3 Ways to Improve Communication with Your Vendors

Understanding how to have effective communication with vendors is important for all vendors. We’re all in this together.

While yes, I think wedding planners tend to get a bad reputation as “bossy” or “difficult” – this can happen to any vendor who carries responsibility for an event day, and it’s important for us to take responsibility for our own roles. Attitude is everything. Communication is everything.

I know building strong relationships and communicating effectively is an unseen struggle that all vendors face, especially planners, but I’m a big believer that there’s a lot we can be doing to constantly improve how we communicate with other vendors.

Here are three easy steps you can take to improve vendor communication:

• Lead with a team mentality – it’s important to remember we all have each other’s backs. The more relatable you are, the more you have the backs of your vendors – the better and harder they will want to work for you. At the end of the day, planners want to make other vendors look good! So make sure vendors know you’re on their team, and if you know you’re more than just a little “bossy” try communicating that to other vendors up front. Try saying something like, “Hey, I’m so excited to work with you! My planning style is pretty type-A and I tend to be a little sharp and direct, don’t take it personally!”
• Stay client-focused – when you’re communicating on behalf of your client, make sure you are constantly stressing that those tough conversations are for the benefit of the client, not you personally. Humans tend to take things personally, so make sure you don’t let your feelings get the better of you and explain that you are trying to help out a mutual client – this will always produce a better outcome. Try relating things back to what’s important to the client by saying things like, “John and Shari communicated that late night reception photos are a huge priority for them, and I just wanted to make sure that’s reflected in the photo coverage for your timeline!”
• Prioritize empathy – open and clear communication and selflessness will get you everywhere with vendors. Remember, your energy is contagious. When you choose to react with empathy, especially on event days, you’ll positively impact every single vendor you come into contact with.

Above all else, remember to give grace and be kind. We’re all in this together.

There are so many ways to improve communication within your business – communication matters for your team, your clients and other vendors. And we're talking about all of this and more in our November Mae&Co Monthly courses on Mastering Communication. 

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