|
Greetings!
Ok, you caught us! We missed the June Newsletter!
So much has been happening around here we just
couldn't keep up. Hopefully an information packed
July Newsletter will make up for the loss.
It's already been a successful summer despite the
heat. The Dallas July Bridal Show on July 8-9 was
fantastic thanks to all of our hardworking vendors.
Read more about the show in the article included.
We're busy preparing for the Fort Worth Bridal Show
this weekend, July 22-23, 2006 at the Amon Carter
Exhibit Hall. For those of you that are not exhibiting,
stop by to see what a great marketing experience
this event is for Tarrant County brides!
| Dallas Bridal Show: Review |
 |
|
On July 8-9, 2006, at Dallas Market Hall, the Dallas
Bridal Show hosted over 1,850 brides out of a total
of 6,100 attendees. Over 300 companies benefitted
from meeting one-on-one with potential customers
and gained a valuable lead source to work for months
to come!
Thanks to everyone who helped to make this a
successful show, but keep in mind although the show
is over, the work is just beginning. Design a plan to
continually follow-up on your leads in order to keep
your company name on the fore-front of their minds
as they make various wedding plans over the next
year(s).
Congratulations!!
The tallies are in and we have the winners from the
coupon contest at the Dallas Bridal Show! (Prizes will
be awarded on the Dallas Bridal Show in January of
2007)
- First place: Perfect Wedding Guide--FREE 10 x 10
booth space
- Second Place: Premier Bride--$300 off
- Third Place: LuLu's Bridal Boutique--$150 off
Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest
You are all winners because you helped bring more
brides to your booth at the show!
Thank You...
A Special Thanks to Gerry White with Roe & White
Photography for his photography skills at the Dallas
Bridal Show. Click below to see some of his photos of
the show!
|
| Wedding Industry Trade Show |
|
|
Plan early! The second annual Wedding Industry
Trade Show has been scheduled:
May 16-17, 2007
Wednesday & Thursday
Plano Centre
We look forward to really growing this event to
become an essential tool for wedding business
owners. Mark these dates in your calendar and plan
to be there both days. Planning is in progress for
seminars, networking , table-topic discussions,
and of course booth exhibits to benefit business
owners!
One seminar that is already scheduled is with
keynote speaker Bryan Dodge. Don't miss out on
this opportunity to be inspired to grow personally and
professionally.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this
event, please contact Naomi at 972-713-9920.
|
| Marketing Campaign |
|
|
Bridal Shows, Inc. has proven success in it's mass
marketing
campaign for each show. Our customers
can rest assured that their money is going to work
for them in the avenue of advertising. After nearly
two decades of producing consumer trade shows,
Naomi Hulme has learned about the DFW market and
what it takes to advertise well here.
As a business owner you know it is important to not
rely on just one or two forms of advertising. We also
understand that in order to reach the most people,
we utilize many proven methods and media sources.
View the logos above to see which radio and tv
stations were used to advertise the Dallas and Fort
Worth
Bridal Shows in July. Also check out the
marketing campaigns for each show listed
below:
Dallas Bridal Show:
Radio: Radio: 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 Kiss FM,
94.9 KLTY, KVIL 103.7 Lite FM, 99.5
The Wolf, Radio Hum Tum
Television: Fox 4, WFAA 8, CBS 11
Newspaper: Dallas Morning News
Billboards: Clear Channel (8 boards), Flight Marketing
Group (1 large board), Dallas Daily Billboards (3
locations)
Other: Bridal Shows Inc. website, posters throughout
the city, emailing campaigns to registered brides as
well as past attendance, various calendar listings.
Fort Worth Bridal Show:
Radio: 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 Kiss FM,
94.9 KLTY, KVIL 103.7 Lite FM, 99.5
The Wolf
Television: Fox 4, WFAA 8, WB 33
Billboards: Clear Channel (8 boards), Arrington
Outdoor (1 large board), Flight Marketing Group (1
large board)
Other: Bridal Shows Inc. website, posters throughout
the city, emailing campaigns to registered brides as
well as past attendance, various calendar listings.
|
Naomi's Notes:"Don't Give Up"
by Naomi Hulme |
|
|
It is known in the business world that 10% of
companies will go out of business each year. Not
everyone is meant to own a business, and that is
okay. Many have tried and have realized it is easier
and better for them to work for someone else. If you
don’t want to deal with the risks and pressures of so
many responsibilities of running a business, don’t
stress yourself out by doing so.
How will you keep from being part of the above
mentioned 10%? There are many factors that keep
someone in business.
- If you do commit to running a business, take it
serious and do it right. It will take a lot of capital,
time, sweat, tears, and working a whole lot more
hours than you would working for someone else.
However doing so over a long period of time can be
a very rewarding experience. Think positive all of the
time.
- Having a clear sense of focus and a purpose are
two of the keys to get through the daily challenges.
When we have a purpose, we will give it our all and
even lose a lot of sleep trying our best to make it
work.
