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Best Bridal Show or business lead follow-up cover letter ever?

Fuller Marc — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:15:14 +0000

One of the most difficult things about following up on leads and contacts is being comfortable with your cover letter. It is the first impression and many marketing professionals believe that the cover letter makes the sale. The pressure to make it the best possible can feel intense .

So I started looking for cover letters, all types of cover letters. The best models and advice I found was related to cover letters for resumes. Which makes sense for small business too. After all when a small business responds with a letter and other collateral to someone who is asking for more info about services or products isn’t that analogous to seeking a job?

Here is the “The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received” according to Harvard Business Review (HBR).

Dear Xxxxxx:

I am writing in response to the opening for xxxx, which I believe may report to you.

I can offer you seven years of experience managing communications for top-tier xxxx firms, excellent project-management skills, and a great eye for detail, all of which should make me an ideal candidate for this opening.

I have attached my résumé for your review and would welcome the chance to speak with you sometime.

Best regards,

Xxxx Xxxx

Why is that cover letter so good? Here is what David Silverman the author of the HBR article has to say, “Here’s what I like about this cover letter. It’s short. It sums up the résumé as it relates to the job. It asks for the job.” Read more from David Silverman about this cover letter and other readers’ comments.

And look how easily, quickly it can adapt to a powerful cover letter to a bridal lead.

Dear Xxxxxx:

It was a pleasure to meet you at the Xxxxxx bridal fair. I am writing in response to photographing your upcoming wedding and reception at .

I offer you seven years of experience photographing weddings and receptions in Xxxxx (your market area) and more than a few at Xxxxx (chosen venue). My work is well reviewed and I have received awards for my artistic skills coupled with a great eye for detail and commitment to excellent client satisfaction and value. All of which make me an ideal choice for photographing your wedding for a lifetime of great memories

I have attached my brochure including samples of my work, client reviews and rates for your review and would welcome the chance to speak with you sometime soon.

Best regards,

Xxxx Xxxx

As you create your letter focus on the benefits you have to offer the reader. What is in it for her? That is what she cares about.

Finally, no matter how good your communication is … remember it also needs to be timely. Get your letter and email lead responses sent out within 5 days.

Hope it helps. Send me an email or leave a comment if you have questions.

It’s a Slam Dunk – the power of wedding show lead follow up

Marc — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:37:58 +0000

This is a continuation of my earlier post in that it is a note from the same person, regarding her website traffic improvement and upcoming appointments by following up on the contacts from the wedding show.

“I know you love this stuff for your blog, so I thought I would update you.

After sending a follow-up email to those that I gave a pricing packet to and signed up for my email. I have 3 consults on Sat. and 3 brides who can’t make it but are serious shoppers. I guess those stats are pretty good since I selectively handed out 27 full info packets and my stats are way up since Sat. 116 for this time of the year that is good for me. Follow up is SUPER Important and works!“

Note – This person has also become a client for a new Kertesz WordPress based professional photography web/blogsite to “wrap” her existing Bludoman Flash website, to integrate her blog, dramatically improve search rank/marketing and enhance overall accessibility. So there be more updates, soon.

Always try to finish the loop for maximum marketing ROI

Marc — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:38:50 +0000

Yesterday I had a note from a client who was disappointed by the low number of website visitors following her presence at a well attended wedding show.

She wrote:

“I did what was supposed to be a BIG wedding show. … I checked my {website} stats from this weekend and there were really very few hits. I am surprised. I had by far the best booth and some of the best work. I actually had one young lady tell me I deserved an award for my booth. It was very welcoming and people were able to set in comfortable chairs. … I have done follow-up emails already today to each person individually and my stats have not increased.”

“It was on my signage (my signage was 4×8 feet), my card 4×6 , my beautifully packaged pricing info that I only handed to really interested brides (in the form of a folder so not to get lost). Basically everything in very clear writing. I also added it and my blog as links at the bottom of my follow up email. I don’t get it. I checked my website both days to make sure it was running.”

As you can see she did an excellent job of presenting her website URL, she took her site name to the top, but what was missing was a reason for people to visit her website. It is important to get people to your website because it makes another contact and reinforces your brand during their decision making. But, if you don’t provide them an explicit benefit to visit they will not close the loop for you.

