Wedding Professionals Blog

As you ready yourself for 2017 and look back at everything you’ve accomplished during this year, do you feel as though you fell short of the goals and the success you had set out to achieve? Going forward, assess and determine where you strategies may be improved upon. The following 6 steps may be a good place to start:

I don't know about you, but I love to people watch. Whether I am in a coffee shop looking out the window, riding the bus/train/metro/subway, or sitting in a waiting room I love watching how people interact with one another. That may be one of the reasons I went into marketing and communications at Purdue University, but that is besides the point. One thing I have learned watching people and their sales interactions, is you probably have no idea that you may be annoying the crap out of your client, but simply have no clue. 

Passion. Enthusiasm. Excitement. We work in an industry that is driven by love and the invigorating feelings that go with that emotion. Our clients almost always bring this energy to the table when planning their weddings. And yet the process often wears them down and robs them of these positive feelings. As wedding professionals, it is part of our job to maintain and grow this energy, and keep the good feelings rolling. It's in our best interests, because happy couples contribute directly to our bottom lines by spending more money upfront, and providing good reviews and referrals after the event. 

As 2016 draws to a close, you should start thinking about preparing your business for 2017 (there’s no rest for the weary!). With all the ups and downs you’ve experienced during this year, you may be aware of certain tasks within your business that have fallen by the wayside. To help you overcome feelings of overwhelm and keep you on track, I’ve compiled an easy-to-use checklist.

Black Friday... it gives me chills just writing the phrase. The rush of people, and deals, deals, deals. Through the holiday hullabaloo, should your company be a part of the Black Friday madness? 

The holidays are gearing up, which means that 2016 is soon coming to a close. Yikes! Throughout this year, we have focused all our attention on exceeding the expectations of our customers, and in doing so, we have experienced both good days and bad days. Now it’s time to turn the attention inward, toward ourselves, and to reflect on what this year has taught us. To set the right tone for 2017, let’s look at 7 ways to adopt an attitude of gratitude.

In my last blog, “Over the Lead Hill We Go,” it was all about the prep for the holiday leads that will soon come pouring in. I know with today’s digital environment, you’re experiencing emails, website platforms and even apps that are generating leads for you. For our company, we still receive anywhere from 15 to 20 phone calls a day inquiring about our services and business. Here are 3 steps to successfully book the biz over the phone.

There's so much "noise" in our industry right now. Perhaps thanks to the recession, or the growth of wedding spending (The Wedding Report puts the average wedding at over $26,000), new wedding vendors are hanging out their shingles at an amazing rate. After over 10 years as a wedding-focused florist, I've seen my competition mushroom in the last two years. In a way, it takes me back to my own beginning, working out of my home and "advertising" on Craigslist. But - and this is no disrespect to those just starting out - it has me thinking about the value of experience. I've developed an expertise in wedding flowers, and weddings in general. I use this expertise to differentiate myself from the newcomers and make sure I'm working with the kind of client that I want. There's need for vendors at different levels, from the barebones basics to over-the-top blowout, so emphasizing my experience helps me to position within this range.

As business owners, we wear many hats. Not only must we stay true to our brands and provide our customers with the best service, but we must also manage the daily finances to keep our businesses afloat. The first part of running our businesses is fun; the second part — not so much. Here are 7 strategies to help you run a tight ship and keep more of the money in your pocket.