- Being able to foresee any obstacles, which there
always are, gives us the ability to plan and manage
profit and loss.
- Marketing your brand, product, or company is
critical to anyone staying in business. Look at Coca-
Cola as an example. Everyone knows what the taste
of a Coke is and clearly knows the brand name. Coca-
Cola does not stop reminding you of their name. It is
imperative for them to keep this marketing in their
budget no matter what.
- Have a daily system to present your product or
service to produce revenue.
- Be honest. Others will learn to trust you and
respect you.
- Make mistakes. We all do! Learn from them and
strive to do better the next time. Work
smart.
- Think on your feet quickly. Sometimes we have to
make immediate decisions that can either cost us or
help make a profit, depending on the choice we
make.
- Spend time growing yourself. Learn from books,
seminars, other successful business owners, or
anyone that can give you positive guidance. Don’t
ever stop learning.
- Networking. Let others know about what you do
and work to also help them. This takes time and
practice, but can be very beneficial.
- Pray. God can give us strength to make it
through anything.
- Love what you do,
including the
business side of it.
There are many other things that could be added to
this list, which include constant budgeting,
employees, training, insurance to protect your
business (general liability, workmen’s comp,
employer’s practice liability, business auto, hired/non-
owned auto, etc.), taxes, office
space, managing overhead costs, brochures,
promotional items, coming up with
new ideas, and many more. We will try to cover some
of these in a later newsletter.
The main ingredient for anyone serious about staying
in business is to never give up. Yes, it does mean
that you will be working hard. See challenges as
opportunities to learn something. Keep working smart
and see yourself as a winner!
|
| Company Profile: The Southern Bulb Co. |
|
|
Looking to provide your bride-to-be with something
more than the typical “Me-too” wedding favors?
(“Oh, you gave those as gifts at your wedding...Me
too.”) Well, look no further than the Southern Bulb
Company which offers beautiful flower bulbs as
wedding favors and save-the-dates. Southern Bulbs,
unlike others on the market, are perennials, thrive in
the South, and will spread and return in larger
numbers year after year (much like the love between
the bride and groom!).
We polish every bulb, offer three types of packaging
including burlap bags, satin and tulle (both in a
variety of colors), and create tags with the bride’s
and groom’s names on the front along with the
wedding date. Symbolism and planting instructions
are printed on the back.
Suggestions include giving each guest two bulbs that
symbolize the bride and the groom, three bulbs that
represent the Trinity, or the same number of bulbs as
years the couple has dated. Also, depending on the
wedding date, we offer bulbs that will bloom every
year in the same month as the wedding to remind
guests of the couple’s anniversary, or we can provide
bulbs as save-the-dates that will bloom the month
before as a reminder of the upcoming occasion.
We understand that every bride has different wants
and needs, so we do our best to meet budgets while
exceeding expectations. We can package the bulbs
or ship the materials, create custom tags or use our
standard template, offer ideas or take suggestions;
ultimately, our overall involvement depends on the
requests of the bride.
Southern Bulb Company
Unique Favors for Special Occasions
|
| Goodbye Laura, we'll miss you! |
|
|
When Laura got married in March of 2006, and moved
to Rowlett, we knew it was only a matter of time
before she grew weary of the long commute and
moved on to new endeavors. Laura Williams has been
with Bridal Shows, Inc. for over 2 years and has
brought so much to this company. We love you Laura
and keep in touch!!
|
| Have a laugh! |
|
|
A little girl at a wedding asked, "Mommy, why do
brides always wear white?" The mom
replied, "Because they're happy, dear."
Halfway through the wedding the girl
whispered, "Mommy, if brides wear white because
they're happy, then why do men wear black?"
" I told someone I was getting married, and they
said, 'Have you picked a date yet?' I said, 'Wow, you
can bring a date to your own wedding?" What a
country!"
- Yakov Smirnoff
|
|
7 Keys In Getting Your Prospects To Act |
|
|
|
By:Ray Edwards
Today I would like to look at the matter of
persuasion. How do you get your prospects to take
action?
I remember as a door-to-door salesman, my
instructor often said that you must understand 'why
people buy'. It has a certain ring to it doesn't it? If
you know why people buy then you must gear your
ads towards these 'psychological buttons'.
Before I go any further, I would just like to mention
that this is in no way 'manipulation'. It's just common
sense that you don't approach someone about an
important decision when they're angry. Every wise
wife knows how to place their husband in that 'mood'
before they spring their special request on him!
Even kids wait until their parents are in a good mood
before they tell them the cost of the special outfit
that they MUST have.
Having cleared the air let's look at these important
principles.
1. Scarcity
People go after those opportunities or products that
are limited in availability. That's why you must show
in your ad that your offer is for a limited time or in
limited quantities. Field tests have shown that limited-
quantity ads pull much better than limited-time ads.
Procrastination is still a large part of human nature,
so there're always those who would wait until the
last minute to act. If the prospect knows that the
item is in limited quantity, there's no way of
determining when they'd be all sold out.
