ELITE BRIDAL NETWORK

When it comes to your wedding business, you’re always trying to stay up to date with the latest trends. But just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean you have to too! You only need to do the things that are right for YOU, that is how you are going to attract more brides.

There’s a little thing marketers like to talk about called your USP. Your Unique Selling Proposition. This is absolute key when marketing to brides. No one is competition for being you, so be you and only you. No one can compete then. Use your own style, personality, your quirky nature and embrace it! Being you is more important than most wedding professionals realize. Brides don’t want some cook cutter vendor, they want someone with a personality! So think about it… what makes you different from the rest? What do you do that no one else ones? What sets you apart?

Competition IS a problem when you are only copying what “they” are doing. When you forget who you are, what makes you you, and only follow what everyone else is doing, competition will be your worst nightmare.

Once you can go back to simply being you, all the competition will be gone! Brides will start ringing the phone off the hook because they like your style, they like who you are. It’s simply a matter of being comfortable and confident enough in yourself to just be yourself. Once you have done this, business will boom!

When talking to your potential brides, make sure you’re letting them know “what’s in it for her.” Don’t use “we” and “I”, use “you” and “your”. How can you help the bride? How can you make a difference in her day? How are you the answer to all her needs? Explain to her how you can help solve her problems.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

If you don’t know what’s special about you, do what my good friend Cari Vollmer (PassionIntoProfit.com) suggests. Ask 10 of your closest friends and family, plus 10 of your best clients what makes you “you”. What do they notice about you and your personality more than anything? What have clients enjoyed about working with you? What have you done for them?

You’ll find that some things are going to come up again and again and again. That’s what makes you different. Take these things and put them into your marketing as soon as possible… this will make all the difference in standing out from all those other people out there!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Listen to Your Gut and Just Say No!

2012-01-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

How many times have you booked an unfitting bride because you needed the money, even though you KNEW you shouldn’t have? I have done this too many times! In the end though, it’s never worth it! I always regretted that I booked them when my gut told me it was a bad idea. The problem is, when you need business you feel like you have no choice other than to take any bride that comes your way.

So how do you make it so that you CAN say no? Set up your business so that you have multiple steams of income so when bridezilla shows up, saying no wont affect you! Incorporate programs, workshops, and products into your business as alternate forms of income.

Think about how many different things Martha Stewart does: magazines, television shows, home décor, she even has products for pets now. She’s doing quite well because of it all! Once you have different streams of income, you can start choosing the brides you want to work with. You can say no to the ones who aren’t a fabulous fit for you. As soon as you do this, you will have more freedom in your business, and that’s what we all want right?

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Find areas in your business where you could possibly add multiple streams of income. Once you add new areas of income, you will be able to pick and choose the weddings you want to do and have more freedom! Unlock those handcuffs and enjoy your freedom.

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

2012-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

We all know there are the people on Facebook who are constantly whining and complaining through their Facebook pages. But if you are using Facebook to market your own business, this is definitely not the kind of thing you want to be posting. You don’t want a negative attitude to be associated with your business, especially through something as public as Facebook. We have to remember that anything we say and do through social media is now permanent on the Internet somewhere. So if you have to think twice about whether or not you should post something on your social media pages, you probably shouldn’t.

The same kind of thing goes for those who advertise for their business on their car. If you have your business name and logo on your car, it’s probably not the best idea to be an angry and aggressive driver. You never know what kind of business you could be turning away from a mean glare or from cutting someone off. When I had my car magnets on my car, I was always more aware of how I was driving. I was actually overly considerate (if there is such a thing!) to make sure I was putting the kind of message about me that I’d be happy about.

People are always watching, talking and making opinions, judgments and assumptions. Always.

Marketing is meant to be a positive thing, not negative. So if you’re not 100% okay with what you post always being linked to you, don’t say it! And if you don’t want to scare away customers with reckless driving, don’t do it! This also goes for your competition. Watch what you say and what you post. It will come back to you later, so make sure that you’ll be happy when it comes back around. You don’t want something to come back and haunt you later.

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

The Elite Bridal Network Holiday Party

2011-12-30T14:48:00.009-05:00

What an amazing year end event! Thank you all for joining and celebrating the holiday season with us. We couldn't have done this without our wonderful vendors and sponsors.

South Beach Photo Booth Co.

DJ Michael Saryz

Bella Lilly Florals

Donut Divas

Sugarsweet Dreams Cake Company

Uplyte

Have a happy, safe and prosperous New Year everyone.

Warmest Wishes,

The Entire Team at Elite Bridal Network

Thank-You’s Won’t Sell Brides, But Testimonials Do!

2011-12-30T09:00:00.007-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

Are you using my successful testimonial formula? If not, you need to start today. When you get a testimonial back from a bride, you don’t want it to just be a thank you note. You need something that will help you book more brides, something that shows how valuable you were to have.

Here’s a proven testimonial formula that helps you book more brides. Just ask your brides in an email to send it to you like this….

Email Subject: Can I feature YOU and YOUR wedding?

I hope you’re doing great since your wedding! It was such a pleasure helping you plan your dream day and I enjoyed every moment of our time together.

We’d love to help more brides just like you, and your testimonial will help them know that we truly deliver what we promise. This would be such a huge help for me as well as so many brides who are in need of our services (just like you were).

Will you take a few minutes to write a paragraph, based on the VALUE you got from working with me and my team? (It should take you no more than 5 minutes.)

If you want help with structure, you can write something like this:

Before hiring insert your name here to photograph our wedding, I was…

From his or her services, I received…

And as a result, this is what happened (examples: saved money, saved time, my family and friends were able to relax and enjoy the day as guests, etc…)

My advice for those thinking of hiring insert your name here and her team…”

Feel free to inject your personality into it. Be yourself! I want brides and grooms to get INSPIRED when they read your paragraph! And, please do send us your favorite picture from the wedding, or let me know if it’s okay for me to choose! : )

Oh and do you mind sending this to me by Friday? I’d love to get your testimonial up on our website ASAP for other brides to see. No need for it to be perfect (I am happy to tweak it and send it to you for review if you prefer), but I just need the main points.

Just reply to this note – I can’t wait to hear from you what you experienced working with us.

Thank you so very much for your help!

….

Now, once you have your testimonials, you want to make sure they are on your website! The more testimonials you have lined up, the more credible you are. Brides who are excited to speak so highly of you and your help are really going to help you attract new brides. As you let more people see your testimonials through the web, your trustworthiness is going to skyrocket, and in turn, you’ll book more brides.

Add them to your e-zine and blog. Make a special section on your blog or e-zine featuring your testimonials. Give the testimonial a title, include a picture, and start repurposing. Send it out with your e-zine and post it on your blog. So not only do you have another blog post, it was easy to do, and potential clients can see the value of your services.

Make it a video! You can easily make a video using 3-D marketing using pictures from your weddings and adding text from your testimonials. Post your video on your tube channel, your blog, and link it to your social media accounts.

Doing all of this is really going to put these testimonials to work! It’s super easy and you get to repurpose them through all of your marketing mediums. Brides are going to find you more credible and you’ll be making more money!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Managing Your Time is Always Tricky for an Entrepreneur

2011-12-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

I’ve said several times how important it is to me to work smarter not harder. However, this is hard to do when there are so many options available to use through technology. Social media is crucial to small businesses these days, and most of us already have our marketing, business, and social calendars booked as tightly as they can be. So how are we supposed to get it all done? Well, the answer is, you aren’t. One thing I have learned to do in the past few years is to just let go of more. Here are some of my tips to working smarter, not harder.

