
upsell. For example, you might use a bouncy-castle as the upsell for customers,
but what do you do if the customer takes it upon themselves to book a
bouncy-castle? Simply say, 'Yes, we can book a bouncy-castle for the younger
children, what activities or games would you like to book for the older
children?' If this doesn't work, you can also upsell drinks, food, decorations,
or almost any aspect of the party.

6.3    Benefits to Using Giveaways

Giveaways can also be quite beneficial for your business.
Let's take an example of a magician
who is booked to entertain
at a children's party to see how this works.

For kids' parties,
some performers use giveaways for audience volunteers. This is a common practice
for good reason.
First, these are a good souvenirs for guests to bring home. Second, these giveaways will be great for promoting
your business and ensuring that guests have a great time. This can lead to new customers for you.

Let's look at the example of a
magician, a common addition to many kids' parties. Throughout the performance,
the magician can give out different trinkets, such as coin  slides, 
colouring  sheets, fortune telling
fish, or bookmarks. These items are so inexpensive, yet they can have a big
impact on the guests of the party. The children will love getting a 'prize,'
and happy children have happy parents. Though this will not give you an instant
return on your investment, it is an investment that can pay off in the future.

 6.4    Personalised Branding

 Of course, you can give away at a party
or event without having a magician or other performer
do it on your behalf,
giveaways are just that - anything you like, it is up to you to do so or not.

Branding doesn't have to involve
a special performer; you can choose to do this on your own, too. You might
think that it will be in your favour to get your brand out there, and it will,
but how do you do it? It's not a good idea to hand out business cards to
children at a party, for instance, but there are other ways to market yourself
with branding.

Giveaways, as mentioned above,
are a subtle and acceptable way to brand yourself. You can use the same items,
i.e. colouring pages, yet have them printed with your logo, company name,
website, email, and telephone number. This way, children see it as a free give,
the client doesn't have to pay for it, and you still get to promote your
business. This also, of course, allows you to get your name out there to more
people, which will be highly useful for generating bookings in the future.

6.5    Keeping Your Costs Low

A crucial factor of consideration in selecting a giveaway is naturally, its price.

Generally, one can find a preferable price on giveaway
items by purchasing in bulk. A giveaway such as the Two Card Monte may be as cheap as a few pence, when another, such as a Coin Slide or the Ball and Vase, may be close to a pound.

What are some affordable, yet effective giveaways? You can print colouring sheets from home, for instance, making sure that they have your logo and contact information on them. You also might want to consider silicone friendship bands or other items with your logo, too.

6.6    Party Bags

Your goal as a kids' party planner is to create a loot bag that is innovative, fun, and one that follows
the theme of the party. Whether you are crafty,
creative, budget-minded, or conscious about the environment, you can still take the take home loot bags to the next level. Additionally, of course, you can add your business
and contact details
for promotion. When creating party bags, it is best to put in high quality items and avoid waste.

The loot bag is a party staple that will not go anywhere soon. So, you want to put a lot of focus on these bags when creating
your business. You can easily create these bags on your own, or you can choose a bag that is pre-packaged. A good rule of thumb is to limit the sweets in the bags, as well as plastic
junk. Instead, think outside of the box when filling loot bags. Here are some ideas:

Pre-packaged bags:

You can purchase
pre-packaged loot bags in a variety of themes, and they are affordable. However,
you get what you pay for, and the reason these are so affordable is because they are likely filled with junk! These are toys that might last for a couple of days, but are highly breakable. A toy that only survives
a day does not give children a lot of happiness, and it could make your business look pretty cheap. This doesn't
mean that you should avoid these pre-packaged bags. However, you should make sure that you put a bit more into them. These should be items of higher quality,
of course, such as a mini LEGO set or activity book.

Craft-Themed bags:

The best loot bags are those that a child can take home with them, but also can enjoy whilst at the party. This is where a craft-themed loot bag will come into play. Since you will want to have a good activity
at the party, why not incorporate the loot bag with the activity? For instance, you might choose to have the children create their own T-shirts
or aprons. Building
a wooden birdhouse or a faerie house can also be fun. When the party is over, put the craft into a gift bag, along with a couple of sweets or a small toy, and send the guests home with their loot.

Art-Themed bags

If you are familiar with children, you know that they love to create.
So, and art-themed bag is another fun and impressive option for kids' parties. Pencils,
crayons, watercolours, stickers,
and colouring books are all kid pleasers.
You can round it out with puzzles,
short books, balls, or a notepad.

Gardening bags:

A really fun idea for all kids' parties is to give a gardening
bag. A small flower pot with seeds will not only be memorable for the children,
but it is a gift that will last for ages following
the party. This loot is also a good opportunity for branding, as you can print your business information directly on the pot.

