Managing Prospects- Brides, Moms and Otherwise (the OFD way)

Back in the day, I averaged a thousand inquiries a year at a local non profit foundation. That's a thousand brides, mother of the brides and yes, the occasional groom.

As we swifted through potential dates, color schemes and caterers, there was one valuable lesson that I learned- do not get off the phone until you ask a bride where they heard about you.

Since managing inquiries was just a small part of the job, it was important to make the most of the time spent on the phone or by email. And as with most non profits, we simply did not have the money to throw around at advertising and marketing so it was important to quantify the results of our efforts.

With a click of a button, I could tell you how many brides heard of us through print publication, word of mouth and vendor referrals. I know how many lived in the city of Richmond and how many were out of town. If a bride heard about us from a bridal show, I knew about it. If a mother of the bride heard about us through one of our Preferred vendors, I made sure to thank them.

Was it a lot of effort? Not really.

Was it easier for me since I was fresh out of school and knew no other way? Most definitely.

Managing your prospects in a more effective manner takes relatively little effort once you have a plan in place. The important thing, however, is getting your strategies aligned with your day to day operations.

Here are three tips to get you started:

1) Questions- ask them. And more importantly, plan for them. Have a script for when prospects call, so you know you cover all your bases with them.
2) Excel- embrace it. Most people today have Excel on their computer and if they don't, it's a relatively minor cost in the grand cheme of things. Spend some time learning Excel- there is so much more to it than simply adding in the data. Excel allows you to filter information and create drop down options for commonly used words. Tired of filling in everything horizontally? Yep, they can offer different options for that too.  If you don't have the time, have someone train you (minor OFD plug) and create a database that fits your needs.
3) Leads- track their progress and be honest with yourself. If the bride contacts you on Monday, how long is it really until you reach out to them? How long until your second point of contact?
3.5) Lose a bride? Note them. Don't be afraid to ask them who they selected. How will you ever know who your true competitors are if you simply guess and make assumptions?
Day in and day out, I speak with wedding professionals who take the initiative with their marketing efforts, but then don't follow up. I liken it to the occasional, sometimes pricey, items I like to buy for cooking. Did I desperately need the Shun 8" chef's knife? Well, I wasn't toos ure-- that is, until I could list 10 fantastic dishes I could not have made without my new culinary best friend. Ultimately, we all need a little justification in our purchases- whether it be a full color spread in a local bride magazine, or that immersion blender with a zillion attachments.


Now more than ever, it's essential to track where you get your leads. In the end, how else will you know if your efforts are paying off?


Until next time,
Meghan, OFD Consulting LLC

meghan@ofdconsulting.com

BIG NEWS for OFD Consulting- a new Chapter

Now what kind of marketing guru would I be if I posted the big news in the first line? I want you to read the Blog first- or at least politely scroll down to the bottom.

Let’s take a step in time for a moment. The year was 2003 and I was fresh faced out of JMU. I had moved to Richmond after a whirlwind stay in Oregon, and I was too new to even pick out my grocery store yet.

I was enjoying my time with Maymont, planning their weddings. One of the perks of my job was attending monthly meetings with the Richmond Bridal Association, a dynamic group of wedding professionals in our area. It was there that I met some of the best folks in town (professionally and personally) and it was there that I learned how to do my job better.

Fast forward several months ahead as Maymont hosted the group at our very own Garden Hall. It was election night for the new public relations position, and I had my eye on it. My eye was one thing—my nerves were a whole different story. After a pep talk from my boss and a couple of white chocolate martinis from the open bar, I stood up among my peers and nominated myself. I won, happily, and haven’t looked back.

Throughout the years, I have found myself in several capacities with RBA- representing the group at bridal shows, working with the Times Dispatch on stories, serving as Membership Director on the Board and assisting with establishing our popular annual Bridal Forum in November. When I had to leave the organization earlier this year, to pursue other endeavors, I missed it.

Tonight was a night of changes as I was announced as the new Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. Moving forward, I have the distinct privilege of assisting my peers just as they did me those years ago.

I’m overjoyed at this new and exciting endeavor. I so firmly believe in the virtues of professional growth and education in the wedding industry. I also believe that a bride should hire professionals for their wedding- having your best man double team the night by playing his ipod simply does not work. I also believe in social responsibility and doing our part to give back to the community. I hope these three things will guide me on this adventure.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. ~Walt Disney

Until next time,
Meghan
Meghan@ofdconsulting.com

Linkedin- Social Media's Uncool Kid

If Facebook is the cool kid that always gets invited to the Friday night game and has a pick of at least three dates for prom, then Linkedin is... well, Jan Brady.

Don't get me wrong- I love Facebook. In fact, I was one of the first to embrace it- and steadfastly stood by it when My Space really came rolling into town. Facebook is an amazing channel for getting the word out to your clients and prospects. I often teach people how to create their Business Page on Facebook, as well as tricks on truly maximizing your marketing efforts. Facebook and I? Really good terms.

As for Linkedin, I couldn't tell you exactly when I signed up for it. I let my profile sit, unloved, for a substantially long time. I find this is the case for many, the more I talk to people.

Slowly, I started updating my profile- work history one day, my profile pic another. Then, I started joining groups such as my alumni network, groups for my industry and so forth. Suddenly, I started aligning myself with really good people. Before long, I'm networking with great, insightful people as well as prospective clients all over the country. I'm responding to inquiries in the Midwest from wedding professionals trying to build off season business. A colleague recommends a book on selling strategies? Don't mind if I do.

More importantly, I'm getting my name out there.

Then, I meet an Internet guru, whose business's success lies in her deft Internet research strategies. When she began speaking about Linkedin in her seminar, I sat up in my chair and paid attention because in my book, if you meet an Internet guru, you need to do everything online she's doing.

I come to find out that not only does she love Linkedin, she pays for an upgraded account.

Sold.

Linkedin has different benefits for different industries. Ultimately, Linkedin is not necessarily where you're going to find the wedding business. Brides are on Linkedin for their own business networking purposes while they sit on Facebook looking through your galleries and reading about how your events are going for the season.

With marketing, however, it's about the big picture. Yes, it's about sales, but it's also about being good at what you do and always being relevant. If you're a photographer, join some photography groups online and trade tips. Share new, innovative ideas. Be a resource to your industry.

Looking for some new faces to add to your company? Run filters through these groups for local talent. It's just as free as Craigslist, and you aren't bombarded with 600 emails.

So go ahead and join Linkedin- or, reactivate your poor, misunderstood account, and let it know that, once in awhile, you promise to sit with it in the cafeteria during lunch.

Until next time,

Meghan

meghan@ofdconsulting.com