Maximize your time. Find time slots in your day that is normally wasted and use that time to complete small tasks. It amazing how much you can do in just a short amount of time if you put your mind to it. Use these small amounts of time to write e-zine articles, blog posts, and other promotional materials. For example, whenever I am on a plane, I use that time to finalize upcoming marketing campaigns, finalize my calendars, and update intern requests. This is time I could easily just waste, but I have realized how much I can get done on just one short flight.

It’s okay to say no. When I first started my business, I served on countless boards for charities and fundraisers. So much of my time was going to these planning meetings that it was starting to take time away from my own business. I decided to let go of these commitments once my time was up so that I could focus more on growing my business. While I still take the time to volunteer, I can now do it when I can set time aside and not feel burdened with it. Start choosing what is most important you. When it comes to social media, you don’t have to be on every site. Just pick a few that you can consistently stay active on. Just because they exist, doesn’t mean you have to be on them!

Re-use it. Once you have written a blog or e-zine article, get it out there in as many ways as you can! Take your articles from the year before, tweak them a little bit and reuse them, there’s no need to constantly have brand new information. The old stuff is still important!

Delegate your tasks. Stop trying to be superwoman and start getting help. No one says you have to do it all yourself. Let your interns, assistants, family and friends help you out!

Schedule your time for projects. Set aside time to work on your projects that need to be done. If you set aside smaller amounts of time, you will be able to stay more focused and get more done. I find that I often get distracted when I am trying to work on something for a long amount of time.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Take a look at your business and life and find the places where you could be working smarter, not harder. Find those tasks that are taking up too much of your time. Is it something that you can delegate out? Do you really need to be doing it? Can you start scheduling your time better? Once you do this, you will discover a much happier you!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Elite Holiday Party is here! Join us TODAY at the Grove Isle

2011-12-21T10:41:00.008-05:00

Elite Bridal Network wants to invite you to Grove Isle Resort for a holiday networking party. Get ready to let loose, network, eat, drink and be merry!!!

Elite Bridal is successful because of our wonderful vendors so this event will be our thank you to you and there will be no entrance fee BUT please bring 2 unwrapped toys per person, for the charitable toy drive.

For every item you bring, you will get a drink ticket- up to 3 tickets. $5 each additional drink. If you can not bring the toys we will charge $20 per person, at the door. Proceeds will go to charity.

Where?

Grove Isle Hotel & Spa
4 Grove Isle Drive
Miami, FL 33133-4125

When?

TODAY, 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Sponsors:

South Beach Photo Booth Co.

DJ Michael Saryz

Bella Lilly Florals

Donut Divas

Sugarsweet Dreams Cake Company

Uplyte

What Opportunities are You Missing?

2011-12-20T08:24:00.007-05:00

By Natalie Bradley

Think about all of the times in your life when you were given an opportunity, and you didn’t say yes. Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had taken that opportunity? Would you possibly be making significantly more money? This is something I definitely find myself thinking about every now and then.

Everyday, we are presented with opportunities that can change the course of our lives and it is up to us whether or not to take them. When it comes to your business, I recommend that you start saying YES! You may not always get the results you were looking for, but there’s a chance you could get even more. I have started saying yes to more workshops, to enroll in high-level programs, and to speak to groups across the country. As soon as I started saying YES! more, my business started growing. No matter how big or small the opportunity, newfound success quickly follows these yeses!

Be brave and take that chance! Don’t hold yourself back because you are terrified of opening a new door. That door could be the one that leads you to more money and more success. And with these successes, comes even more opportunities. Successful people don’t become successful by turning down opportunities. They are willing to take a leap of faith, now matter how intimidating it may be.

What have you been contemplating saying yes to but just haven’t yet? Is it an educational event or networking group that you just haven’t gotten to courage to go to yet? Think about what’s holding you back. What are you afraid of?

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Write it down! Start journaling about where you tend to shut down and shy away form opportunities. It’s often easier to understand ourselves when we start putting things on paper. Think about what’s keeping you from taking these opportunities. Write down what your afraid of and why. This assignment will change your life! Seriously!

© 2008-2011 Natalie Bradley, BrideAttraction.com

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at HYPERLINK "http://www.BrideAttraction.com/" www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEORT PHOTOGRAPHY

Don’t Just Say It. Do It!

2011-12-14T13:30:00.006-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

There is something I have caught onto when it comes to being successful in your business. It’s the phrase “I may try that” or “I’ll try my best to do that”. I thought about this after reading this quote on a friend’s Facebook wall…

”Trying is lying. There is no such thing as trying. You do it or you don’t. You get results in life or you have excuses why you didn’t. When people say, ‘I’ll try,’ they usually mean, ‘I’m not going to do it now.’” – Dick Sutphen

Whether it’s with a client, when I’m teaching a class, or in a random conversation, I have realized people never really mean it when they say that phrase. But the thing is, if these people really did try, they most likely would find success in it. The difference between someone who is successful and one who isn’t is that the successful one tries new things...she doesn’t just say it.

If you know you do this every now and then, stop setting yourself up for failure. Actually do it! You never know what new ideas for your business or marketing techniques can do for you. Stop telling yourself you may try it, and tell yourself that your going to do it. That you are making a decision to do it.

In my experience, there are very few goals I haven’t achieved, but that is because I made a decision and was determined to achieve it. I didn’t just try, I made it happen.

You can do the exact same thing.

© 2008-2011 Natalie Bradley, BrideAttraction.com

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at HYPERLINK "http://www.BrideAttraction.com/" www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

2011-12-08T09:00:00.004-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

People are always watching, talking and making opinions, judgments and assumptions. Always.

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

2011-12-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

by Natalie Bradley

People are always watching, talking and making opinions, judgments and assumptions. Always.

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Elite Bridal at The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove

2011-12-06T15:17:00.004-05:00

The event at The Ritz-Carlton in Coconut Grove was another amazing and fun event! Thanks again to our great sponsors:

Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove

Be sure to join us and celebrate the holidays at our next event at the Grove Isle on December 21st. Click here for more details.

For more information visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com

To be a sponsor contact Sandy at Twenty7events@gmail.com

Come celebrate Christmas season with us!

2011-11-30T15:09:00.005-05:00

Remember Last year? (check out the slideshow below) Elite is back at the Grove Isle!!!

Don't wait to RSVP!

WHEN? Dec 21, 2011
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

WHERE? Grove Isle Hotel & Spa
4 Grove Isle Drive
Miami, FL 33133-4125

Get ready to let loose, network, eat, drink and be merry!!!

Please bring 2 unwrapped toys.

If you can not bring the toys we will charge $20 at the door and the proceeds are going to charity.

Sponsors:

Grove Isle

Twenty7 Events

NEOART Photography

Elegant Temptations

Over the Top Inc.

South Beach Photo Booth Co.

DJ Michael Saryz

Bella Lilly Florals

Donut Divas

more being added every day

If you are interested in sponsoring please contact Sandy-Twenty7events@gmail.com

Visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com for more information on who we are and past events!

Elite Bridal at Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

2011-11-01T11:51:00.014-04:00

Thanks for joining us on what turned out to be a beautiful night at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach. A special thanks to our other great sponsors:

The Babysitting Company

Over The Top Rental Linens

Donut Divas

Ines Naftali Floral&Designs

If you were unable to attend, don't fret, we're having another event Wednesday, November 9th at the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove, Miami. Click here for details or visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com for more information.

Join Elite Bridal and Twenty7 Events at The Ritz Carlton- Coconut Grove!

2011-10-29T20:21:00.006-04:00

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM (ET)

Take the time to meet the best of the best in the wedding industry.

We are all busy at this time of year but we have a proven way to build your business....

NETWORKING!