2. Herding Instinct
Your prospects will better respond to your ad if you
can show that people JUST LIKE them are
responding. Just recently a high school senior
knocked on my door selling magazine subscription for
a college scholarship program. She used that number
on me - she was sure to let me know that my
neighbours had bought subscriptions! We all just
want to keep up with our neighbours. Needless to
say, I fell for it. Whether I would read the magazine
is another story.
I often point this out to my wife and you can try
looking for this pattern as well. You would seldom
find a satellite dish on a single home on a block. You
often find dish receivers in pairs or more. One
neighbour gets that service and the other follows.
The same goes for gardens and lawns. Nobody wants
to be the sore thumb! This is where the use of
testimonials comes in. Your testimonials say "See, a
lot of people like you are making this decision". Use
lots of testimonials.
3. The desire to pay back a good deed
If someone thinks that you've given him or her
something of value then there is a strong desire to
pay you back the favour. One example is that of AOL
that marketed their service by giving away those
floppy disks. They literally blanketed the USA with
these floppy disks. They still do but now with CDs
and 1000 hrs free etc. Do you think that this is
working for AOL?
In your marketing efforts you must give something of
value FIRST - this builds loyalty and results. Always
show the value of what your 'free' service is - never
just say 'FREE'. Show the value of the gift then say
that it is free. This is important because you want
the person to place value on your bonus.
4. Authority
People will listen to you if they see that you have
authority on your subject. There was a TV
commercial that used this line - "My son-in-law
recommended that I take _____ for my heartburn.
Why should I listen to him you say? He's a doctor".
You may think that you do not have authority on
what you are advertising. In this case appeal to
authority figures - quote from a respected journal,
expert ... you get the idea.
5. Commitment
If someone has made a PUBLIC commitment to
something then they are more likely to follow
through. Find some way of getting someone to make
a commitment and he or she's more likely to follow
through than if they did not. That's why any
motivational trainer would tell you that it's important
to WRITE your goals down -you are more likely to
complete them!
Just today I received a sales letter in the mail for
which I had to send for free information. My physical
act of commitment was to peel a nice red label
marked "free" and place it in a designated spot on
the mail back card. Now you know why they make
you do this little silly stuff.
Only if weddings worked the same way!
6. Your 'likability'
People would respond to your offer if they like you.
It's hard to sell to someone to whom you have no
relationship even if it's just a 'perceived' relationship.
This is one of the most overlooked areas of marketing
on the Internet.
The Internet can seem a little cold sometimes. I've
found that even after making email contact with my
prospect I still have to make voice contact before
they sign up for my offers. At the same time the
Internet is a wonderful tool to build relationships
through emails, message boards, instant messages ...
the list goes on. It's a known fact that someone
would buy from you if THEY think that YOU like them.
Give people value, more than they expect and you
have a customer for life!
7. The eternal "what's in it for me?"
principle
As your prospect read your ad this is the question
they are seeking an answer to. Make sure that you
give them plenty of answers. Appeal to their desire
for recognition, wealth, better health, and security -
yes all those nice things on Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs - all the way up to self-actualization. (Check
out a Psychology 101 text book if you are not familiar
with Maslow -you will glad you did.) But do not
forget to appeal to their FEAR of pain and loss.
Field research has shown that people are more
responsive to loss than gain. Be sure to show them
what they would LOSE if they don't get your
product.
Read through your ads again and see if these
buttons are pressed!
Ray Edwards may be contacted at
http://www.raydal.com daseph@juno.com.
Ray L. Edwards is the author of "77 Ways To
Skyrocket Your Website's Conversion" and "The No-
Click Traffic Secret". Learn how to drive targeted
traffic to your site and convert them into buyers in
the quickest time. Visit him at:
http://www.raydal.com
Small Business Success � 2005
Plano Bridal Show
Categories are already closing out for the popular
Plano Bridal Show on September 17, 2006. Held at
the Plano Centre, this one day show hosts many of
the area's high-end brides. Once you decide to
participate in this show contact us immediately, as
space is limited.
2006-2007
Bridal Show Schedule
Fort Worth Bridal Show
July 22-23, 2006
Amon Carter Exhibit Hall
Plano Bridal Show
September 17, 2006
Plano Centre
Dallas Bridal Show
January 27-28, 2007
Dallas Market Hall
Fort Worth Bridal Show
February 24-25, 2007
Amon Carter Exhibit Hall
Plano Bridal Show
March 11, 2007
Plano Centre
New Posters Are In!
If you would like to display
our 2006 Schedule Poster, email
info@bridalshowsinc.com with the
following information:
Your Name:
Company Name:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
How Many Posters Needed:
A sample of the poster is below. (current show
dates included)
Motivational Messages
"Life is made up of little things. It is very rarely that
an occasion is offered for doing a great deal at once.
True greatness consists in being great in little things."
~Charles Simmons
"The best thing about the future is that it comes
only one day at a time"
~Abraham Lincoln
|
|
