Brides Flaking On My Tastings.

Business By jenmat Updated 28 Jan 2014 , 11:55pm by costumeczar

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-K8memphis Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 7:49pm
post #31 of 68

in lieu of the tasting thing--i like to do the 'free' honeymoon & anniversary cake boxed & delivered to reception --

 

truth to tell offering tastings is an awkward way to do business--although it does work for some personality types--mine is not one of them--like you gotta be good in business, accounting, marketing, computer skills, photography, baking, decorating, packaging, engineering, sales, and a perpetual tea party hostess--phffft too much--

 

i think peeps could have the option to have either a tasting they have to pay for or two free cakes for honeymoon & anniversary--that way the bride can serve all her expensive servings to her guests--it's a budget stretcher for the bride too--i think it could be a perfectly viable and attractive alternative--if it was marketed--or just offer the two free cakes--done

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 7:50pm
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AI am so glad I am in a small town and get away with not having to do too much. I feel for you guys having to hustle and put up with flaky people.

What I do is meet with them first after a basic budget has already been determined, show them some custom sketches based on the input I already got from them via email, and they pay their retainer to hold the date. Then, at a later date, I either have a big group of clients come over staggered thru out the day on a Sunday, and they pick and choose flavors from about 20 options. I do that maybe 3 times a year. Or, I bake little tiny 3" cakes from extra batter and freeze them for the client to pick up in a to go box after the weekend's projects are all done.

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 7:51pm
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AAnd I don't charge, most if not all, have already booked with me by the time a tasting comes around. If some "free cake" seekers happen to attend, oh well, it's not like 5 bites of cake is going to break me.

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costumeczar Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 7:57pm
post #34 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 

I am so glad I am in a small town and get away with not having to do too much. I feel for you guys having to hustle and put up with flaky people.

What I do is meet with them first after a basic budget has already been determined, show them some custom sketches based on the input I already got from them via email, and they pay their retainer to hold the date. Then, at a later date, I either have a big group of clients come over staggered thru out the day on a Sunday, and they pick and choose flavors from about 20 options. I do that maybe 3 times a year. Or, I bake little tiny 3" cakes from extra batter and freeze them for the client to pick up in a to go box after the weekend's projects are all done.

I wish I could do it that way but there's no way anyone around here would book before tasting the cake. At least people have started doing it so many different ways (to-go boxes, free, paid, open house etc.) I can try it a different way and not have to feel like customers will think I'm doing something "wrong". Until about 6 months ago nobody was charging at all, but since a few have started I can jump on that bandwagon and recoup some of my costs.

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-K8memphis Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 7:58pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 

And I don't charge, most if not all, have already booked with me by the time a tasting comes around. If some "free cake" seekers happen to attend, oh well, it's not like 5 bites of cake is going to break me.

 

yeah it's the time more than the money to me--when you're doing a cake you got everything all right there no problem to make extra or harvest scraps to get the little cakes going--but just having to bake a bunch of stuff just to try & gin up business--so amateurs can compare your work can decide if/what they like--knees are weak cahn't breathe...not for me

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 8:20pm
post #36 of 68

AWhat would they think was wrong Kara?

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 8:29pm
post #37 of 68

A

Original message sent by costumeczar

I wish I could do it that way but there's no way anyone around here would book before tasting the cake.

I'm really lucky for that, and trust me, it's not something I would have ever suggested, but a couple years ago a bride came in and wanted to book before her spot would be gone and said she'd just rather wait for that part. I mentioned to the next client that called that my previous bride opted for that, and theysaid yes, and so on and so on. So I started offering that solution, and I can't think of any time that someone didn't agree to it, or at least didn't outright say "I want to taste it first." Plus, I know what other cake is floating around out here, and I tell them straight up with confidence, that my cake is the best in town and they'll love it, the only hard decision will be which flavors to choose. And if decorators aren't confident in their products enough to talk about theirown cakes like that, well....sorry.

