Your Wedding Planning Business: Bridal Shows

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Are you wondering if it's worth it to exhibit at a bridal show? I would love to tell you "YES! YOU SHOULD TOTALLY DO IT!" But the truth of the matter is, each bridal show is different and so is each market. For example, here in Los Angeles, there are more bridal shows than I can count on one hand! If I am overwhelmed, imagine how brides must feel. I have exhibited in the past with very little luck and I have had times where I did well. The main difference for me was the actual show and who their target market was. There are shows who do a great job marketing the bride that is perfect for you and there are shows who don't. AND I will also say that there are brides that simply don't go to shows. I have had vendors tell me that the brides they work with generally don't go to bridal shows.

DO YOUR RESEARCH
I wish I could answer this question for you with certainty, but honestly I can't. My best advice to you is to talk to other wedding planners that target the type of bride you want to target. You will need to talk to someone who has more than one real experience exhibiting at the particular show you are considering and who can tell you their true experience and whether they met the types of brides they wanted to meet. Also, visit a show before exhibiting. I ALWAYS head out to shows to tour the floor, check out the flow of the event, determine the energy and layout, get a feel for the types of vendors that exhibit and people watch the brides. YES I DO THIS! I'm spending my hard earned money. Therefore, I want to be sure the experience will be beneficial to me and my business. There is no point in exhibiting at a show that offers very little ROI and which targets brides that are not a match for my services.

BUDGET FOR YOUR BOOTH
Paying for your booth is only half of the battle. If you want to get a bride's attention, you have to do something to glam up your booth a bit. When I exhibit at a show, I tend to spend just as much on designing my booth as I do for the booth itself. You also need marketing collateral and signage.  I generally take the time to plan my design just as I would for a photo shoot or any other event I design. You want to show brides what your brand represents.

FACE TIME
Today's bride is very savvy. She has a Smartphone in hand; gathers her information from blogs, tweets, Facebook and podcasts; and of course she consults with her friends who were recently married.  To top it off, she is navigating through uncertain economic times, which sometimes makes concrete wedding planning a bit problematic. It is imperative to meet brides face to face so they have a chance to get to know you and connect with you.

FOLLOW UP
Bridal shows are an opportunity to do just that. If you go into a bridal show expecting to book brides on the spot, you will leave completely deflated. That's not to say it's impossible. On the contrary, but please be aware that it is more likely that she will not book on the spot and will instead continue to explore the bridal show and meet other vendors. Because this is usually how she goes about things, it is important to make a positive impression and then follow up with her afterwards. She may completely forget your name when her day is done. It is YOUR job to get back to her and remind her how you met and listen to her needs.

Regardless, bridal shows are an excellent way to network with other amazing vendors! As we speak, I am working on an amazing book, "Be the Wedding Planner You've Always Wanted To Be: Bridal Shows". This book will help wedding planners exhibit at bridal shows with success! You will:

• Learn how to find the right show for your business
• Obtain ways to reach brides BEFORE the show
• Set goals that will help you get the clients you want
• How to properly set up a marketing plan beforehand
• Look like an experienced and confident wedding planner
• Design an attractive booth that will grab the bride's attention
• Learn how to keep the lines of communication open after the show

How do you get your copy? By registering to Backstage Bridal Pro Academy 2012! Each and every student will walk away with their very own copy of "Be the Wedding Planner You've Always Wanted To Be: Bridal Shows"! The information contained in this book accompanied by the incredible education we are offering is part of the promise I have made to help YOU be the wedding planner you have always dreamed of being! 

So what are you waiting for? Registering for Backstage Bridal Pro Academy guarantees that you will receive "Be the Wedding Planner You've Always Wanted To Be: Bridal Shows" as well as many other tools we will provide you so that your business is positioned for the greatest level success! SEE YOU THERE!

'Tis the Season for Engagements!

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Based on recent estimates it is predicted that 1/3 of all engagements for the entire year will take place over the holiday season. That amounts to nearly one million couples! The reason for this is that the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, present an abundance of opportunities for memorable proposals to take place. Wannabe husbands will get down on bended knee and pledge their love. November and December account for 26 percent of marriage proposals, according to a survey of 1,131 brides sponsored by the Fairchild Bridal Group. 

I considered a post about how we can best consider ways to market to these newly engaged couples or one on how to put your best foot forward in bridal shows that are coming up but I tossed that idea out the window.