There is no need to be shy...we aren't! We love meeting new people and we will introduce to who you need to meet...just ask us!

No excuses- Great group of people...incredible venue...impeccable service..cocktails and delicious treats!

What: Networking to the fullest … be sure to bring plenty of business cards!

Where: Ritz Carlton- Coconut Grove

3300 27th Ave Coconut Grove 33133

When: Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Dress Code: Business Casual

Sponsors:

Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove

more sponsoring coming...stay tuned

For more information visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com

To be a sponsor contact Sandy at Twenty7events@gmail.com

Tomorrow elite event at the Eden Roc in Miami

2011-10-25T17:37:00.001-04:00

Join us for a night of networking at the gorgeous Eden Roc Miami. Eat, Drink and Mingle with Elite.

What: Networking to the fullest … be sure to bring plenty of business cards!

When: Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Dress Code: Business Casual

Where: Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

4525 Collins Avenue · Miami Beach, Florida 33140

RSVP

For more information visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com

“Everyone Loves a Freebie (including me!)”

2011-10-21T16:07:00.003-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

In today’s tough economy, the value of your service is more important than ever before. So, who are the vendors that are staying booked? It’s the ones who are able to offer clients the most bang for their buck by giving the bride more of what she needs and wants.

Every bride wants to feel special while planning her big day, and you can help make that happen. By offering an extra “gift” that doesn’t cost you much money, you are helping her feel exactly that way. It’s like when you buy make-up or perfume at a department store. You know you’re going to go to each department store in the mall to see who has the best free gift with purchase. I know I do!

Remember though, your extra bonus has to make sense and be something that the bride will see value in, otherwise there will be no incentive for her to book you! So whether it is a free e-book, checklist, how-to video, or design guide, make sure it is something that she is going to find desirable when it comes to helping her plan her wedding. Once you decide on your freebie, put monetary value on it. You want your potential clients to know how much extra value they would receive just for choosing you (except that they’ll get it for FREE)!

Also, consider putting a limited time offer on your bonuses. Instead of your bride going home to “just think about it”, there is incentive for her to hurry up and book you (even if you don’t plan on discontinuing it any time soon). Think infomercials and what makes you buy that random thing at 3 am ... Your freebies will be well worth it once you begin booking more brides as a result!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

What free something could you add to make visiting your website more appealing? Remember not to go too over the top with them and keep them related to your current business. You want it to be something valuable to the bride, but nothing that’s going to hurt your business or cost you a lot of money!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Join us at the Eden Roc Miami on Wednesday, October 26, 2011

2011-10-14T12:05:00.010-04:00

Join us for a night of networking at the gorgeous Eden Roc Miami. Eat, Drink and Mingle with Elite.

What: Networking to the fullest … be sure to bring plenty of business cards!

When: Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Dress Code: Business Casual

Where: Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

4525 Collins Avenue · Miami Beach, Florida 33140

Sponsors:

The Babysitting Company

Stay tuned for more …

For more information visit www.elitebridalnetwork.com

To be a sponsor contact Sandy at Twenty7events@gmail.com

The next Elite Bridal Network & Twenty7 Event, Treasure Hunt & Networker

2011-09-12T22:44:00.011-04:00

Avast, me Elite Bridal hearties! This month the festivities are taking us to the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale and bringing a little treasure hunt aboard. Come join us pool side for a night filled with clues, coins, bites of goodness and good ‘ole Sangria. Do you really need another reason to come out?

When: Tuesday, September 27^th, 2011

Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Dress Code: Cruise Attire.

** Ladies, you will be walking around for the treasure hunt so be sure to where shoes you feel comfortable in.

Where: Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel.

1140 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.

Parking: Valet $7. Self Parking $5.

Need a sitter? Not to worry, we have in house sitting services for your little ones. Be sure to RSVP for your child(ren) at Info@thebabysittingcompany.com by Monday, September 26, 2011.

Sponsors:

Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel

Twenty7 Events

NEOART Photography

Cafe Ala Carte

South Beach Photo Booth Company

UPLYTE

The Babysitting Company

Get Permission from Brides to Market to Them

2011-09-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Interruption marketing is the “old school” method of getting potential clients’ attention, and it just doesn’t work like it used to. Examples of this include tele-marketers and cold calling, radio ads and even TV commercials. It can be annoying because it literally interrupts what your doing, whether it’s family time, fun time, or your into whatever you’re doing. Regardless, interruption doesn’t make you feel fabulous about the product from the beginning.

In almost every market, the world of interruption marketing is quickly dying and is being replaced with attraction and permission-based marketing. This is the premise of what bride attraction is all about making these changes in your business now to see results tomorrow. You need to get their permission to market to them.

Basically up to this point, everything you know or have been doing with interruption marketing is wrong. For one reason above all others - brides are already overwhelmed and feeling attacked with information overload. So instead, you MUST get them to “raise their hands” for more information from you.

You get them to “raise their hands” by signing up for your f.ree juicy offer, VIP mailings, or whatever you’re using to entice them to ask for more (beyond just an initial complimentary consultation). Then you use this to educate your brides about your story, what makes your services different and specialized, and what you can do to give them the results they desire. This converts them to buying brides much more than hoping and praying that your interruption marketing will do the trick!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Never ‘wing it’ in your complimentary consultation!

2011-09-02T14:32:00.010-04:00

In addition to knowing how to Market to Brides in a way that reels them in consistently and constantly, you have to know how to close the sale! After all, what happens when you get a line of brides filing in to work with you and not a single one signs on the dotted line? ZERO sales … that’s what happens. Not so fabulous is it?

Stop winging it and start using a system to close the sale in your business.

So, here’s what works virtually every time.

Closing the sale starts way before your initial consultation with the Bride. If you’re waiting to get her in the hot seat to show how awesome you are and why she should hire you, you’ve already lost the game!

Closing the sale effortlessly means having the bride PRE-sell herself on your services. You want her saying…”That’s EXACTLY what I Need! I want YOU for my wedding day!” all before she ever meets with you!

1. Have a website that generates leads. (Does this sound familiar? It should!) That means, you have to actually CAPTURE the brides’ information immediately when she lands on your site. And, closing the sale actually starts right then and there when you give her sneak peeks at your expertise through your website, with your packages, f.ree info, and portfolio examples, she’ll already start making her decision.

2. Then, as you speak to her weekly through your ezine, you start to win her over. Brides will learn how you are her problem-solver, how you are an expert at what you do, and she’ll see real examples of what your knowledge can do for her wedding day. She’s ALREADY deciding that YOU are the PERFECT person for her wedding!

3. Make sure to direct Brides to your Bride Testimonials in your magic email. This is HUGE! Nothing sells a bride on your services better than another Bride raving about how incredible are and how you are an invaluable asset for her wedding day! Use these testimonials to your to your benefit - they are one of your biggest tools in closing the sale!

4. In all your marketing copy … online AND in every email you sent out, tell your brides why you do what you do, what makes you different and what sets you apart from “the others”. What makes you different? Special? Why are you perfect for her? Tell her! This is NOT the time to be shy!

5. Confirm your complimentary consultation one or two days prior, including reminders to read your testimonials and refer to your services online. Basically, request that she does some homework prior to your meeting so that she’s “fresh” on why you’re so fantastic.

6. Be yourself. In your consultation, it’s so very important to be yourself, injecting a lot of personality into your limited time together. At this point, the Bride has generally already made her decision. Your job is to make her feel comfortable and secure that yes, indeed you’re the perfect match for her wedding day. You can only do this by being you; not by pretending to be someone you THINK she wants to see. If she didn’t already love your personality, she wouldn’t be sitting in front of you!

