Wedding Photographers - Success from Bridal Shows?
JAMoore
Registered Users Posts: 87 Big grins
My wife and I have been in the wedding photo business officially for about a year now and already have 6 weddings booked for 2010. Most of these are from general Google searches and AdWords ads. The only next step I can come up with for exposure is to be a vendor at a bridal show, but it can be a large investment for us ($500+).
Who has shown their work at a bridal show and what kind of response/traffic did you get from it? Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
TIA,
Josh
Who has shown their work at a bridal show and what kind of response/traffic did you get from it? Was it worth it? Would you do it again?
TIA,
Josh
0
Comments
Here is a thread from last year about it:
We put together a slide presentation of our work. We used a silver lenticular screen (allows for good projected images, even in 'normal' light) and 2 projectors in a dissolved program set to music (that we owned the rights to.)
We also brought a couple of albums of samples and 1 completed album of a 'typical' package. We also brought several smaller albums featuring our other types of photography. Brides make up less than 30% of the attendees, might as well try to sell to the others, too.
Expect lots of price shoppers and lots of people that will ask you to 'hold the date for me, while we think about it.' Role play those situations. The ONLY thing that held a date for us was a deposit and contract. PERIOD. Cannot stress that enough.
I fully expected to leave every show we did with at least 4 deposits and to book another 12 wedding within the next 10 days.
Bring enough price lists for your competition. They are going to get them anyways, so you might as well just hand them to them.
Arrive at the show well-rested and ready to work.
If you have been doing weddings for any length of time, expect to see past brides. We used to bring a couple dozen white roses and gave one to every past client (even ones whose weddings we had not photographed, but they already booked with us.) It seems silly, but it really worked well for us. When you see someone carrying a white rose, dragging someone over to talk to you, chances are, all you have to do is not be stupid and you will have a booking.
DO NOT BE PETTY at a wedding show. You LOVE everyone there and have nothing bad to say and no gossip to add.
Scout around and find a semi private area where you can take clients to pay a deposit and sign contracts. It is easier to do this without interruptions. Of course, that means you will need you and another person at the booth so that when you or the other is signing contracts/collecting deposits, the other is still selling.
For those that what to come to the studio to take care of business, schedule them ASAP. If not Monday, then Thursday.
Why Thursday?
Most people get paid on Friday, you will be getting 1st crack at a paycheck on Thursday.
If I were working a show this weekend, I would do all of the above except the slide show. I would do that with my mac and a projector. I might include some screen shots of album layouts, might not.
Bridal shows are unique selling opportunities and need to be treated as such. ABC (always be closing).
Tom B