Please pray with me…

Normally I don’t do this sort of thing on my blog, but this little baby needs us. I know that if it were Reese, I’d call upon all the practical AND magical help I could get, just like this family is right now…

If you believe in the power of positive prayer and healing energy, I ask that you please pray and send healing energy to Jace Lindley ( Amanda Lindley of Lindley’s Photography in Macon, GA, is his incredible mama). He’s had a blood transfusion and has become very sick … with no idea of why or what’s going on. Let’s call upon a Christmas Miracle together.

Love and light to you sweet Jace!!

All is well. And so it is. Amen.

“Struggle is Optional”

by Natalie Bradley

Most wedding vendors who are struggling in their businesses are doing the same old thing and are praying for different results. Unfortunately that just doesn’t work. If it did, we’ll all be filthy rich and doing whatever we felt like that day.

Look at what you’re doing in your business. Are you marketing (not advertising- that is totally different) your business…I mean really marketing your business consistently and constantly? If you’re not sure that you’re doing enough, here’s a good start. You need to be marketing at a minimum one hour every single workday. If you’re doing less, it’s not enough. Not even close.

Are you doing business like everyone else in your field just because they are? Most wedding vendors follow everyone else, like in kindergarten when there’s a line leader and everyone else falls in line behind. It’s seriously like the blind leading the blind. There’s no rhyme, reason, or even research to what they’re doing. Step out of line and stop being a follower once and for all!

Implement a new plan. Transforming your business to be truly successful is just like anything else in your life. It takes practice, routine and commitment to change to see new and positive results. It’s not a once and done kind of thing. It’s a new way of doing business.

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

So you see, when I say that struggle is optional, it all boils down to making a decision in your business.

Decide to step out. Decide to employ new business and marketing strategies. Decide to book more brides with a system that works. Decide…once and for all…to be successful.

And then throw all of those excuses that are holding you back out the window. Decide – and decide today. Struggle is optional. Success is simple. So, I ask you, which option will you choose as we enter 2010?

© 2008-2009 Soirée! Ltd.

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: “5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business…Starting Today!l” at www.BrideAttraction.com

“Do you sell the sizzle or the steak?”

by Natalie Bradley

While in many industries, it’s more important to focus on the sizzle than the steak, in the wedding business, I’ve actually found it to work best to combine the sizzle and the steak in your marketing and sales! Brides do want to have the experience of their lives on their wedding days, but they also want to know “what’s in it for me” on a very practical level too.

When describing, selling or promoting your services, products and packages, always lead with the “sizzle” first. Paint the picture of the wedding experience that the bride will experience because of working with you. Help her visualize how incredible her wedding day will be after having hired you for your service. Get specific, include details, and definitely incorporate emotions into the picture you’re illustrating for her.

But here’s the thing … don’t end there. Not everyone will buy based on the experience or the picture you’re painting for the bride. The bride will want to know the basics and the bullet points of what’s included, but so will the groom and other vested parties (like parents). So, once you’ve shown her how it will be working together, you’ve sold the sizzle, you must then follow it up with the hard cold facts. What’s included? Point by point. List it out. Just facts, no fluff.

This combination of selling both the sizzle and the steak never goes wrong. By leading with the fabulous feelings, the “fluff” if you will, and marketing to those underlying motivators that make brides buy, you’ll get their attention fast. Brides will be very attracted to what you have to say and will want to read more. They’ll pre-sell themselves because you’re painting the picture of exactly what they want in their own lives. And then when you follow up with the list of what your package includes based purely on the details, they will see that they need you because they also need both …. the experience and the stuff, or the “sizzle and the steak” if you will… It’s so easy!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment:

Look at your packages, your services and even your products and examine how you could sell it with both the sizzle and the steak. How can you paint the picture for the bride of what she will experience by working with you? How will you help make her dreams come true? How are you the answer she’s been looking for? And… what items and services can you provide that she wants to buy?

When you combine these approaches together in your marketing and sales, you will not only get your services across clearer to brides in your marketing message, but you will also find brides saying yes a lot more to your services over and over and over again!

© 2008-2009 Soirée! Ltd.
Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: “5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business…Starting Today!l” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Private Coaching with Natalie Bradley

If you’re ready to stop pulling straws every month in your business, hoping and praying that something will work this time, this is the opportunity for you. As a private client, you will work one-on-one with me to customize your marketing plan, have true accountability, and push your business into new levels of success, having more brides, more m.oney, and more freedom!

This is NOT just a hobby….this is your business…your livelihood!

Whether you’ve been in business for 5 days or 5 years, your private coaching is customized to suit your needs, and to push your wedding business to the next level.

You will learn marketing techniques to attract all the brides you need in your wedding business. You’ll discover business strategies to close the sale virtually every time, making you more money, immediately, with all the new Brides you’re attracting. And, you’ll learn ways to systematize your business to give you more freedom than ever before!

It’s so much easier to learn and do when you have a mentor who’s been there, done that, walking you through a proven, successful wedding business program!  We are never done growing and there are always more dreams to reach for in our businesses and in our lives.

So, if you’re serious about skyrocketing your wedding business, and you’re ready to make high 5 or 6 figures, setup your complimentary “get acquainted consultation” with Natalie by emailing ed@brideattraction.com today!

“Are you interested or committed?”

by Natalie Bradley

There is something huge that definitely separates wedding businesses from one another. You see, there are some that are just interested in what they do, and others that are completely committed. What am I talking about exactly?

