5 Tricks to Impress Your High-Profile Guest

Nothing is worse than alienating someone you want to impress.

If you’re entertaining an important guest, you want to start on their good side and stay there. Don’t forget that if they have a negative experience, their high-profile voice will likely reach many people.

Take actress Gwyneth Paltrow for example. She was displeased with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gala and told the whole world. She complained that, “It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was crowded. Everyone is pushing you. This year it was really intense.”

Then she added a 3-word death sentence: “Never going again.”

So let’s take a look at how to get high profile guests to praise your event, instead of pan it.

1. Do Your Homework

Learn as much as possible about your guest. There is simply no excuse for skimming through this phase, so don’t be afraid to task multiple people with research.

A lot of research can be done online. You can get a solid understanding of someone’s personality via their Twitter feed. It’s a great window into their likes, their frustrations, and what they’ve been up to lately.

Again, don’t skimp on prep-work. If your guest wrote a book, read it. If they have a podcast, listen to it on the way home from work every day this week.

If your guest is a vegan and your event can’t accommodate their diet, that’s on you. It is the responsibility of a good host to be able to meet the needs of their guests.

2. Be the Bad Guy For Them

Even if your guest is famously difficult, chances are they don’t want to be.

So if something goes wrong, be the one to demand that it’s fixed or addressed. This doesn’t mean creating a scene or berating a waiter. Rather, make sure you’re the person to find the problem and get it fixed, right away.

Be the person getting them cabs, or checking them into hotels. That way, you can frontline any problems before they get a chance to frustrate your guest.

When in doubt, always have a plan B. Have a secondary restaurant, flight, or hotel in your phone at all times.

3. Set REAL Expectations

You can’t control surprises like canceled flights or unexpected delays. But you control the surprises that you actually cause. These usually take the form of unmet expectations.

Be forthright with every single detail of your event. Don’t bill an event as “intimate” if it will likely be busy and loud. If your guest has agreed to 20 minutes of Q&A, don’t subject them to 45.

These miscommunications make your guest feel like a) You don’t know what you’re doing, and/or b) You don’t value their time.

Be honest and evident with your guest about the size of your event, the timelines involved, and any other detail that involves them.

4. Show. Don’t Tell

This one is so simple, yet the most difficult detail to manage.

Show your guest that they’re important. Don’t tell them. Telling them how thrilled you are is great. But once that is done, it’s time to show them with your behaviour.

Everything you do will illustrate how important they are. Your actions, demeanor and planning are what shows them you feel they’re important and their time is just as important. In fact, sucking up or padding their ego when things go poorly is transparent and irritating to them.

This also means watching for signs they’re displeased—before they have to verbalize it. If it gets to the point where they have to speak up, the issue has gone from an annoyance to a problem.

5. Work Closely With Their People

Your guest may have an agent, handler, or PR person. They are tasked with handling the details, so your guest doesn’t. This means you need to treat them with the same respect as you would your VIP.

They are also likely very experienced in events like yours. If they see a problem with your event or itinerary, don’t take it personally. Listen to them. Either address the issues by making a change, or doing whatever you need to alleviate their fears.

Always treat them cooperatively, respectfully and with full transparency.

Bonus Tip: Get the Right Help

Part of framing the perfect experience for your VIP is getting the right people on your side. So, when arranging their transportation, work with the most trusted car or limousine service in the city.

When in Chicago, trust the experts at Echo Limousine. We ensure your guest gets to each destination; rested, relaxed and ready.

We are the best-rated limo service company in Chicago, and for good reason. We have the most competitive rates, high-quality cars and professional drivers to serve you.

Call us at  (773) 774-1074, or click here to book the limo of your choice.