A client says she has already booked the venue, the caterer, the photographer and the band, so she only needs someone for the day itself.
What she has not done is establish that the band needs ninety minutes to set up in a room the caterer needs clear for turnaround, that the photographer expects a schedule nobody has written, or that the venue requires all suppliers to provide documents by a date that has passed.
Step 1: explain what coordination means
Not booking. Briefing every supplier on the same plan, sequencing their access, resolving the conflicts between them and being the single person they all contact. That is the work and it is entirely invisible when done well.
Step 2: publish the supplier tasks you handle
Sourcing and recommending, obtaining quotes, checking documentation, contracting, briefing, collecting requirements, building the schedule, confirming logistics and managing the day.
Step 3: explain the documentation nobody expects
Insurance certificates, risk assessments, electrical testing and venue requirements. Venues increasingly demand these and clients discover it a fortnight before the event.
Step 4: describe the schedule as a deliverable
A timed running order covering setup, deliveries, service, speeches, changeovers and breakdown, shared with every supplier. This document is what most clients do not know they need.
Step 5: address the access problem
Load-in times, parking, lifts, restricted hours and who opens what. These practical constraints are the most common cause of an event starting badly.
Step 6: explain who suppliers contact on the day
A planner takes forty questions the client would otherwise be answering while getting ready. Saying this plainly is the single most persuasive argument for the fee.
Step 7: be clear about supplier relationships
Whether you have preferred suppliers, whether commission is involved and whether the client can bring their own. Transparency here is what clients quietly worry about.
Step 8: explain who holds the contracts
Whether the client contracts directly with each supplier or through the planner. This determines liability, payment and who chases a problem.
Step 9: publish what happens when something fails
A supplier cancels, arrives late or does not deliver what was agreed. Explaining the contingency approach is what a planner is actually being paid for.
Step 10: capture the existing bookings
What is already booked, with whom, what is confirmed in writing and what deposits have been paid. A planner joining part way through needs this before quoting.
Step 11: offer coordination as its own service
Day-of coordination, or coordination from three months out, captures clients who have done the booking and need the rest, and it often becomes full planning.
Step 12: write the answers once
Drafting the coordination questions and answers is quick with the AI FAQ generator, and supplier questions generally are covered in supplier and venue questions planners answer daily.
Step 13: qualify before quoting
Date, numbers and budget come first, as in event enquiries with a date but no budget, and clients assess professionals much as described in what clients ask before choosing a solicitor and AI chatbot security questions to ask a vendor.
Getting started
Publish what coordination covers, who holds contracts and what happens when a supplier fails, then capture existing bookings at any hour. SpideyChat for planners answers from your published pages. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about capture on the features page.