7. Ask important, thoughtful questions AND LISTEN to her answers. Most wedding vendors make the mistake of not knowing when to HUSH and just BE THERE for the bride. I can’t tell you how many times Brides have said to me: “Natalie, you are the ONLY person who has asked me these questions and actually listened to what I had to say. I can tell that you sincerely care about what we want for our wedding day.” What do you think this will mean to the bride? ….Everything!

8. Paint the Picture of what their wedding day will be like as a result of hiring you. Create that visual for them, walk them through the process, and describe each package accordingly. Don’t be stuffy or too formal. It feels like a hard sale and NO ONE likes that!

9. Ask for the sale. Simply ask. “Which package would you like? When would you like to start?” Don’t ask yes or no. Ask which and when! This is a huge difference!

10. Follow-up. Regardless of whether the Bride books on the spot or not, always, always, follow-up with a thoughtful, hand-written thank you note. Tell her how you can’t WAIT to help her create her fantasy wedding and how you’d be HONORED to be a part of it! In a time when NO ONE is writing thank you notes anymore (I mean real, hand-written/NON email thank you notes), you will definitely STAND OUT for the bride!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

If you follow these 10 simple guidelines, you’ll start closing the sale without fail immediately in your business. Make sure to implement these in your business right now to start seeing real results in your sales! Steps this small will open HUGE doors in your business! If you want to learn more, sign up for my free 60 minute audio course on How to Close the Sale Without Fail at www.BrideAttraction.com

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley

publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your

FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at

www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Great turnout at the Coral Gables Country Club

2011-08-29T15:38:00.011-04:00

Thank you all for participating in the Elite Bridal Network event at the beautiful Coral Gables Country Club. An excellent turnout considering the unpredictable weather. We look forward to seeing you all at the next event and working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

The Elite Bridal Network Team

Great Sponsors:Coral Gables Country Club Twenty7 Events NEOART Photography Fragoli Liquor Passionne Di Fiore Prosecco Florians Classics Bubble Miami Donut Divas Café Ala Carte PhotoMingle DJ Lee Or A Touch of Class Linens Avant Gardens Kati Cake World UPLYTE The Babysitting Company

Come join us tomorrow at the Coral Gables Country Club!

2011-08-24T12:33:00.014-04:00

Summer’s fury is well under way and we can’t think of a better way to cool down than to have a party!

Come join Elite Bridal Network and Twenty7 Events at the Coral Gables Country Club as they convert their Atrium into a rustic glass house. Need a sitter? Not to worry, we have in house sitting services for your little ones.

Be sure to bring plenty of business cards for networking!

Who? Special event industry professionals

Where? Coral Gables Country Club. 990 Alhambra Circle. Coral Gables, FL, 33134

When? Thursday, August 25^th, 2011. 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Parking: Self-parking is available in the Coral Gables Country Club lot.

RSVP

Great Sponsors:

Coral Gables Country Club

Twenty7 Events

NEOART Photography

Fragoli Liquor

Passionne Di Fiore Prosecco

A Touch of Class Linens

Avant Gardens

KatiCake World

The Babysitting Company

Cute doesn't sell

2011-08-05T00:39:00.005-04:00

Now that we're living in small town America, I continuously crack up at the

really bad marketing efforts all around me. Not that people in small towns

have a harder time grasping marketing, it's just amplified with less marketing

competition.

And this brings me to today's article... Cute doesn't sell. Clarity does.

Here are a few areas I want you to check on in your business to make sure

you're not "cute-ing" yourself out of sales!

1. Don't get so cute that nobody gets it.

If your business or package name is an inside joke, change it immediately.

Test it on other people to see if they "get" your company meaning based on

the name (for your business or package). No clue? Stop being so cute. Be

clear.

2. Pick easy-to-spell names.

My corporate entity (and first business name) is Soiree! Ltd. (pronounced

Swaray ...depending on where you live in the world). I love the name -

always have. After all, it's French for party or gathering. Made sense right?

Not so much. No one could spell it. No one. So we bought every possible

URL variation of the spelling we could think of and later we still rebranded to

Natalie Bradley Events because people could actually spell it and get it.

People must be able to spell your business name (or at the very least your

website) to find you.

3. Don't mis-spell your business name on purpose.

...Unless you can also buy the correctly spelled web addresses too. Seriously.

Make it super easy for brides to find you. Honestly, I suggest not just easy, but

idiot-proof, because people seem to not be as smart online for whatever

reason. Misspellings, no matter how cute, are a disaster in marketing and

attracting brides to your business.

Lesson learned: clarity always trumps cute. So if you're resisting listening to me

still after reading this article, I ask you - What's more important to you: Having a cute business name (or package names)? Or, having a business full of brides (and money in the bank!)?

Be your fabulous self,

Natalie

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

SUCCESS!!!

2011-07-29T10:16:00.003-04:00

On behalf of Elite Bridal Network we would like to say “Thank You” for participating in and making yesterday's event a success. Your skills and talents shined and your demeanor is a true reflection of your professionalism. We look forward to working with you in the future. Special thank you to our amazing planner Sandy Espinosa from Twenty7events for coordinating and executing the event.

Sincerely,

The Elite Bridal Network Team

CONTACT THESE AMAZING SPONSORS FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT:

Planner - www.twenty7events.wordpress.com, twenty7events@gmail.com

Photographer - www.neoartphotography.com, ela@neoartphotography.com

Advertise with Brides.com magazine and online - stephanie_bosco-luca@condenast.com

Venue - www.epichotel.com, Sunshine, Gutierrez@epichotel.com

Donut Divas- www.donutdivas.com, YojaniB@aol.com

Rentals - www.linenswithpanache.com, RMcKee@classicpartyrentals.com

Rentals - www.ronenrental.com, ronenrental@gmail.com

PhotoBooth- www.southbeachphotoboothco.com, meir@southbeachphotoboothco.com

Caker- www.eddascakes.com, alicia@eddascakes.com

Flowers - www.alwaysflowers.net, karen@alwaysflowers.net, alfred@alwaysflowers.net

Audio, Lighting, Stage Design, Production - www.swankav.com, scontreras@swankav.com

DJ - theeventfactor.com, mferia@theeventfactor.com

Video- www.lafrancefilms.com, lafrancefilms@mac.com

Baby Sitting Company for weddings and other events, www.thebabysittingcompany.com, rachel@thebabysittingcompany.com

Come join us tomorrow at the Epic Hotel in Miami!

2011-07-27T17:41:00.007-04:00

Where: EPIC Hotel Downtown Miami. 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way. Miami, FL 33131

When: Thursday, July 28^th, 2011. 6:30pm – 9:30pm

RSVP

We invite you to come inject some of your cool glamour into a Red Hot Summer Elite Bridal Network and Twenty7Events party! Meet, mingle, and shingle with top industry professionals at the EPIC Hotel Downtown Miami.

Can't find a sitter? Not to fret! The Babysitting Company will be providing their sitting services while you network! Please email your child's RSVP to info@thebabysittingcompany.com by Monday, July 25th.

Be sure to bring plenty of business cards … you will need at least 3 at the door

Parking: $5 Valet

Sponsors:

EPIC Hotel Downtown Miami

NEOART Photography

Twenty7Events

LaFrance Films

Donut Divas

Panache, A Classic Party Rentals Company

Ronen Rentals

Swank AV

South Beach Photo Booth Co.

