Things in bridal are changing quickly. I know there are a lot of industries that likely feel the same way, but man, does bridal just feel like a different world every year. The coming together of a generational change (millennial to gen-z), social media and the access given to customers in what used to be a closed off industry, and the once in a lifetime technology, AI, has created the perfect storm for warp speed change.
I say that not to make anyone nervous or overwhelmed, but maybe excited? As a bridal industry veteran, I can think of a few things I look forward to changing, maybe even reckoning. However, before I get lost down the rabbit hole of improvement, let's talk about today's bride.
Even just a few years ago, these rules didn't apply, but they become more and more true every day.
New Rules for Today's Bride
1) They want your opinion.
This has changed. It used to be the norm to politely decline to answer when a bride asked you which dress you liked better. Something just short of "no comment", like "it's not about what I like", or "I think you know", would do. But today's bride has put their entire life online and waited for the world to tell them how to feel about it. Your opinion? It's like a guardrail or a mirror for them. Online, they get all kinds of viewpoints and feedback. They are used to hearing opinions, the good and the hateful. They are also used to analyzing beyond what's said. Why did a post get less likes? Why isn't anyone commenting? They are hyper in-tune to every level of behavior, so when they ask you your opinion, it's not because they will listen to it. It's a test of your honesty, and they need feedback to help form their own opinion. It's the only way they know how.
2) They will have multiple bridal appointments.
Stop pretending like they aren't going anywhere else. And stop feeling sorry for yourself because they are. It's just their process, and getting frustrated or defeatist about it doesn't serve either of you. Just like opinions, multiple appointments is an information gathering process. As someone once told me, "gen-z makes their decision based on what they see next." Going to their next appointment? It might actually help them decide you were the best anyway.
3) Assume anxiety.
If you haven't read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt, I recommend it. We have to stop getting mad at our customer and work to understand them. Beyond that, work and train to better sell to them because that is the job.
4) Trust the process.
This has been a principle of mine when it comes to selling bridal and it's even more true today. Trust the process, not the bride. Not because we don't want to listen to them. But, because buying a bridal gown is a process and if we don't give our bride the opportunity to see everything, form their opinions, and make an informed decision, we are interrupting their decision-making process. It's not about controlling them and getting them to do what they want, it's about following your own process to give you the best shot at selling them a dress when it's all done.
For those of you overwhelmed or eye-rolling your way through this list, I'm sorry you're frustrated. I can't tell you how many times I hear stylists say things like "it's just not fun anymore" or "why is it so hard?" If this is you, you're focusing on the wrong thing. You're focusing on the impossible task of trying to control what you cannot. You cannot control a person, but you can control how strong and efficient your process to sell a dress is. My other piece of advice? Find some perspective and ultimately, find some joy. At the end of the day, you are getting paid to sell beautiful things to people who will wear that garment on an incredibly important day in their life. What an honor it must be and don't lose sight of that.