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 8:34pm
post #38 of 68

A

Original message sent by -K8memphis

yeah it's the time more than the money to me--when you're doing a cake you got everything all right there no problem to make extra or harvest scraps to get the little cakes going--but just having to bake a bunch of stuff just to try & gin up business--so amateurs can compare your work can decide if/what they like--knees are weak cahn't breathe...not for me

Exactly. I am really conservative with my time. I spend enough time with the baking and decorating, I don't want long consults on top of that. I get as much info as possible from a customer before they come in, and they know approximately how much it will be too. So when they sit down with me, I've got sketches or ideas to present them, and soon after that we're writing up the contract and collecting a retainer. Bing bang done. Streamlined baby, streamlined.

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liz at sugar Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 9:09pm
post #39 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 


I'm really lucky for that, and trust me, it's not something I would have ever suggested, but a couple years ago a bride came in and wanted to book before her spot would be gone and said she'd just rather wait for that part. I mentioned to the next client that called that my previous bride opted for that, and theysaid yes, and so on and so on. So I started offering that solution, and I can't think of any time that someone didn't agree to it, or at least didn't outright say "I want to taste it first." Plus, I know what other cake is floating around out here, and I tell them straight up with confidence, that my cake is the best in town and they'll love it, the only hard decision will be which flavors to choose. And if decorators aren't confident in their products enough to talk about theirown cakes like that, well....sorry.

 

AZ's method is an excellent one, because her tastings aren't a factor in the booking.  Consumers who make a purchase decision often reinforce that they made the right decision by rating their choice higher (AZ), and the rejected choices lower (other bakers) after the fact.  It is called cognitive dissonance.  Because they have already put down a deposit and committed, they are invested in their decision, and are likely to be satisfied all along the way.

 

Liz

 

 

 

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costumeczar Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 10:10pm
post #40 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 

What would they think was wrong Kara?

Oh, if you do something different than everyone else they think you're trying to rip them off, that kind of thing. One of the first people in this general area to charge for tastings got slammed on the Knot boards a few years ago. Some bride was told there would be a charge for the appointment and she flipped out and posted about it, saying "how dare they charge for samples, that's outrageous, blah blah blah". If they don't run into it all the time they just assume you're doing it wrong and trying to take them for a ride.

 

And Liz, I hate to nit-pick, but when you tell yourself something you bought was better than something else, it's not cognitive dissonance, it's post-purchase rationalization, which is a way to avoid cognitive disonance. Cognitive dissonance is the idea that you can't hold two conflicting pieces of information as true at the same time because it causes too much mental tension, and it's pretty much the cornerstone of a lot of social psychology. So when you make a purchasing decision, you start telling yourself that you did the right thing to make yourself feel better about it. I hate to be picky but I have a Masters in psychology so I can't not say anything. Cognitive dissonance is my favorite topic  ;)

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liz at sugar Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 10:21pm
post #41 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

And Liz, I hate to nit-pick, but when you tell yourself something you bought was better than something else, it's not cognitive dissonance, it's post-purchase rationalization, which is a way to avoid cognitive disonance. Cognitive dissonance is the idea that you can't hold two conflicting pieces of information as true at the same time because it causes too much mental tension, and it's pretty much the cornerstone of a lot of social psychology. So when you make a purchasing decision, you start telling yourself that you did the right thing to make yourself feel better about it. I hate to be picky but I have a Masters in psychology so I can't not say anything. Cognitive dissonance is my favorite topic  ;)

 

Sorry, I should have stated that free choice theory was a way that people avoid cognitive dissonance.  Mistyping on my part.

 

Liz

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AZCouture Posted 17 Jan 2014 , 11:49pm
post #42 of 68

AOk you two, can you break that down into lay people descriptions?

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enga Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 1:14am
post #43 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCouture 

What would they think was wrong Kara?