Always Flowers

Edda's Cakes

The Babysitting Company

Event Factor

EXHALE Spa

Prestige Auto

For information on participating in future events or any questions regarding this event contact:

Sandy Espinosa- Sandy@Elitebridalnetwork.com

To find out who we are and where we have been:

Visit: www.elitebridalnetwork.com

Let Your Intuition Make Money for Your Business

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Why is it that we can talk about Mother’s Intuition or how our instincts can help us out when there’s impending danger, but when it comes to business, we shut this part of ourselves down? I’ve found in my own business that some of the best business decisions came not from a book or a course I took, but my own intuition...from within. So, how can your intuition help you to make major business moves to move forward quickly?

Have you ever taken on a bride and wished you hadn’t?

Our intuition is always talking to us, guiding our every step, helping us to make the best decisions for our lives and businesses. It shows us what to do and even cautions us from making decisions that will be painful for us to experience. If you’re not sure if you’ve experienced it, think of a time when you may have taken on a bride and wished that you hadn’t. Was there something inside you that you just couldn’t explain, but you just knew that it was not going to be a wise decision. And, with time, the bride proved to be your worst nightmare? That was your intuition talking to you.

Have you ever FELT an incredible URGE to take a chance, a leap of faith at an opportunity?

There are many times in my own business when I took HUGE leaps of faith, even contradicting what common sense was telling me I should do. And, I ended up making thousands of dollars from the experience. And yet, there are other times when I ignored these urges and watched from the side lines as other wedding planners seemingly read my mind and capitalized on something huge (while I missed out).

When these urges, intense feelings, and nice voices inside talk to us, we must listen.

To make large sums of money, to be the leader in the wedding industry, to stand out from the pack, you absolutely must follow your intuition. Trust yourself. Learn from your instincts and intuition and what they’re teaching you (by listening AND ignoring them). I’ve realized that most often when we don’t follow these urges and gut instincts it’s because others tell us that’s irresponsible, foolish, or makes no sense. Well, it doesn’t matter what others tell you if you know that this is your time to shine, your turn to stand out, and that now is the time to make that leap.

Here are just a few examples of intuition working it’s magic in my own life…

I was told that I didn’t have the “right” education to be a wedding planner, but I knew in my heart that I could do this. At age 21, I talked myself into a job that didn’t exist at a fine dining and event venue in Atlanta. Three months later, I was promoted to event director and making about $40,000 a year on commission.

At 23 years old, I started my first business, even though everyone around me told me that I was too young (and looked like I was 16). Advisors said that I didn’t do enough research or business planning to start my own company. I was told that I needed a more solid business plan, but I felt in my heart that what I was doing would work. (Note: other people in that class with perfect business plans have now folded and I’m going stronger than ever before.)

Turning down weddings because I had a gut feeling that it would be a nightmare to work with a certain person and later hearing of other planners complaining about working with them. Telling my husband to leave a job that was literally killing him and to come work with me, even though we knew people would make fun of him working “for me”. Charging more than 5 times as much as everyone else in a 60 - mile radius for my services, and STILL having a full calendar. Starting Bride Attraction while I was at the top of game as a wedding planner because I knew that people needed my help and I was getting bored with wedding planning (now, I’m serving over 17,000 wedding pros worldwide that I can actually trace).

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Ask yourself: where have you ignored your intuition in your life and business?

And when have you listened?

Keep a small journal with you that you can easily carry in your purse.

Whenever you feel an overwhelming urge to to do something or take charge of a situation (even if it “seems” strange to do to everyone else), write it down and make a note of it. Then… the most important thing to do … is to act on your intuition! This is where the money is waiting for you … behind the decision and the action!

© 2008-2011 Natalie Bradley, BrideAttraction.com

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to high-end brides expert Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" daily e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

Give your Customers More Service

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Last year I had a not so fun experience with some termites around our last home. Let me share what happened with you and how it relates to your business.

After our pest control company came out (this is commonplace in the south, by the way) and about one thousand dollars later, termite traps had been planted around the house, and drilled into the concrete in our garage, outside the garage and behind the basement. And the job that had been done was terrible … I mean soooooo, sooooooo bad. Sloppy, shotty, and that other s word too. We said a few choice words as you can imagine. So I called them and explained that the work was really bad and that I owned two businesses, blah blah blah… and what happened was an amazing class in customer service! And, just today, we’ve referred two new customers to them because of our delightful experience … customer experience, that is!

Three key reminders and lessons came out of this experience that I want to share with you. Especially in light of our recent issues with a few wedding vendors refusing to call us back when we have ca$h in hand, ready to hire for our clients and even for our book more brides tour, I think that these are reminders and lessons that need to be embraced. We’re all human, we all make mistakes. It’s how you deal with them that makes all the difference.

1. Respond immediately. When we had this issue with our pest control, another person was sent out the very next day to address the problems we had. It took no time whatsoever, which made us VERY happy customers!

How does this relate in your bridal biz? If brides are contacting you and you are ignoring them, that’s not good. That’s customer no-service. And they will not hire you. It gives them a clue of how you may be doing business, and no one wants to pay someone else to ignore them, do they? Also, if you mess up or make a mistake, that’s okay. But deal with the issues now and fast. I’ve made my share of mistakes (and will continue to), but I always rectify whatever I’ve overlooked or messed up. Always. This starts rebuilding the know, like and trust factors you may have lost if you messed up to begin with.

2. Fix the problem. Again, our pest control fixed the problem – well problems – caused by the original technician. They didn’t kind of fix it, they did a stellar job that really blew us away.

How does this relate in your bridal biz? Make it right, make it right, make it right. Again, we all screw up, but it’s important to fess up! It has astonished me over the years how many vendors I’ve worked with who’d rather be right than rich with customers. And now, many of them are hurting and looking around wondering who to blame. (Interesting, don’t you think?) Customers will love you so much that they will become your biggest cheerleaders!

One of my past clients had some really valid complaints about some issues on her wedding day. And we responded quickly, and fixed everything, going over and beyond. They fell in love with us all over again … in fact, they still email and send us notes saying how amazing their wedding was… as if the mistakes never happened!! When you fix your mistakes by being the best you can be in customer service, it’s like it erases their memories of all things bad and replaces it will all things beautiful and fabulous. And, of course, that’s exactly what we all want to do!

3. Have a professional approach. The pest control guys empathized with

our problems, explained what they could do, when they could realistically do it, and how they would make things right. That’s all anyone can ask for!

How does this relate in your bridal biz? Exactly the same way … brides just want you to be professional, and not defensive, frustrated, or immature. And unfortunately, that’s still how most businesses react to customer service issues. Be honest with your brides in telling them what you can do for them, when you can do it, and how this will happen. Easy enough, right?

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Look at past customer issues. How did you handle it? What was the outcome? Happy clients … or mad ones?

Learn from your past mistakes, and adapt your business to grow from them. That’s all customer service is, in addition to simple common sense, and common courtesy. Apply these three simple, but key areas to your own business immediately and feel the love pour in from all brides in your company!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to Brides Expert Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly e-zine. Get your FREE 60 minute audio course on “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

You Get What You Give, So Give a LOT More

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Let’s discuss giving and how this actually leads to getting more brides. This may be a whole new approach in your marketing to Brides … but it works… so give it a try!

When most wedding vendors are saying “gimme,gimme, gimme” in all their marketing and business information, set yourself apart for success and ask “What can I give you?” This is a MUCH more attractive form of marketing to brides and you’ll get their attention so much faster…. and you’ll book more brides too! Here are a few ways to give to get more brides starting today in your wedding business…

1. Start with your website. Give away a juicy F*R*E*E offer to brides with no strings attached. Doing this instead of pitching your services constantly and doing that hard sell nonstop is so much easier AND this is much more bride attractive. Always lead with your F*R*E*E giving offer and you will always, always get more brides as a result.