It doesn't matter what type of loot you decide on, a good rule of thumb is to pay attention
to the packaging. Presentation is extremely important, so make sure to bypass the boring look. Instead,
use your imagination and make the packaging special.
A beach pail, jewellery box, or water bottle all make excellent
containers when giving loot bags for party favours.

 6.7    Catering

One of the most lucrative parts of party planning is food and catering.

You might not offer catering
services when you first start out as a kids' party planner, but you will soon
find that catering is an important part of any party. Most clients who hire a
party planner will also hire catering. This is like an open door for you,  especially 
if  you  offer 
catering  to  your customers. Even if you don't, you can
suggest a caterer that you already have a business relationship with. Not only
will they get business, you might get a nice little bonus to line your wallet
with.

In order to pull this off, either
way, you must understand the that the cost of the food and drink is dependent
on the food and beverages that are available. To the client, they know that
providing the food by themselves will just add extra work, so they will be keen
to get a quote when hiring a party planner for their child's party. You should
have some suggested menus available in different budgets, and make sure that
you have the ability to change the menus, as needed. For instance, if a client
likes the idea of serving lavender lemonade at their party, but you only offer
regular lemonade, you could lose the catering altogether. Instead, make
accommodations to give the client what they want. If you cannot do this, work
with a caterer who can. This way, you still get to keep a close relationship
with the client.

 6.8    Visually Appealing
Food

Children eat with their eyes, so keep in mind that the presentation is just as important as the food.

Any food spread that you present
to children should look extremely appealing. There are a number of ways to do
this, but with a party for children, you should make sure to think small. Kids
are notorious for not finishing the items they put on their plates, so keeping
the food in bite-sized pieces can help. Also, it will cut down on leftovers,
which cuts down on cost. Remember, however, that kids also like to have a
choice, so allowing the children to make their own selections will make them
quite happy. Here are some ideas and tips:

Drinks

Offer a selection
of drinks instead of just one. This creates a better value for money, especially in the eyes of the client. If one of the drinks is more expensive, you could serve smaller servings to even out the price.

 Some examples of good drinks to serve at a kid's party include:

*Juice - orange, apple,
and cranberry.

*Squashes - lemon, orange,
blackcurrant or strawberry.

*Individual juice cartons - more expensive,
but easier with less spillage chance.

*Water - the best thirst quencher
of all.

Cakes

Most clients decide that it is easiest for them to cater the food or use a venue where the food is supplied for them. As a kids' party planner,
you should know this and be prepared for it. Cake is another staple of a child's party, and the type of cake will be determined
by the budget of the client. Remember, however, that you can use this opportunity to maximise your profit, too, and it leaves room for upselling.

Some of the most popular choices for cake at a kid's party include fairy cakes, chocolate mini rolls, or chocolate covered marshmallows. Themed cakes are highly popular,
too. When it comes to a kid's party, the cake doesn't necessarily have to be fancy, but it should be made to order for the client.

Other Upselling Oppurtunities for Catering

Many who are involved in organising parties
or events believe
that the goal of upselling
is to earn more money. Though it is true that you will earn more money when upselling,
there are other benefits, too, such as providing an extra service and making the event extra special
for the client. It is also, of course, a good marketing
opportunity.

This list is an idea of some of the items that planners
and caterers may upsell with the catering:

*Children's menus

*Food items

*Food presentation

*Buffet display equipment

*Table sizes and/or shapes

*Different plate garnishes

*Glassware, plates,

*Linens and napkins

*Types of hors d'oeuvre

*Portion size

*Multiple entrees

*Ice carvings

*Pre- and post-event parties

*Garbage removal

*Table centrepieces

*Executive chef at event

*Bottled spring water

*Non-alcoholic bar

*Plate covers

*Souvenir menus

*An additional
event

*Pre- and post-event cleaning

Here are some tips for effective
up-selling in the party rental and services
marketplace:

From the first conversation with a client, gain as much information as possible so that you get as complete a picture of their requirements for the party. Let us say that somebody calls and asks you, 'How much for a bouncy-house for my grand-daughter's birthday party?' Instead of simply stating the rate and hoping for an order, try to ask a few questions
and engage the caller.

For example:

 * How old is your son going to be?

 * How many guests will there be at the party?

 *Are all the guests about the same age, or will some there be older or younger children?'

If you find there is going to be quite a wide age range present, then this may be the perfect opportunity to suggest to the caller that other items may also be suitable in addition to the bounce house. This way, there is something
there for all of the children. If there are going to be more than a bouncy-house can accommodate at one time, suggest adding on games that  keep 
all  the  children busy. One more opportunity to upsell!

Do not think of this as increasing your profits, but rather as increasing the client's satisfaction, because you are also:

Rather
than inquiring open-endedly such as, 'Would you like anything else?', try a
specific proposal based on the
information you have gathered during the conversation: 'As you are expecting 25 children at the party, maybe
you would like to consider our 'Party Package B' which includes the largest bouncy-house and 4 extra games.'