How Not To Get Bookings From The Local Wedding Show

You probably know by now that I'm a big fan of wedding shows! I believe they can be a huge source of new business. I know, I know - I can see you shaking your head!  Many of you don't agree with me.  We attended our local bridal expo last Sunday and here's a quick recap of what I saw...

• Strange combination of vendors booth sharing.
• Most vendors sharing booths spent much of the day chatting to each other and not their potential customers.
• A local hotel desperate to regain the confidence of the community - but no live person in the booth each time I walked past.
• A Minister standing in front of his booth who never smiled and ignored every person who walked past him. Still not sure if he was actually a real person or just a statue from Madame Tussauds!
• Vendors eating the snacks from the buffet table in full view of the show attendees.
• Displays were being packed away at least an hour before the show ended.
• Vendors walking around chatting to each other and leaving their booths unattended.

Hmm - wonder why wedding shows have such a bad wrap? I'm sure there won't be much follow up going on!

Disclaimer: Of course I know not all wedding professionals behave this way - but this was a great example of why I believe some wedding vendors do not get the most out of wedding shows.

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Wedding Marketing Tips from the Airline and Hotel Industries

When we think of creative ways to market and grow our wedding businesses - the airlines and major hotel companies do not usually come to mind!  The marketing and inventory management methods used by these businesses usually make us cringe as we remember that person sitting next to us on the plane last month - who probably paid either much less or much more for her ticket!  If only we had a clear understanding of how these pricing strategies worked we'd be able to apply these methods to our wedding businesses.

Hotels strive to maximize their revenue by selling "the right room at the right price to the right customer at the right time".  I know it sounds complicated but here's how it works (in very simple terms)...

Hotels look at the current reservations on the books, then they compare this to their goals and determine dates which need more bookings (commonly referred to as "at risk dates" and "distressed inventory").  They then figure out how much they need to make to meet their financial goals.  Once this is determined they sell rooms at whatever rate and method needed to make sure their goals are met.

Here's how this simple "revenue management" strategy can be applied to ANY wedding business...

• Determine your "at risk" dates. Just like the hotels, take a look at your future bookings for the rest of the year.  Look at last year too to help determine if dates are "at risk" or not. For example if you are currently open on July 4th weekend and usually have 2 events on this date - you can make an educated guess that some bookings/sales will probably come in (assuming you are still several months away). If your past booking history tells you that this is a slow weekend for you, this date would qualify as being "at risk".
• Calculate how much you need to make. Estimate how much you need each booking to be worth so you'll meet or exceed your financial goal. For example, if you are a wedding planner and have 10 weekends open and at risk you'll need to make $5,000 for each of the 10 weddings you hope to book in order to reach the $50,000 needed to meet your 2010 goal.
• Get the word out and start merchandising!  Merchandising is the methods and practices used to promote and sustain your business.  Hotels use many different channels to do this. For at risk rooms they often use discounted channels such as Priceline and Hotwire.  Wedding businesses could email their "vendor network" and let them know that discounted packages and upgrades are available for certain dates.  Posting a "special" on your facebook fan page, website and blog will help inform your potential brides. The local Chamber of Commerce, Networking groups, Twitter and LinkedIn are all great place to start merchandising. Track down the attendee list from the last wedding show you attended and send a quick email to all couples getting married on any of these dates.  Grab your sign-in sheet and follow-up with any of these dates.  Call or visit the local hotels/banquet centers and tell them about the special packages you're offering for your at risk dates. Consider "packaging" with a member of your vendor network. If you are a photographer you could create a package with a videographer from your network.  Hotels and airlines love to create package for at risk dates because the price for each service is combined and never known by the consumer.

Although this strategy has been greatly simplified, I hope you find some ideas to apply to your wedding business. As always I'd love your suggestions and comments. The possibilities are endless.

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Are You Asking Your Customers To Refer You?

Recently, a personal friend and wedding photographer asked how we manage to get so many referrals from past customers.  Because we ask to be referred - I replied!  Sounds easy right? It is!  The truth is that very few businesses actually ask to be referred.  It's a well known fact that brides love to talk about their wedding. They love to share all the wedding details with their family, co-workers and friends both during the planning stages and after the big day.  Think about how many connections that bride has and how many potential customers that could be for you! Here are a few reasons why you should stand out from the crowd and ask to be referred:

• Many brides have at least one friend or relative planning a wedding.
• Most people will only refer a business if they've been specifically asked to do so.
• Most of us would readily recommend a business we've been delighted with - but unless we're prompted to do so - we probably will not.
• A recommendation from someone who has used your services provides your business with instant credibility.
• You will receive more referrals if you provide your wedding couple with an easy way to refer you.

There are three important things to remember when asking for referrals...

1. Ask the right person. An easy one - for wedding professionals this will be the happy couple.
2. Ask at the right time.  Most often than not a thrilled bride will call or email to thank you for your services. This is the best time to ask to be referred.  Ask if it would be ok to mail out some business cards for her to pass on to any friends/co-workers who are planning a wedding. Offer a small bonus or free upgrade to anyone she sends your way.
3. Ask the right way. It's not about being pushy. There are many subtle ways to do this. Include a few business cards when you deliver the photo albums or dvd's.  Add a few business cards with the invoice.  Update your email signature and add a link to your facebook/LinkedIn review page.

Remember, doing a great job is no longer all it takes to generate referrals from your brides. Make a conscious effort to ask each one of your customers to recommend you. Add this strategy to your ongoing marketing plan and you'll soon see the results.

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