2. Give through your e-zine. Giving incredible and valuable f’ree information to brides weekly or bi-weekly in your e-zine is a wonderful way to show brides your knowledge, expertise, and experience. By leading with a fabulous f’ree article that brides want to know about badly, and following this up with an easy call to action, brides will fall over themselves to have you help them with their wedding.

3. Your business card can also give to brides! Be bride attractive by promoting your F*R*E*E tips and techniques (that you offer through your e-zine of course) for her wedding, when she goes to yourwebsite.com. This type of card will get so much more attention than just an card with your info or really sales-y copy.

4. Give to get brides at Bridal Shows instead of selling so darn hard! Most bridal show participants push, push, push brides into buying, buying, buying. Instead, promote your extra special F*R*E*E juicy offer at your booth more than anything. This puts brides much more at ease than having to digest all your services and not go into sales defense mode on the spot.

5. Speak to brides as often as possible. Give F*R*E*E info-rich talks to brides at open houses, quarterly tasting, bridal events, and more. They’ll love you for all the valuable F*R*E*E advice and wedding secrets you can provide to them!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

When you lead through giving in all your marketing and in everything that you are, a huge shift takes place with brides. By giving something to brides for F*R*E*E, they will automatically wonder how much you will do for them as a PAID vendor when they got so much for nothing! It works like a charm every time because it’s so much easier for brides to buy from you when they already know you, love you and trust you!

It’s not about tricking brides into buying. It’s about giving them a taste of your knowledge, talent, and experience so that they want to get a lot more from you. And it’s so very bride attractive!

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to Brides Expert Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE 60 minute audio course on “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Do you like to Struggle? Me either. So Stop.

2011-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Most wedding vendors who are struggling in their businesses are doing the same old thing and are praying for different results. Unfortunately that just doesn’t work. If it did, we’ll all be filthy rich and doing whatever we felt like that day.

Look at what you’re doing in your business. Are you marketing (not advertising- that is totally different) your business…I mean really marketing your business consistently and constantly? If you’re not sure that you’re doing enough, here’s a good start. You need to be marketing at a minimum one hour every single workday. If you’re doing less, it’s not enough. Not even close.

Are you doing business like everyone else in your field just because they are? Most wedding vendors follow everyone else, like in kindergarten when there’s a line leader and everyone else falls in line behind. It’s seriously like the blind leading the blind. There’s no rhyme, reason, or even research to what they’re doing. Step out of line and stop being a follower once and for all!

Implement a new plan. Transforming your business to be truly successful is just like anything else in your life. It takes practice, routine and commitment to change to see new and positive results. It’s not a once and done kind of thing. It’s a new way of doing business.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

So you see, when I say that struggle is optional, it all boils down to making a decision in your business.

Decide to step out. Decide to employ new business and marketing strategies. Decide to book more brides with a system that works. Decide…once and for all…to be successful.

And then throw all of those excuses that are holding you back out the window. Decide – and decide today. Struggle is optional. Success is simple. So, I ask you, which option will you choose as we enter 2010?

Want to use this article in your Blog, E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to Brides Expert Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE 60 minute audio course on “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Simplify to get more sales in your business

2011-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Whenever you sit down to awork on your marketing materials for bridal shows, brochures, letters, website updates, service packages, products, workshops and more, always always remember K.I.S.S. (Appropriate for the wedding industry, isn’t it?) K.I.S.S. stands for “keep it super simple” in your marketing and business management.

Don’t confuse brides with complicated messages about what you do and how you do it. Streamline it. Make it focused. And use this simple message across the board in your marketing strategies.

To get started and make sure your laser focused in your message to brides, there’s just a little bit of homework for you to do. Write down what problems brides have when they come to you in your initial consultation. Brides are literally giving you the marketing message – just make sure that you’re listening. Go back through your notes and look at what they’re telling you. Next, look at these issues and how you are actually solving these problems in your work with brides. Then, write down how you’re different from “the rest”. What sets you apart? (Hint: don’t put down others in your field; just highlight your strengths.) Now put it in a few sentences.

Here’s the example of my Super Simple Marketing Message for Brides. “I work with brides who struggle with being stressed out and overwhelmed in their wedding planning, and have no idea where to begin. They want to create their luxury, dream wedding to start their lives together centered with love. What separates my service from other wedding planners is that I know the secrets and the system to creating a fantasy wedding day that is customize, personalized, and centered around who you are, and not who you think you should be. And, because of this, my brides are able to relax, let loose and enjoy their wedding planning experience and wedding day, while they focus only on the love that brought them to this moment in time.”

While this message is detailed, it’s still very, very simple. It’s right to the point, it hits home for the brides to whom this message is meant for, and nothing more. The key to making this work for you is taking this simple message, and using it in everything you do … your pull marketing questions, your business card marketing, your package and services description, your presentations to brides, and more.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

Don’t overcomplicate your approach. One focus, multiple uses is key!! Use the same key words from your simplistic marketing message and put them into all areas of your marketing. Examples from my own company include the keywords like “stressed out, overwhelmed, luxury, dream wedding, fantasy, customize, personalized, relaxed…” and they’re all over all of my marketing materials.

Don’t reinvent the wheel, so to speak, trying to create new catch phrases to get brides’ attention. If you know what their problems are, what they want to know from you, and what they need, speak to that and only that. Remember to K.I.S.S. in all of your marketing!

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Marketing to Brides Expert Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE 60 minute audio course on “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOARTphotography

“Are you chasing your tail?”

2011-06-10T22:44:00.003-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

If you feel like you’re all over the place drawing straws to figure out what to do each day in your business, or you feel overwhelmed trying to prioritize, or you just sit at your desk hanging out on Facebook because you don’t know what else to do, today’s article was written with you in mind!

I know you didn’t start your business to become a fabulous marketer, but that’s what it takes to get yourself out there! And unfortunately, this essential part of getting your name out there in a big way is the number one thing that gets shoved aside in your business. I know it can be overwhelming when you look at all there is to do – or can be done – to market your business. But that’s why you don’t try to eat the whole elephant at once! Take it step by step by step.

Step 1: Get out a physical calendar you can see every day in your office. You can buy a huge paper calendar, dry erase calendar, paint a wall with that fabulous chalk or dry erase paint, or just print out multiple paper calendars by month (this is what I do).

Step 2: Be realistic and start somewhere. Sort through all the marketing you want to do (if it was a perfect world) and make a list of everything. Now be honest with yourself. If you can only handle doing one new thing this month, pick that, be consistent with that item, and literally write it on your calendar. If it’s two things, do the same thing, or five … The idea is to make a commitment to yourself and do whatever you’re ready to start doing consistently. (I prefer to prioritize based on what is the easiest to do, costs me the least amount of m’oney to do it, and will create the most return on investment – in terms of time and m’oney.)

Step 3: Designate time to actually follow through on your commitment. You know that this has been pushed to the side in years or months past, so now that you know better do better (as my friend Oprah says). If you know you have a tendency to do this (and let’s face it, most of us do), make an appointment with yourself to take care of this. It needs to be as much a priority as your appointments with brides are for you. This is essential for your business to thrive.

Step 4: When you see success come from your action, don’t stop. Continue to follow the same marketing steps over and over and over again. I say this all the time – once you know what to do, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, then rinse and repeat. Many people make the mistake of stopping all their marketing efforts when they see it working because they feel like they’ve “made it,” or the “magic pill” has worked. Well, there is no marketing heaven or magic pill. There’s only using an effective marketing system and doing it consistently!

Step 5: Enjoy your new-found time and freedom! Once you have a system in place that you routinely use, you will find that you have much more time to enjoy your life. Most people don’t realize how much time they’re wasting by not having a plan. And this is just ONE of many ways for you to now work smarter instead of harder!

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

Come join us today at the Bath Club in Miami!

