I am trying to get my business rolling more, we only hav 8 weddings scheduled this year, which I don't think is too bad for our first year but I want more and I know the best way is to get to know the wedding professionals in my area more. We did a bridal show and I met a few there but in that situation I feel it is easier to approach them.

How do you approach other wedding professionals and what do you personally say? Do you just call them up or walk in and then what?

Any advice would be great, I need to start marketing our business more if I want to get out of this full time day job grind!

thanks.
C.

Carli,
What you have working in your favor is images of products (flowers, cakes, decorations, food, etc.) from weddings you have already shot. What I do is following each wedding, if I liked what the florist or caterer, etc. did for the wedding, I put a few images on a disk, and figure out if I can drive to their shop to introduce myself. I take them the CD of a few images (one folder full res, and one folder resized for the web with my logo in the corner) and use that as my conversation starter. I leave a couple business cards inside the CD envelope, and usually that's enough to start with. You make a lot of friends when you help another small business with self-promotion.

From there you can begin the relationship and typically you won't even have to ask for the referrals. If you like a florist's work, start referring them, and the word will get back to them, and they will reciprocate.

If the vendor is too far to drive, try contacting them through their website and offering the images. Works the same way.

Hope you're doing well... you are very right that this is a good way to get your name out!

Alison B.

I use email as a first contact method. I have not done much networking in my area, but am gradually meeting more wedding photogs around the area. I believe in making friends with the competition. I need people who I can refer clients to when I am booked. If they do the same for me, that is fantastic!

Join OSP. LOL Seriously though, it's the best source of networking!!

Read Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

You need to find out how to add/show your value to others. Never ask for anything. Show your value over and over again, and people will include and invite you into thier biz world.

I actually own that book I haven't had a chance to read it yet though. My fiance just finished it so i guess I really need to stop watching some of my shows and read that book

Good advice, Allison. I did this once & totally forgot about it since!

Thanks, Carli, for posting this! It's been on my mind, too.