Why? Because it means nothing if you haven't implemented your own Rules Of Engagement for your wedding planning business. Attracting clients, retaining them and building loyalty to your brand image are all very important goals for every business no matter how small or big. For small wedding planning boutiques, achieving these goals is a little more challenging because it does not have the financial resources that a big business has to attain the same.

Therefore, today I will share 7 Rules of Engagement that  any wedding planning firm can use to attract brides, keep them interested and more importantly gain their loyalty. The good news is these rules are simple to apply and won't cost you an arm or leg.

PERSONALIZATION
Customization is "in". There is nothing more alluring than the prestige of having a service tailored just for you. There will always be those that prefer things that are part of a standard package of services, but there is also a large section of people who want something different and are willing to pay for it. The possibilities of what you can offer are endless. The only thing standing in your way are the limitations of your own imagination.


INVOLVEMENT
Or the "I want you to feel special" mindset. I don't know about you, but I personally love dealing with stores and services providers that go out of their way to help me and make me feel special. It might mean offering to take my coat, provide me a place for my handbag, serve me a glass of chilled water or even prepare a lovely cup of tea or coffee. These type of things make me feel special and cared for on a very basic level. The time your clients spend with you should be the best time they could have in terms of service and treatment. People remember how you make them feel. It's up to you to make sure they walk away feeling like a queen.


VALUE VS. PRICE
Ask yourself, "What is it that I am really giving people? Why should a bride contract me instead of some other wedding planner?"

In the battle for market share, many wedding planners get caught up in price wars. They fail to realize that people prefer value for money and don't really mind paying the price if they get value for the price. And don't get it twisted. Value doesn't mean bargain. In this business, value means quality and attention to details. What is your value? What makes you different? 

If you say, "I'm different because unlike Planner XYZ, I actually really love weddings." I have to hurt your feelings because sweetie, every single one of us love weddings. That does not make you different. It makes you just like all the other white sheep in the stall. But the sheep who decides to stop baa-baa-baaing and stands up on the railing and gets crunk to Get Low by Lil Jon, might just catch the eye of the perfect client for her! BE UNIQUELY YOU!

ONLINE PRESENCE
Yeah yeah yeah, you are on Facebook and Twitter and you have a blog. But are you engaging people? There is that word engage in engagement season. You can't expect the newly engaged to be the least bit interested in you if you aren't engaging in meaningful conversation. I am not talking about telling people "Hey look at what I blogged about today!" "Check out this amazing Vera Wang dress!" "Do you like the inspiration board I created?" If that is all you are doing, you have just jumped back off the fence after your crunk session and joined the sheep that are baaing away!

Having a meaningful conversation on Twitter, Facebook and your blog costs you absolutely nothing but time! It's convenient, simple and provides almost instantaneous public visibility for your business.

PROMISING AND DELIVERING
Reliability is really high on the list of most people when they are looking for someone they will appreciate doing business with. If you promise to do something, you had better do it when you say or you will very quickly lose your credibility and your chances for getting referrals will be reduced significantly, if not lost altogether. The client's wedding is not about you, boo. It's about them and they are spending good money on your services when they don't have to. Remember that. Communicate, deliver and keep your word. It is a must.

FREEBIES
Everyone appreciates a freebie. I am not at all suggesting that you undervalue yourself or give your services away for a little of nothing.  This freebie should be something that ideally creates value for your clients.  Put on your thinking caps and come up with something really special and unique that won't affect your bottom line but is appreciated by your clients. Client relationship building is not always about great offers, sales and discounts. Very often clients won't mind paying more if you are polite, welcoming, listen to their ideas and needs and deliver what you promise to deliver.

Use these 7 Rules of Engagement to keep your brides happy and increase your chances of being referred over and over again.

Want more great business strategies to increase your chances of running and sustaining a successful wedding planning business? Attend Backstage Bridal Pro Academy and learn from the Guru of Creative Business Strategy, Sean Low! Formerly the President of Preston Bailey Enterprises, Sean has incredible business acumen and provides thought provoking commentary on the state of creative businesses relative to the current trends, peer pressure and economic climate we all face daily. His blog is a MUST READ! I am so honored to bring him to sunny Southern California so that he may spend time helping you infuse his proven business strategy into your wedding planning business!

Don't delay! Register TODAY! This is THE BEST investment you can make this year for your wedding planning business. I can't wait to see you there!