When you present your website information always try to think in terms of a brief statement with an explicit benefit for visiting. It can be a free report, tips, a modest upgrade to a package, newsletter sign up, your blog, a drawing etc. The more benefits you can share the more likely someone will be motivated to take the effort to actually visit your website.

So; 1) ask them to visit your website, 2) share the address, and 3) give them a good reason to do it. And, that’s the completing the loop.

MUST DO – follow up those wedding and bridal show leads

Marc — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:36:16 +0000

This was going to be the “everything you need to know” post of following up on your bridal and wedding show leads. But I found that Andy Ebon has just recently created a great post on this most fundamental practice, though unused opportunity. And then that there was some relevant stuff in other posts on this blog. So I put it all together for this post with just one new idea.

I think this is the most important graf from Andy’s post. Hard proof!

“In my recent years, when attending bridal shows, I would register as a groom (for research purposes). The shocking result was the total lack of follow up. No one seemed to do telemarketing. Email and snail mail usually totaled a combined 5%. One pair of shows, for example, had a cumulative unique vendor count of more than 200. I received 6 emails and 2 letters. …

Plainly put, one should be communicating with every qualified prospect that enters your booth (signing up for something). Secondarily, one should process the show leads-list, and follow up with a slightly more general message.”

You should really read Andy’s entire post.

When you start preparing your follow-up think first how you want to lead to an action … “asking for the order”. Then begin preparing your follow-up to support that the idea of that action. And conclude your follow up specifically asking for that action.

For more creative ideas of what and how to include in your follow-up message, review my earlier post of 17 ways to get 300+ inquiries.

Always communicate and frequency is key. Use your wedding and bridal show follow-up as just one of a few targeted messages to your qualified leads. It is not just one message that may make the difference, it is the number of messages. As I posted a number of months ago, it has been found that typical prospects need from 6 – 8 messages before they easily reach a decision.

Email or regular mail is acceptable. For email I recommend using a service like Aweber or MyEmma the tracking options are well worth the price in learning what gets responses and what does not. But lately, I am thinking that this economy is returning people to value traditional, simple, meaningful and tactile. So I would explore using standard mail for the follow up to at least your most qualified prospects. And to make it potentially very memorable, if it is timely, I would send them with a memorable postmark.

: Special 2008 Valentines Day Loveland Colorado postmark

Use a Valentine’s Day postmark! (Again, if it is timely.) Many towns have a special postmark for mail during Valentines Day. All you need to do is request the Postmaster to use it on your letters. Here is how if you want this year’s special Valentines Day Loveland Colorado postmark on your mail to brides-to-be.

To have your mail re-mailed with the Loveland postmark, enclose your pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes (envelopes should each have 41-cent postage; postcards should have 26 cents postage), add extra stamps/postage for heavier/odd shaped valentines, mail in a large stamped envelope to:

Postmaster
Valentine Re-mailing
446 E. 29th St.
Loveland, CO 80538

Deadlines for re-mailing and delivery by Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14:

Valentine cards/envelopes destined for re-mailing outside of the U.S. to other countries and international destinations should be in Loveland by Monday, Feb. 4.

Valentine cards/envelopes destined for re-mailing within the U.S. and outside of Colorado should be in Loveland by Saturday, Feb. 9.

Valentine cards/envelopes destined for re-mailing within the state of Colorado should be in Loveland by Tuesday, Feb. 12.

In many ways we are in the love business and I think that this might really make your message stand out, at least she will keep your envelope for a long while.

Face it, you are not going to get the business unless you ask for it. Bridal and wedding shows are expensive … get the most you can out of it.

Getting the most out of your Bridal Show investment.

Marc — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:26:07 +0000

For many of us, it is that time of year again. In a few weeks we will be stting up our displays in wedding and bridal shows, hoping to schedule weddings for 2009 and 2010 or at least get solid contacts that will soon convert to contracts.

So I though it might be helpful to mention that Christine Boulton of The Agency at Think, has done a series of 5 excellent blog posts for wedding professionals on how to maximize your wedding show investment.

Here they are, (even old hands may find some useful info) -

Ten Tips for Bridal Shows: Part 1

Ten Tips For Bridal Shows: Part 2

How To Pick the Right Bridal Show For You

More Tidbits on Bridal Shows

Bridal Show Wrap-up

May you have a great ’09!