2011-06-08T10:07:00.003-04:00

Another shing-ding with Elite Bridal Network and Twenty7Events!

Merriam Webster says to renovate is to restore to a better former state …. And that is exactly what The Bath Club has done! Come join us in celebrating the gem that is old Florida meets South Beach as you mingle with industry professionals.

Bring plenty of business cards!

Who? Special Event Industry Professionals

What? Networking to the Fullest!

When? Wednesday, June 8th. 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Where? The Bath Club. 5959 Collins Avenue. Miami Beach, Florida. 33140

RSVP

How to Find Content

2011-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Debby Dowling, Wedding Pro Newsletter

Have you ever found yourself sitting at your computer, wondering what to write about in your blog or newsletter?

I have more times than I can count. Like you, I have my own blog, Facebook, and twitter accounts, not to mention all the other writing that I do for my business. To say that I suffer from writer’s block from time to time is an understatement.

Luckily, I’ve created a bag of tricks that I can dig into that are always sure to inspire me. So next time you find yourself feeling a little stuck, here are five great ways to get your creative juices flowing!

1. Blogs - Blogs are a continuous source of inspiration to me. I have many that I visit on a regular basis just to keep up to date on news and styles. But like you, I don’t have time to do that as frequently as I’d like. That’s where the RSS feed comes into play. Just sign up for the RSS feed on blogs you like, add them to your google reader and you’ll be always be able to see what’s on trend.

Not sure what blogs to follow? Just go to blogsearch.google.com/ and type in a topic for a search on relevant blogs.

2. Twitter - Twitter can come at you fast and furious. But that’s the beauty of it. You can see what’s going on in bite sized snippets. It’s easy to do a search and see what topics in your industry are trending. Or use free apps like twilert to send you automatic alerts on any keyword that you want. Twitter makes it easy keep up on the latest industry news, so that you, of course, can write about them!

3. Sign up for Newsletters, White Papers, & Teleseminars - OK, this may make your inbox go a little crazy, but if you’re looking for ideas, these are all great ways to receive a constant influx of ideas and resources.

4. Q & A - You don’t have to rely on the internet for inspiration. Just look at your own business! Take a moment and think of what are some of your most frequently asked questions. Pick one, and write a post or article on it. That’s perfect content!

5. Do an Interview - This doesn’t have to take long, but ask a vendor or colleague three to five questions about their business and then post the Q&A. Do the same for them. It’s a great way to cross promote each other, plus, have great content!

Remember, it’s all about inspiration. And sometimes seeing what others write about is enough to get my creative juices flowing. If you’re really short on time, you can always write about why you like/dislike/agree/disagree to a certain blog/tweet/article. But don’t forget to link and give credit if you do! This is about inspiration, not plagiarism.

Photo by NEOART photography, flowers by www.inesnaftali.com

About Debby Dowling

About Debby Dowling:

Debby Dowling is the creator of Wedding Pro Newsletter, a biweekly newsletter and social media tool that automates your marketing so that you attract more brides, earn more money, and have more freedom...even if you don’t know a thing about marketing. Be sure to check out Effortless Bridal Marketing, the only completely done for you, use any way you want, wedding content tool, to use in your blast emails, blogs, facebook posts, and twitter so you reach more brides in less time.

Shine Your Light Through Your Business

2011-06-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

As babies, our parents are so proud to see us born and think of all the possibilities that are ahead for our lives. As children, we’re taught to dream big … and then something happens. Parents change their tune and start to tell us to be smart, safe, savvy. Be careful. Try not to get hurt. We get teased and taunted possibly. We think we need to lower ourselves so that others don’t feel bad.

Well, I’m done with that old story (and I hope you will be too). It doesn’t help me and it certainly doesn’t impact others in a good way for me or you to hide our talents from the world. To not let our light shine. Brides need you. Brides are looking for you. Brides want to work with you. But you must shine your light through your business in order to be seen.

This is how I live my life now. I continuously remind myself to shine, not to hide. And certainly not to give in to fear constantly. Sure, sometimes fear grabs hold of me and I wonder, “What will people think of me?… Will they think I’m weird? Out there? Too bold? Will I be criticized for being positive instead of pessimistic?”… and then I think, “Is this how I want to live my life? Is this what God intended for me?” And of course the answer is no.

So, I ask you …. read this note below that was sent to Oprah from her mentor Marianne Williamson, and ask yourself, “How do you live your life?” …

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~Marianne Williamson

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

What Everyone Ought To Know About Sending Emails

2011-06-01T12:16:00.004-04:00

by Debby Dowling of Wedding Pro Newsletter

Being in the email business, I often get asked about when is the best day or time for sending out bulk emails. This is a toughie, because there isn’t one answer. Every list is different and sometimes it takes a lot of trial and effort to get it right. But there are some general guidelines to follow – and one of them is to look at your own patterns.

What time of day should you send?

As a general rule, most consumers tend to open their personal emails in the early evening. Just look at your own behavior and when you check your personal emails. Most people come home, eat dinner, help their kids with homework, get them ready for bed, maybe do some work and then they settle in to play on the internet or watch TV. While there is a lot of ambiguity on personal habits, you still want to try to aim for the hours between 7 and 9 pm, where consumers are most likely to see your email. Because this is considered peak time, adding “forward to a friend” greatly increases your chance to have your message shared across all social medial channels.

What day should you send them?

Again, think about your own behavior. Studies have shown that consumers tend to be more responsive to emails sent on Fridays and weekends, when they have a little more down time. Avoid Mondays when everyone is just getting back up to speed on the work week.

Think About Timing with Payroll

Now, if you’re sending bulk emails on a regular basis to your prospective brides, one of the best things that you can do is to tie them to when they are getting paid. Because they know that they have cash coming in, that’s when they are most likely to consider buying. And while you can’t know everyone’s payroll, most companies follow one of the following two schedules:

• On the 1st and 15th of the month

-OR-

• Every two weeks

Because every two weeks can translate into someone getting paid every week from your prospective, the best one to use by default is the 1st and the 15th in order to have the highest probability of selling your services to prospective brides.

At the end of the day, every list is different and the best way to figure out when to send is through trial and error. So check your reports on your email distribution service and see when you have the highest rate of opens and click-throughs. This will help you to find your best time to send for your list.

Photo by NEOART photography

About Debby Dowling

About Debby Dowling:

How to Follow Up with Potential Brides and Get them Booked

2011-05-27T08:00:00.006-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

When I first started my business, I found that I was following up so much with brides after an inquiry or consultation that I felt like an ex-girlfriend that just wouldn’t go away! And, despite my attempts to follow up, only about one out of every ten brides would actually hire me for my services. Adding insult to injury, my self-esteem took a massive hit because I felt so desperate for the business (again, ex-girlfriend syndrome).

That was before I discovered a whole new way to close these follow-up sales. I’ve found that if you follow up using traditional methods, for the most part, prospective brides are just not that into your services and you come off looki

ng too needy. It’s much more useful and productive for you if you turn the tables and become a partner for the bride instead of a pursuer.

Use my follow-up secrets and see what happens in your business…

Secret #1 If a prospective bride calls to chat about her wedding, I always, always get her to setup a consultation. But, if she just won’t let go of the price issue, I tell her that we start at X price, and a complimentary consultation is the best place to discuss her needs further. The key to this secret is to get prospects in front of you or on a call after they have some time to do your “close” homework.

Secret #2 Send a follow-up thank you note after your consultation. This really “gets them” because they know you care about them as a person, and not just as another booked bride (as you should).

