Mining Future Business Around Present BridesBy Sharon Naylor, Author, www.sharonnaylor.comYou treat your brides like diamonds, but did you know there are precious gems surrounding her? Yes, the four or so bridesmaids—and the moms—are potential future business. Each of these ladies might book you to plan weddings, bridal showers, wedding breakfasts, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, anniversary parties, and the list goes on and on. So, make it your goal to polish your interactions beyond the bridal couple. Your image and future business depend not only on impressing your current brides, but on everyone around her as well. Here are a few tips: Pay Attention to All Bride Show Attendees—Not Just BridesYou only get a few seconds to make a first impression. When a bride approaches your booth with her maid of honor, bridesmaids, and mom in tow, you stand apart from the competition when you talk to the ladies accompanying the bride as well. Novices look only at “the score,” zeroing in on the bride and virtually rendering the surrounding ladies invisible, but you’ll impress by making eye contact, smiling, and asking non-sell questions of the others. How many bridesmaids are in the group? Where is everyone from? What are your colors?Have Brochures Handy for Bridesmaids and Moms, TooIt doesn’t cost a lot to produce colorful, professional brochures showing your most recent, spectacular bridal showers and rehearsal dinners, so add those print selling documents to your arsenal for handouts and mailings. Make sure everyone gets one.Add a Bridesmaid Page to Your WebsiteBridesmaids, like brides, are visual creatures, and they’ll respond to your gorgeous images and free checklists. With this added feature on your site, you show yourself as a specialist who meets brides’, bridesmaids’, and moms’ planning needs. Make an impression. Bridesmaids say they’re particularly impressed by side-by-side images that illustrate a weak, DIY $600 bridal shower alongside your amazing $600 themed, stylish bridal shower.

Your image and future business depend not only on impressing your current brides, but on everyone around her as well.

Create a Swag Bag for BridesmaidsI love the colorful, re-usable eco-totes from Envirosax.com that become a gift in itself, along with freebie books for the bridesmaids, such as The Bridesmaid Handbook and Bridesmaid on a Budget, plus the hottest new shades of Essie or Opi nail polishes in blush bridal pink or other bright hues, a one-time-use camera from Kodak.com, fabric tape packages, shoe petals, and coupons to your partner companies, such as a local beauty salon. Throw in your brochures, business card, plus a coupon for their use, and it’s a winning bag tailored just to the bride’s ladies.Make Fabulous Albums of Your WorkSurprisingly, in this age of digital imagery, bridesmaids and moms, especially, love to flip through photo albums. Good ones. Not the slide-in photo albums you buy at Target. Invest in professional level albums or well-designed print albums from KodakGallery.com or Shutterfly.com.Get Access to Bridesmaids and MomsImpressing them at the start is wonderful, but to really make an impression, you need to be present more than once, and become known to them. So, plan a special treat event that the bride and her ladies can attend together with you, such as an afternoon tea held at a tea shop, hotel, or restaurant; a wine and cheese party held at a local gourmet wine shop; a cupcake tasting event held at the local bakery; a bridal massage day held at your local massage shop; or a free yoga class that you arrange with a local yoga center. These events drive up exposure and let you shine as the organizer and friendly professional.Mine Your Contacts for Bridesmaid/Mom DiscountsCoupons are all the rage right now, so prepare packets of discounts for all of the bridesmaids’ needs. The average expense of being a bridesmaid, according to TheWeddingReport.com is over $1,000. If you can line up discounts and freebies for them, you earn their admiration and appreciation.Say Goodbye, But Leave the Door OpenDuring your last interaction with the ladies before the wedding day, hand them a few of your cards and say, “If you know anyone who’s planning a wedding or other special event, I hope you’ll refer me.” The too-hard sell may be off-putting, but it’s a lost opportunity if you don’t self-promote with a smile.