5 Foundational Elements of a FEC Playbook

As an FEC owner or operator who just got started or is in the process of building their unique company playbook, you might be curious about what specific information to gather and include.

Think of the playbook as the key to your FEC’s success. This key unlocks your business’s true potential and allows for you, the business owner, to translate your vision to the rest of the team and beyond. 

In this post, we'll go over some of the foundational items you should include in your playbook. Remember, this is just a starting point for you and your team.

NEW RESOURCE

Our new guide on building a playbook will help you:

1. Identify the core elements of your unique playbook.
2. Get your team to buy in.
3. Manage and maintain the build-out process.

We also provide you with templates that'll get the ball rolling. If you'd like to learn more about how to start building an FEC playbook, click on the image below to download a copy of this complimentary guide!

The Foundational Elements of an FEC Playbook

Let's get started.

1. Company

This area of your playbook should include all information about your company. This includes but is not limited to:

• Mission, vision, values
• Value proposition
• Company calendar (staff birthdays, time off, holidays)
• Employee directory
• Organizational chart
• Meeting notes
• Goals and plans
• Training or ongoing training

You may also want to celebrate your employees of the month or allow your employees to set their own weekly goals in an area under this tab. 

And, you might be surprised to find that before building out this section, your team may not have been clear and consistent about how to describe your FEC. That’s why it’s important to include this information in your playbook!

2. Products & Attractions (Or, Sales & Services)

This section should detail all of your product types and possible up-sells, common problems your FEC solves for its customers, a list of industry partners or vendors that help you get the job done, and so forth. 

If you have a sales team, or employees responsible for up-sells or managing customer relations, it’s important to get your top performers involved in building out this section.

They’re on the ground talking to customers, gathering information, and selling - even if their job title doesn’t have “sales” in it. Ask them to document what works and what doesn’t. Ask yourself that same question!

3. Processes & Procedures 

What does your setup look like for different events? Do you have an event checklist that addresses what staff must do before, during, and after an event? What about beginning or end-of-day procedures? There is plenty to add here. 

Another important procedure to mention is what your business should do in case of an emergency! Power outages, technology malfunctions, wifi problems, and health and safety emergencies are just a few. It’s important to document your plan for how your business will deal with the “unexpected.” 

4. Marketing

Your marketing efforts are naturally fueled by your customers. More so, they’re fueled by what and how you offer your services to your customers. 

That’s why you should include the following items in your FEC playbook: 

• Buyer personas
• Branding kit (colors, font styles)
• Content plan
• Content calendar (for social media and your blog)
• Email marketing processes & best practices
• Re-marketing strategies
• Marketing materials or collateral (files, links to website)
• Any technology tools or solutions you use to grow your marketing efforts (descriptions, how-tos, and any workarounds)

Buyer Personas

Remember, at the core of your marketing strategy are your unique buyer personas. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer. They help you, as a marketer, attract and nurture the right leads for your business. 

If you haven’t created any buyer personas yet (or, you’d like to update them), here’s how you can start:

1. Look at any trends present in your contact database. If you’re a Party Center Software Customer, you can generate various reports in your software. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you need any help pulling reports on customer details, loyalty, or any other data.
2. Ask your team for feedback. After all, they deal with your customers on the front, so they will be able to identify any patterns. 
3. Conduct field research. Ask customers what they like best about your FEC or share an experience they had. Encourage honest feedback!

Next, work on building your buyer personas based on the information you compiled. This is a great exercise to start during your next team meeting:

1. Fill in some basic demographic information based on your research. What is their age? Where are they located? Then, make a few assumptions about their character and background. Be sure to also give your persona a name!
2. List their motivations. What are their goals? What are they looking to do at your facility? What are their common problems? How do you solve their problem? 
3. From there, you can connect them to your messaging. How should you describe your solution to this persona? How would you sell your solution to them? 

This persona will help you align your sales and marketing efforts, create the appropriate messaging, and attract new customers. 

5. Technology & Solutions

What solutions or tools does your company use & why? What are the support services for those solutions, in case anything happens? Be sure to include any links necessary. 

Listing how-tos is also important. How can a new employee get quickly onboarded to using your version of Party Center Software? Again, include any links, descriptions, or workarounds. Put yourself in a new employee’s shoes and be as descriptive as possible!

Leave a Comment, We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!

And there you have it! The foundational elements of an FEC playbook. Please leave a comment below to let us know what you thought of this post. Do you plan on or are you already working on your playbook? Let us know!

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