Here's what to do next
In Marketing the Murder Barn Episode 9, hosts Meredith & Mary Claire cover Part Two of the sales funnel: Site Tour to Contract. Key points include:
- Pre-qualifying couples to save time and avoid dealbreakers
- Selecting the right tour guide with people-reading and storytelling skills
- Structuring tours to reflect the couple’s vision, with details, interaction, and pauses
- Using a soft-close approach that offers options instead of pressure
- Tracking site tour results to improve conversions and follow-up effectiveness
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN WHEN YOU DIVE INTO THIS MODULE:
EP. 9: The Sales Funnel Part 2: From Site Tour to Contract
EP. 9: The Sales Funnel Part 2: From Site Tour to Contract
Refer to the time-stamped show notes below when you want to revisit any particular portions of the episode.
listen to the podcast
SHOW NOTES:
0:15 Welcome back to Marketing The Murder Barn!
1:42 Catching you up on the business fable
2:35 The second part of the sales funnel: The site tour
3:36 The truth: It’s the site tours that get the contract
4:50 Pre-qualification for the site tour
7:25 Who should be condusting your site tours
9:05 Common issues we’ve seen with site tours
11:50 What makes a great site tour person
14:10 The story the site tour person needs to be telling
16:57 Ask yourself this question
17:50 The percentage of site tours you should be booking
18:29 An effective site tour example
20:01 Key takeaway: Make couples feel seen right away
22:18 The three essential questions to ask
24:30 Breaking down the tour structure
25:40 Pro tip: Stop walking and talking at the same time
29:30 something that really books gen-z weddings
32:35 How to revisit those three questions throughout the site tour
34:02 The magic in silence
34:37 The closing strategy
36:20 The importance of having a signature touch
37:50 Following up after the tour
39:30 Tracking your site tour data
46:18 Using your data to make improvements
48:00 A look ahead at our next (and final!) episode
48:14 Download our resources below
48:49 Thanks for listening!
Site tours don’t just show spaces—they sell stories.
Pre-qualify, personalize, and pause: we're exploring the secret formula to contracts.
If you can market the Murder Barn, you can book any venue.
Essential Questions for Customized Site Tours
This worksheet gives venues six powerful questions to uncover couples’ true vision, priorities, and concerns before diving into logistics. By asking about vibe, key moments, favorite wedding experiences, must-haves, VIPs, and biggest worries, you can customize tours, build trust, and help couples imagine their perfect day at your venue.
WorkSHEET
The Site Tour Tracking Spreadsheet helps venues boost bookings by logging just five details: tour date, who gave it, couple’s names, booking outcome, and competitor if not booked. Tracking reveals trends, guides staff training, reduces ghosting, and uncovers opportunities—turning simple data into more weddings.
Site Tour Tracking Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet
YOUR TOOLS FOR THIS MODULE
You know those people who can instantly pull you out of a funk with a one-liner that has you literally LOL'ing? That's Mary Claire: witty, sharp, and comfortable in her own skin. Since joining our team, we can't imagine functioning without her. When she's not chatting with clients and brightening their day, she's outdoors with her family or designing jewelry. She's the ultimate gem.
MARY CLAIRE NEWCOMB
Meredith Monday Schwartz started at Here Comes The Guide in 1997 (we didn't even have a website back then—there might also have been dinosaurs running around!) and was a wedding venue specialist for 10 years before taking over as Chief Bossypants in 2007. In the years since she joined HCTG, she's learned a lot about wedding couples, wedding venues, and running a company profitably—and well.
MEREDITH MONDAY SCHWARTZ