Secret #3 If they don’t book with you on the spot, don’t just say, “call me when you’re ready” and let it go. Chances are that you’ll never ever hear from them again. Instead, schedule a check-in call with them in the next week or so. This keeps them from feeling pressured and keeps you from feeling like the needy or desperate vendor! Now the big key with this is to have the bride or couple call you. You don’t call them. If they’re serious, they will call you. Otherwise, if you call them and they don’t answer, you’re back to square one following up incessantly, feeling like a stalker again!

Secret #4 If for some reason they no-show your check-in call, send the “Are you okay?” email. Ask if she’s okay because you had an appointment scheduled and you were concerned since she didn’t call in. And, ask when she wants to reschedule. Usually it’s a case of an irresponsible or disorganized bride, but sometimes she is just not good at saying, “I can’t afford you,” or “my dad said No,” so she may disappear, but at least you’re not wasting any more time on a bride who’d never hire you to begin with.

Try this new follow-up system in your business for a month and let me know how awesome this feels because it’s so super easy! Remember that you must try something new to experience different results!

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your FREE audio course: “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Photo by NEOART photography

5 Easy Ways to be Seen as the Expert to Attract More Brides

2011-05-14T11:18:00.005-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Part of the secret to attracting brides easily and consistently into your business is for them to see you as the expert in your industry! Sometimes this idea overwhelms wedding vendors, because it can be daunting or even intimidating to think about yourself as an expert. But, honestly, our approach makes it very easy. And, the bonus for you is that these ways are either very inexpensive or even FREE! (woo hoo!!)

1. Speak to brides through your e-zine (or e-newsletter) regularly. Speaking to brides bi-weekly or weekly will allow you to share valuable information with them in your articles. And over time, as they continue to receive this incredible information from you, they will look to you as the expert because of all the incredible knowledge you’re sharing with them over time.

2. Blog your way to brides. Posting beneficial information to brides also positions you as the expert in record time, but you must include a delicate balance of postings on your blog. Brides want information, recommendations, how-to’s, and resources –all of which you can easily share through your blog! Posting a nice balance of this high-value, content-rich information for brides will get them seeing you as their savior right away!

3. Blog Marketing on other highly visible blogs is also key! Seeking out highly trafficked blogs and even celebrity blogs and commenting regularly on those blogs is so easy to do. When brides see you on a continuous basis on these blog site, they’ll be much more likely to check you out too. You become an overnight expert when you comment on these blogs, also adding your valuable opinion and interesting facts or resources. And, of course, remember to always include your own website address so that they can look you up. (Otherwise, it’s just commentary, not actual marketing!)

4. Use Article Marketing to increase visibility and get published quickly. Article marketing is free to do, and it maximizes your effort in writing your e-zines and more. Take these articles for your e-zine, and post them to article marketing sites. Not only will this increase your SEO fabulously, but it will also get you seen by many journalists and reporters to be published. (This has happened for us countless times in fact!) Again, instant expert factor for you in publications!

5. Speak to brides in large numbers! This is a huge way to increase your expert factor fast and my favorite to be honest. Approach venues, caterers, bridal show producers and other vendors to get the opportunity to speak to brides in numbers. Speaking is extremely important to be seen as the expert because it’s live, it’s your target market in substantial numbers, and it creates a sort of “celebrity” status for you among brides.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

So why is being seen as an expert so important? Especially now with all the information out there on the internet and vendors lobbying for brides’ attention, brides want to hire those who seem to have the most expertise. When you put these easy ways to work for your expert factor, your job becomes so much easier to close the sale, book more brides, and let’s be honest… it’s way more fun!

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly

e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: “How to Close the Sale Without Fail!” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Don’t wait for the next bridal show … market with boutique events too!

2011-05-06T13:09:00.005-04:00

by Natalie Bradley

Getting in front of Brides often and meeting them in-person is a great way to book more brides (always). Nothing builds that know, like and trust factor for brides faster than seeing you, and interacting with you.

Bridal shows have been and still are a great way to get in front of Brides and get a lot of leads in one place. But, another fantastic way to reach out to brides consistently and constantly, and book more weddings is with a Bridal Boutique Event.

Brides are looking for quality wedding professionals as usual, but what’s HUGE now more than ever before is that they’re also looking to build relationships with their vendors. Especially now more than ever, we’re seeing brides want to get to know their vendors more … personally and professionally … especially the high-end brides.

Boutique Bridal Events work best when you collaborate with an intimate group of wedding vendors. When you work with your A-team of vendors, with only one or two companies represented in each category, and who offer services in very different ways, it makes the event much more intimate. The key to these events is keeping the total number of brides to a minimum (the idea here is not to create another bridal show). Brides want the opportunity to meet and greet their vendors, learn more about them in a hands-on setting, and be able to ask questions without pressure to buy.

Hosting these events quarterly in your area with the same or similar vendors works wonders! Team up with other like-minded vendors and venues, and host your events after hours and/or Sunday afternoons. Invite brides to attend free of charge, bring their fiancé or their best bud, and meet vendors in a laid-back setting. It also works great when you offer an “ask your vendor” segment for brides to ask anything and everything, and you get the chance to dismiss myths or falsehoods in your area of expertise.

Cross promote! The best part of these events is that it doesn’t require much money at all on your part. Work with your vendors and cross-promote and market the event to all potential brides, bridal leads, and current brides to attend the event and learn more. And, when you host the event for free to brides, you can also get local publications to feature you with press releases and public service announcements. How fabulous is that?

Get started - Brainstorm who you want to partner with, pitch the idea, and set the dates. Invite those brides, and get the leads pouring in right away! : )

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: "How to Close the Sale Without Fail!" at www.BrideAttraction.com

To get involved in a local bridal boutique event visit www.ReadySetWedstore.com

contact email: Sandy@readysetwedstore.com

ELITE BRIDAL NETWORK

Come see us TODAY at The Cocoplum!

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Listen to Your Gut and Just Say No!

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

The Elite Bridal Network Holiday Party

Thank-You’s Won’t Sell Brides, But Testimonials Do!

Managing Your Time is Always Tricky for an Entrepreneur

Elite Holiday Party is here! Join us TODAY at the Grove Isle

Grove Isle Hotel & Spa4 Grove Isle Drive Miami, FL 33133-4125

When?

What Opportunities are You Missing?

Don’t Just Say It. Do It!

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

Are you hurting yourself on Facebook?

Elite Bridal at The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove

Come celebrate Christmas season with us!

Elite Bridal at Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

Join Elite Bridal and Twenty7 Events at The Ritz Carlton- Coconut Grove!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM (ET)

Tomorrow elite event at the Eden Roc in Miami

“Everyone Loves a Freebie (including me!)”

Join us at the Eden Roc Miami on Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The next Elite Bridal Network & Twenty7 Event, Treasure Hunt & Networker

Get Permission from Brides to Market to Them

Never ‘wing it’ in your complimentary consultation!

Great turnout at the Coral Gables Country Club

Come join us tomorrow at the Coral Gables Country Club!

Cute doesn't sell

SUCCESS!!!

Come join us tomorrow at the Epic Hotel in Miami!

Let Your Intuition Make Money for Your Business

Give your Customers More Service

You Get What You Give, So Give a LOT More

Do you like to Struggle? Me either. So Stop.

Simplify to get more sales in your business

“Are you chasing your tail?”

Come join us today at the Bath Club in Miami!

How to Find Content

Shine Your Light Through Your Business

What Everyone Ought To Know About Sending Emails

How to Follow Up with Potential Brides and Get them Booked

5 Easy Ways to be Seen as the Expert to Attract More Brides

Don’t wait for the next bridal show … market with boutique events too!

Grove Isle Hotel & Spa
4 Grove Isle Drive
Miami, FL 33133-4125