Did you know that I got my first clients from a wedding fair? That’s why I’m convinced that attending a wedding fair can be a great investment, if you know how to do it well.
And for your participation to be a resounding success you just have to follow these 5 steps to get more clients at a wedding fair.
I know, there are people who hear the words “wedding fair” and want to run in the opposite direction. And I understand, because just a few years ago wedding fairs were outdated.
Fortunately, the batteries have already been put into place, they have managed to adapt to the new bridal market and that is why getting more clients at a wedding fair is a very attractive option once again.
The wedding fair theme gives an overall view in my opinion, so today I’m just going to focus on the step by step guide that you must follow to get more clients at a wedding fair.
(Step 1) Attract couples to your stand
This is one of the most important steps, because if you can’t even attract people to your stand, the rest of the steps are useless.
How can you attract couples to your stand? Below you can see various options:
- Advertise your participation in RRSS. And do not forget to use the official hashtag of the fair, and tag the fair account in your publications, so you’ll reach many more people.
- Draw free tickets among your followers. Most fairs will give you some tickets so you can distribute them. Make a raffle in your RRSS. It is a way to reach more people and generate more engagement with your followers.
- Decorate the stand with taste. Here the maxim “less is more” will be your best ally. Do not try to fill your stand with things, or it will end up looking like a market. The most important thing is that you take into account your ideal client, and design a decoration that really entices you. Remember that your stand must be accessible, so avoid putting large furniture in the entrance.
- The corners are your friends. If you can, choose a corner for your stand. You’ll get more visibility, and your stand will look softer.
- The location is very important. If there are going to be bridal shows at the fair, make sure your stand is close to the catwalk, or that you have to pass in front of it to get there. That way you’ll get a lot more people to see you. There aren’t any parades? Well try to be near the toilets, it’s usually another very busy area.
(Step 2) Gather your email addresses
It will be very difficult to convince the couple to hire you on the same day of the fair, so if you want to get more customers, I advise you to focus on getting as many emails as you can.
But how do you get couples to give you their emails addresses?
- Make a raffle. It’s a trick that always works. The rules have to be very simple. To participate the bride and groom only have to leave their name, mail and date of the wedding. The last day of the fair, or the following Monday, you do the live raffle in one of your RRSS and that’s it. And what can I win? Anything, for example, advice with you, a photocall, a candy table, etc …
- Give them something: ebook, online course, Spotify music list, etc … You want couples to give you their email, so you’ll have to offer something in return. But it has to be something that really interests them: a printable agenda to organize your wedding, a schedule, an ebook with tips for organizing a wedding …. (rustic, elegant, fun, etc …) or even a spotify playlist of perfect songs for weddings. Whatever the gift, you have to be able to send it by email.
- Invite them to an exclusive event. Is it hard for you to get couples to want to meet alone with you? Well, create an exclusive event for about 7 couples, for example. It can be a snack, a breakfast, a tea party, in which you give them a talk with tips to organize your wedding, or a workshop to learn how to choose the wedding dress that suits you best, make a bouquet of flowers, some DIY , etc … The idea is to gather a small group of couples to be able to sell your services but in a more subtle way.
(Step 3) Make it memorable
You’ve already got through the most difficult part, getting the attention of couples and getting their emails. Now you have to get them to remember you.
And how can you make it memorable?
- Flyers and dossiers: Coffee for all, sugar for those that deserve it. That is, try to distribute all the flyers you can, and keep some dossiers with intricate detail to give to couples who stop to talk to you and show interest.
- Waters, snacks or sweets with your logo. Couples will spend all morning or afternoon at the fair, so it’s always a good idea to give them some water bottles with your logo, or a snack, like some chocolates.
- Draw something different. If you are thinking about drawing a sweets table, put one on your stand, but one that is truly spectacular.
- Give a professional talk. Many wedding fairs have a space to give talks and workshops for the couples. If you want to get more clients at a wedding fair, talk to the organizers and ask to give a talk. You may have to pay something to do it, but that investment will be worth it, because you will reach many couples in a very short time, and you will be able to pitch yourself as an expert.
- Send at least 7 emails with very useful content for them. Have you heard the phrase “money is on the list”? It refers to the contact list of your email marketing tool. Do you remember all the emails that you have been collecting? Well, the time has come to use them, through an email marketing strategy. In the video I will tell you how to do it in order to get more clients at a wedding fair.
(Step 4) Send an irresistible offer
There is an unwritten law which says that we must offer special discounts to the couples that visit us at wedding fairs.
- Create a special promotion only for those who met you at the fair. Of course, this offer is only for couples who have attended the fair and have your flyer.
- It can be a discount or a free service when hiring another superior. It’s usually a discount of 10%, but you can also give, for example, the photocall service by hiring an integral organization.
- Put an expiration date on it. It is important to put an expiration date on the offers, thus forcing couples to make a decision as soon as possible. If the promotion does not expire, they will not be in a hurry to hire you.
- Send 3 emails: one with the personalized proposal for each couple, the second asking if they have any questions and the last one a few days before the offer ends to create a sense of urgency. If you follow this strategy, you will see how you’re going to get more clients at a wedding fair.
(Step 5) Close the deal
And if you’ve followed the previous steps correctly, the final step will be sealing the deal. But beware, if you play your cards right, you could close one at the same fair.
- It takes several pre contracts of blank reserve to fill in the Fair. It is a reservation commitment contract. You should leave a small payment and signature, and with that you would have the date reserved with you. Then you set an appointment to sign the final contract and get paid for the rest of the reservation.
- You can add an extra if you book the date at the Fair. It can be an even bigger discount, like 15% instead of 10%, or give away a service like the photocall, a table of lemonades, etc …
- Both in the case of the couples who have booked you at the fair, and with whom you have managed to convince after the fair, remember that you will have to send them a PDF of the final contract so they can read it.
- Then stay with them to check that they sign it.
- On the day of signing, once the contract is signed and the down payment is made, give them a personalized schedule and …get to work!
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Photo credit:
Photo1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – Tanya Vasiliuk Photography