Oh, if you do something different than everyone else they think you're trying to rip them off, that kind of thing. One of the first people in this general area to charge for tastings got slammed on the Knot boards a few years ago. Some bride was told there would be a charge for the appointment and she flipped out and posted about it, saying "how dare they charge for samples, that's outrageous, blah blah blah". If they don't run into it all the time they just assume you're doing it wrong and trying to take them for a ride.

 

And Liz, I hate to nit-pick, but when you tell yourself something you bought was better than something else, it's not cognitive dissonance, it's post-purchase rationalization, which is a way to avoid cognitive disonance. Cognitive dissonance is the idea that you can't hold two conflicting pieces of information as true at the same time because it causes too much mental tension, and it's pretty much the cornerstone of a lot of social psychology. So when you make a purchasing decision, you start telling yourself that you did the right thing to make yourself feel better about it. I hate to be picky but I have a Masters in psychology so I can't not say anything. Cognitive dissonance is my favorite topic  ;)

;-D

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costumeczar Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 1:23am
post #44 of 68

A

Original message sent by AZCouture

Ok you two, can you break that down into lay people descriptions?

Heh heh...I love cognitive dissonance. I used to make my roommates be subjects in all of my experiments and they finally refused to do any more. They said that psychology experiments were designed to make you feel stupid.

Cognitive dissonance just means that feeling of mental tension you get when you see two competing arguments and it makes you mentally uncomfortable. You want to maintain a feeling of "calm" so you choose a side. That's the simple explanation...you basically can't hold two competing views as both being correct.

Then a bunch of other theories come from that, like the post-purchase rationalization i mentioned. They've shown that if you buy something expensive you come up with all kinds of reasons why that was a good decision to avoid thinking that you made the wrong decision ( which is mental tension/ cognitive dissonance). They've shown that people who buy a car will notice that make of car more than others, probably as a way to validate buying that model. If i buy a mercedes I'll notice more mercedes on the road, and that makes me feel better about buying one myself.

The basic idea is that people don't like feeling wrong, so cognitive dissonance drives a lot of behavior. You want to believe that you're right, so you look for evidence of what you believe to reinforce the feeling of mental comfort. You hang out with people who believe what you do, you choose a church that tells you what you believe is right, and the news that you watch is slanted toward what you think is right. All to make yourself avoid cognitive dissonance.

And that's your lecture for the day. The quiz will follow.

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AZCouture Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 1:45am
post #45 of 68

AEeeeexcellent.

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MBalaska Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 2:02am
post #46 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 

Ok you two, can you break that down into lay people descriptions?

Heh heh...I love cognitive dissonance.

And that's your lecture for the day. The quiz will follow.

So if you don't always make the Right Decision, You make sure the Decision is now Right.

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costumeczar Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 2:17am
post #47 of 68

A

Original message sent by MBalaska

So if you don't always make the Right Decision, You make sure the Decision is now Right.

That about sums it up. :smile:

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liz at sugar Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 4:43am
post #49 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 


Heh heh...I love cognitive dissonance. I used to make my roommates be subjects in all of my experiments and they finally refused to do any more. They said that psychology experiments were designed to make you feel stupid.

 

My husband was the psych major, so I understand your roommates pain. :)

 

I was a marketing major, so I was always interested in what triggered people to buy.  It is all inter-related, and pretty fascinating.

 

Liz

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Paperfishies Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 7:30pm
post #50 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


This is eventually what we started doing once we realized in-person tastings weren't adding a lot of value for us or for customers. Our "to-go" tasting package consisted of two cut up previously frozen unfrosted 6" rounds (cut using a round cookie cutter) in different flavors, and two plastic containers with different frosting/filling flavors. The cost was $30, with $10 additional for each additional flavor of cake or frosting/filling.


How did you packaged this?  I like the idea of baking sheet cakes and using round cutters to cut small cake circles out and freezing them to have on hand for tastings. I want to do something like this but I am having trouble figuring out how to packaged this for to-go tastings.

