Category Archives: sales and marketing tips

7 ways to become a super connector

By | life hacks, sales and marketing tips | No Comments

Do you know one of those people who seems to be connected to everyone?

That person with an address book stuffed full of valuable contacts who always has someone they can count on to help them in any situation? People love and value connectors not only because they’re friendly and popular but because they help others find opportunities and introduce individuals who otherwise may never have met. They’re also the types of people that just seem to find it easy to meet and book new clients and get contracts.

want to be more like them?

superconnector-photo-RECT-1416453072034-c8dbfa2856b5

You might think that these people were just born with the skills to make friends and influence people but trust me, it takes practice – follow our tips and you can learn how to be a super connector, too…

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Empower Them: planning a junior event

By | empower them, junior event, mentoring, sales and marketing tips, working with interns | No Comments

POP QUIZ TIME – answer yes or no:

  • has your phone stopped ringing as much, lately?
  • you want to reach your ideal client, but you’re not sure how to get in front of him/her.
  • looking ahead in 1-3 months, do you wish you had more events booked?
  • ever wonder how your competitor always seems to plan all the very best venue open houses in your city?
  • do you feel stuck on a hamster wheel, spinning round and round, working around the clock, desperately juggling it all?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, this week’s Empower Them task is absolutely MADE for you and your interns/apprentices.  It’s okay, thank me later.

Our “Empower Them” ideas are all about tasks you could delegate to your interns and apprentices that would enrich their learning experience during their internship.  They appreciate it when you give them responsibilities that challenge them, guidance all along in the project and help them gain tangible skills as a wedding planner.  So, here goes…

The Knot Magazine - Austin Market Mixer - planned by interns, led by Mary of The Simplifiers

The Knot Magazine – Austin Market Mixer – planned by interns, led by Mary of The Simplifiers; photo credit: Cory Ryan Photography

TASK: have your team plan a “junior event”

Now, wait a second…stay with me for a second.  I know what you’re thinking...”WHAT!!?!  We’re not going to just let an untrained intern plan an ENTIRE event for our firm!!?!”

Yup, you’re right.

Who would be silly enough to put an untrained person in front of a client?

You’re going to:
  • train them
  • give them the base tools
  • give them guidance and a safety net to fall back on, if and when they need advice

…and you’re gonna set them free.  Because you know as well as I do…there’s only so much you can read about event planning, eventually, you’ve just got to get your hands in it and DO IT.

So, here’s how to do it in five easy steps…

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How to Attract the RIGHT Clients For You.

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stop, pause, let’s have a heart-to-heart moment here.

QUESTION: what does your portfolio say about you as a wedding planner and the types of clients your firm works with?

Brides hire you because of the photos in your portfolio.

So in essence, the couples you are working with today, dictate the couples you’ll work with in about a year from now.  Therefore, in order to produce the very best weddings possible, you need to make sure you’re attracting the right clients, right from the get-go.

I know. It’s not always easy to say NO to a prospective client, especially when you’re just starting out in your business and/or wanting to build your portfolio.

But how do you find your ideal client?  And who are they, anyway?  Check out our expert tips below to help make sure you AND your clients are as perfect a match as they are for each other…

st mary's cathedral

photo credit: Seize the Day Photography, wedding planner: The Simplifiers

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SEO and Social Media: A Marriage Made in Heaven

By | sales and marketing tips, working with interns | No Comments

When it comes to marketing your wedding planning services, what should you focus more time on:  SEO OR social media?

CORRECT ANSWER: both.

In fact, the best online marketing campaigns utilize all available tools, using both social media and SEO to help them achieve more traffic to their websites and blogs.

Take 60-seconds and read below to learn a few important things about SEO and social media…and soon, your firm will be booking more brides like this…

Austin ranch wedding

photo credit: Nadine Photography, wedding planner: The Simplifiers

Here’s how…

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Using links to help boost your SEO

By | sales and marketing tips | No Comments

Once you’ve got the basics of SEO sorted and you’re using your beautiful wedding photographs to the best of their potential, you might think there isn’t much more you can do to improve your SEO…

INCORRECT.

In our previous post, we briefly spoke about the importance of having a variety of external and internal links, as well as how to use your wedding photographs to their full potential.

Sure, it’s all easier said than done…that’s where your apprentices come in to help you!

Today we will unveil the secrets to creating quality links, ultimately helping you book more brides!

Austin wedding bridesmaids

photo credit: Sunny 16 Photography, wedding planner: The Simplifiers

Ever wonder why some wedding planning firms always seem to have a FULL event calendar?  Here’s why…

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