While there’s nothing wrong with having hobbies of planning, arranging flowers, or taking pictures, if you’re running your business like a hobby, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Businesses that are run by those who are interested in their craft will do what’s convenient. They will market when they feel like it, network only when it’s fun, and get serious when there’s time. Excuses often get in the way, lunches and coffee dates are always sucking up time, and there’s a lot of “fluff” work going on in the office. And, they never ever have a constant stream of brides or m.oney, because it’s really just a hobby.

Many people in the wedding industry in particular (including you, I’ll bet) started your businesses because you have a passion and a desire to do beautiful work, create fabulous weddings, and enjoy your craft. I know that I did…and this is a great thing! But, you also must be able to transition from just having fun with your  passion to also making it profitable, or you won’t be enjoying it for long!

This is something I realized early on. You see, usually, when we are spending lots of money in our businesses and not seeing much income, it’s because we’re treating our businesses like a time-sucking hobby and not like a real business. So what’s the difference, and how do we make sure we’re in this “for real” and not just for fun?

It’s so important to make the decision that this is your business and livelihood. Decide that this is it. Commit to it. Treat your business like it is a life or death situation. I know that this sounds drastic, but it can be true in many cases. When you make this transition in the way you think about your company, you will be committed to do whatever it takes to make your business profitable and a success! That means marketing, networking, selling, mailing, literally whatever it takes to get your business off the ground FAST! Excuses don’t get in the way, other commitments won’t be an obstacle, and you will finally clear the decks of all those “reasons” why your business hasn’t made it before.

When I made this decision and switch in my own business, this is when the stream of constant brides started coming in. And even now, still as a wife and now a mother, I make my business a priority, just like I make quality family time a priority. If I don’t, my business will start being a hobby again, and that does NOT pay the bills!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

There’s nothing wrong with having fun or turning a hobby into a successful business. In fact, I encourage everyone to only do what you love and leave the rest for someone else, but you need to make a decision today (don’t put it off anymore) about your business.

Are you interested or committed to your success? No one else can make this decision for you. So, if you’re ready to not only have a great time, but also have a nice income, commit to your business and more importantly yourself right now!

© 2008-2009 Soirée! Ltd.

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: “5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business…Starting Today!l” at www.BrideAttraction.com

Are brides attracted to your giving…or turned off by your getting approach?

When you give to get more brides, you are SO much more bride attractive! Most wedding vendors are desperate in their marketing approach, begging and pleading for business, pushing for that sale. So, if you want to stand out, try giving something to brides FIRST .. and see what happens. It’s pretty amazing when you see the results to show for it!

Love and Light,
Natalie Bradley

“Give … to get more brides!”

by Natalie Bradley

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss giving and how this actually leads to getting more brides. This may be a whole new approach in your marketing to Brides … but it works… so give it a try!

When most wedding vendors are saying “gimme,gimme, gimme” in all their marketing and business information, set yourself apart for success and ask “What can I give you?” This is a MUCH more attractive form of marketing to brides and you’ll get their attention so much faster…. and you’ll book more brides too! Here are a few ways to give to get more brides starting today in your wedding business…

1. Start with your website. Give away a juicy F*R*E*E offer to brides with no strings attached. Doing this instead of pitching your services constantly and doing that hard sell nonstop is so much easier AND this is much more bride attractive. Always lead with your F*R*E*E giving offer and you will always, always get more brides as a result.
2. Give through your e-zine. Giving incredible and valuable f’ree information to brides weekly or bi-weekly in your e-zine is a wonderful way to show brides your knowledge, expertise, and experience. By leading with a fabulous f’ree article that brides want to know about badly, and following this up with an easy call to action, brides will fall over themselves to have you help them with their wedding.
3. Your business card can also give to brides! Be bride attractive by promoting your F*R*E*E tips and techniques (that you offer through your e-zine of course) for her wedding, when she goes to yourwebsite.com.  This type of card will get so much more attention than just an card with your info or really sales-y copy.
4. Give to get brides at Bridal Shows instead of selling so darn hard! Most bridal show participants push, push, push brides into buying, buying, buying. Instead, promote your extra special F*R*E*E juicy offer at your booth more than anything. This puts brides much more at ease than having to digest all your services and not go into sales defense mode on the spot.
5. Speak to brides as often as possible. Give F*R*E*E info-rich talks to brides at open houses, quarterly tasting, bridal events, and more. They’ll love you for all the valuable F*R*E*E advice and wedding secrets you can provide to them!

Your Bride Attraction Assignment

When you lead through giving in all your marketing and in everything that you are, a huge shift takes place with brides. By giving something to brides for F*R*E*E, they will automatically wonder how much you will do for them as a PAID vendor when they got so much for nothing! It works like a charm every time because it’s so much easier for brides to buy from you when they already know you, love you and trust you!

It’s not about tricking brides into buying. It’s about giving them a taste of your knowledge, talent, and experience so that they want to get a lot more from you. And it’s so very bride attractive!

© 2008-2009 Soirée! Ltd.

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the “Bride Attraction” weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: “5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business…Starting Today!l” at www.BrideAttraction.com

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have an incredible holiday (if you’re in the states) with family and friends. We had one Thanksgiving celebration last Saturday with some of Ed’s family, then Sunday Reese got to meet Santa, and today we’re off to Ed’s sister’s for Thanksgiving #2! Ed’s nephew Brad was in a REALLY bad accident yesterday, so we are especially grateful for him and that he’s here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us today!

And, the festivities continue tomorrow and Saturday as all three of us travel to both sets of my grandparents for more turkey and holiday fun.

Whew!! I’m tired already! : )

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving….

Love and Light,
Natalie

Use Social Media to Explode Your Sales!

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More on “Why did you stop selling …”

Let’s get real so that you can reel in more brides starting today.

Natalie Bradley | www.BrideAttraction.com