 

Image came from https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/79243401/cakesamplesc.jpg

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costumeczar Posted 18 Jan 2014 , 9:35pm
post #51 of 68

A

Original message sent by liz at sugar

My husband was the psych major, so I understand your roommates pain. :)

I was a marketing major, so I was always interested in what triggered people to buy.  It is all inter-related, and pretty fascinating.

Liz

Marketing and psychology in one marriage is a dangerous combination!

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costumeczar Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 8:05pm
post #52 of 68

ASo I did the open house today for the first time, and out of 8 people signed up to come 6 showed up and three handed me deposits before leaving. The others left with contracts and I'll see if they send them back. So I guess the format didn't put people off. I think they kind of felt like they wanted to book because they saw other people here, too, it made them feel competitive!

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-K8memphis Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 8:38pm
post #53 of 68

  wow--way cool, kara--congrats 

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costumeczar Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 8:57pm
post #54 of 68

I think pitting brides against each other works, a couple of them said they didn't want to worry about their dates being taken. Heh heh. But the truth is I'm doing fewer cakes this year, so those dates are now booked and done. And the people who didn't show up and who had the same dates as one of the girls who booked are now out of luck.

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-K8memphis Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 9:47pm
post #55 of 68

even better  *:-)/\:-) high five

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jenmat Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 9:52pm
post #56 of 68

Awesome, Kara~

And conversely I had 4 appts back-to-back yesterday and I'm 4 for 4! Even the bride who didn't get her flavors to me in time signed her name and gave me the cash! 

 

When I did the events I did have some times where the competition was plain and I was taking in more contracts (I usually had 10-15 couples booked for a 2 hour open house). And then I had some nights where everyone came and ate and left before I could even talk to them. Maybe having events in booking season is the real key- when it's the middle of July no one is ready to commit, but when it's time to decide, no one wants their decision to be made for them. 

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costumeczar Posted 19 Jan 2014 , 11:34pm
post #57 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenmat 
 

Awesome, Kara~

And conversely I had 4 appts back-to-back yesterday and I'm 4 for 4! Even the bride who didn't get her flavors to me in time signed her name and gave me the cash!

 

When I did the events I did have some times where the competition was plain and I was taking in more contracts (I usually had 10-15 couples booked for a 2 hour open house). And then I had some nights where everyone came and ate and left before I could even talk to them. Maybe having events in booking season is the real key- when it's the middle of July no one is ready to commit, but when it's time to decide, no one wants their decision to be made for them.

True...There are s many variables it's hard to figure out what's what. When I used to work retail in a downtown shopping center and it was slow we'd say "The weather was bad so people stayed in during lunch and they didn't go shopping" or "The weather was nice so everyone went outside during lunch and didn't go shopping." It's too easy to "figure out" what people are doing when you really have no clue.

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howsweet Posted 20 Jan 2014 , 1:35am
post #58 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

True...There are s many variables it's hard to figure out what's what. When I used to work retail in a downtown shopping center and it was slow we'd say "The weather was bad so people stayed in during lunch and they didn't go shopping" or "The weather was nice so everyone went outside during lunch and didn't go shopping." It's too easy to "figure out" what people are doing when you really have no clue.


It seems to be some kind of natural thing that our brains do. That's probably how superstitions got started. Like... Omg!  A black bird sat on the windowsill just before he got the pox and died. That totally was a harbinger of death!  Except they probably didn't say totally or omg.  Haha

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costumeczar Posted 20 Jan 2014 , 2:51am
post #59 of 68

Quote:

Originally Posted by howsweet 
 


It seems to be some kind of natural thing that our brains do. That's probably how superstitions got started. Like... Omg!  A black bird sat on the windowsill just before he got the pox and died. That totally was a harbinger of death!  Except they probably didn't say totally or omg.  Haha

And...we're back to psychology. That's the basis of attribution theory, people assigning the reasons for events even if they're not really related. :)

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DeliciousDesserts Posted 20 Jan 2014 , 12:51pm
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AThat would be a correlation not causation.

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