- Do demos. Nothing draws a crowd like a live demo. Bring some models in case brides are shy at first, but once things get rolling you should have plenty of volunteers. This could also serve for free, on-site consultations which could lead to your next appointment.
- Make sure to have at least one person with you to hand out information, greet brides, book appointments or answer questions in case the demos get too involved. This person or persons should be a great multi-tasker and capable of flourishing in a loud chaotic space, not to mention someone fun that you and your brides will enjoy spending a full day with.
- Have a giveaway. Offer a night of beauty for the bride for the bridal shower or the bachelorette party. This serves two purposes- It gets you contact information for each bride who enters the drawing. It also gives you a chance to audition your skills and market to all of the other potential clients that might be attending the shower or bachelorette party.
- Be the face of your own destiny! Look the part of the professional: clean smock for demos and wedding finery for floor time. Keep in mind the target market is females from 19-35, so don't be afraid to throw in a little style. How you look in the show is how they will picture you at their wedding. Smile, be interested and open minded. Do breath, teeth and hygiene checks
- Don't just talk about you and your business, let them explain themselves and their needs. Sharing is caring and brides need you to care as much about their day as they do. Find out what kind of wedding it is, if this is her first wedding, how old the crowd will be, what her style is? The more you can tailor your services to her the more likely it is that she will not be able to do without you.
- Make sure your digital media is as savvy as your booth. After the show, brides will want to refresh their memory of you. They will have spent a couple hours inundated with products and information and even after making the greatest impression, most brides will probably use the internet to keep up with all that they have seen. You should have not only a great and easy to maneuver website, but also a facebook, twitter and foursquare account. This will also help spread your word of mouth to the bridesmaids and brides that might not have been able to attend. If the show has a website make sure there are links to your pages on theirs.
- Take a break. Sometimes staff gets overwhelmed and lose sight of the prize if they are too tired. Coffee breaks can keep you focused. Also, eating at your booth can be unsightly and come off as rude. Brides and Grooms will feel odd about approaching you if it seems you are preoccupied and you want to invite an open dialogue as much as possible.
- Don't badmouth the competition. Resist the urge to gossip. The industry is not that big and everything you say gets around. Artist relationships are so important - when they are booked they might throw business your way and vice versa. Spend your time letting your work speak for you and theirs for them. It is a client turn off and will only take up time that you could have used to market yourself.
- Follow up. A lot of shows pre-register their brides so they can accumulate all of the follow-up contact information for you. However you get it, make sure you contact them again. Try to make it personalized and varied. If at first postcards aren't getting a reaction, try e-mail, and keep trying every so often throughout the year until the wedding date. Sometimes it can take as much as 12 contacts before you get that sale.
These are the tricks of the trade and now that you are in the know, you can market like the pro's. Now get out there and give it all you've got! Make us proud!
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