I find it hard to network with other vendors because my service is not directly related to the "WEDDING DAY". I find this unfortunate since many brides are starting to call for services immediately after getting their ring and often before. Thus I have a continuous flow of foot traffic throughout the year. I have been successful with online advertising but really would like to build some solid networks with other local vendors. Any advice?
Have you tried partnering with officiants and ceremony site managers? Officiants could recommend you for your premarital services (if that's not something they also offer) and in turn you could recommend them as an officiant.
You could also become a preferred vendor at a ceremony site. For example we were married in a non denominational chapel that didn't offer any premarital counseling and we had to bring in our own officiant and the ceremony site manager provided us with a list of officiants in the area. You could see if you could have you business added to a list of that sort.
Permalink Reply by Ty on January 15, 2010 at 10:02am
I agree with SE. Officiants and ceremony mangers are the best route for you.
Think outside the box. Your line of work could prompt couples to hold off on getting married, so (to play devil's advocate) who wants to network with someone who could cause a wedding vendor to lose customers?
Try networking with relationship/marriage-based businesses and organizations. Anyone with a radio show that focuses on love and relationships would be great to partner with, for example.
On Facebook there is a group called Happily Ever After. Although their focus is primarily on the already married, they should be able to forward "not yet married" inquiries to you.
Good luck, and although the wedding planning can be fun, it's good to keep the focus on the marriage so thank you.
@Ty--Trust me when people are already engaged there is nothing that will make them change their minds...But I never looked at it from that perspective. Thanks!
I hear ya, Jacqueline. I work with wedding professionals to teach them tools to be confidently in charge and better deal with the disappointments/frustrations of wedding planning. So, I'm not exactly 'bride-facing' but like you, my services can make for a happier wedding day.
I love the suggestions you got about vendors and 'think outside the box'! Have you considered talking to the parents of engaged couples. I did marketing at our local 'running of the brides' and discovered that while brides didn't want to talk about learning to negotiate or problem-solve, their mothers did! Perhaps you can tap into the baby boomer scene for referrals. There are tons of sites like Boomer Authority and online groups on LinkedIn and Facebooks where you can make a pitch to parents who might more clearly see when their kids need help.
I too have difficulty connecting with other vendors because I have an online travel business specializing in Cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and destination weddings/honeymoons. Working from home is a real challenge as I do not have the daily face to face with people. This is why I have joined this site and a couple of others like it. One is TravelTribe.com. It is open to vendors and the public as well. You can create a site for your business for free and join forum and blogs. You can start your own topics and download pictures. I have not had too much success with facebook or twitter yet, but I have only been on a few months. I need advice on these issues.
I would focus on churches and partnering with them. Many churches now have marriage ministries or programs and may be interested in bringing you in for workshops or to provide pre-marital counseling. Also, many churches will not let you get married in their church without some form of pre-marital counseling which is a requirement for my church and others in my area.
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