Get a Little Personal

Everyone says it and I agree...writing your own biography is hard work! Recently, one of my Facebook friends offered payment to anyone willing to write her bio for her. The reason I find it hard to write about myself, is that I feel silly sharing my accomplishments. It's awkward to talk about myself so much, and too much information and it's a bore to read, but too little and you run the risk of not connecting with potential clients.

You already know how important I think professional head shots are, and next to that photo should be a great, concise paragraph about you. There is nothing I loathe more than going to a website and not getting a snippet of who the person is behind the logo.

Recently, someone started follow me on Twitter. I clicked over to their website to see who they were, and was greeted with a short paragraph, however by the time I was done, I still had no idea if the company was run by a man, a woman, or a team of people. And I had absolutely NO idea where they were located. If I were shopping for a wedding professional, I'd at least like to know where they are geographically located, even if they do travel worldwide.

Let's face it - the wedding industry is filled with new people all the time, and with the use of social media, people are growing their networks faster than ever. If I can't read about you and put a face with a name, I'm not as likely to reach out to you. People want to work with people - so make yourself as real as possible, and share what you feel comfortable sharing, but by all means, do not stay anonymous!

Learning from the Best | Sasha Souza

In April, I had the opportunity to hear Sasha Souza, one of industry's top event designers, speak at Eventology in Indianapolis. Of course I have heard of Sasha, I even follow her on Twitter, however I didn't realize just how awesome Sasha was until I heard her speak last month. What I love most about Sasha is her straightforwardness. There is no beating around the issue with Sasha - she just puts it out there. I appreciate that 100%.

Sasha's presentation was on her design process, which I struggle with often. I don't struggle with the actual process, but more of the business side of design. How do I charge for my ideas? How many options do I give the client? What if they pick an ugly color palette? How much time do I devote to set up? How many Pearls Events team members need to be on-site the day of?

Hearing how Sasha works with her clients who come in with GRAND ideas and photos of work they like, but with a budget they are not willing to stretch, was one of the biggest takeaways I brought back to the office this year.

If you struggle with competing with the lowest priced option in your market, or simply need to know that not EVERYONE and their brother lowers their prices during hard economic times, Sasha's most recent post on You Can Always Get Something Cheaper is a must-read.

[photo of Saundra & Sasha : snapshot of Aletha, Sasha & Michelle]

Saundra Hadley | Sales Coach

Pricing is difficult. Every market is different. Everyone has different work experience. And every client's needs are different. There is no magical formula I've found for any pricing structure, and the biggest piece of advice is to NOT under charge for your services.

Recently, I was in Indianapolis for a wedding professional conference, and had the opportunity to hear Saundra Hadley speak. She spoke on pricing, which was great to hear, but recently followed up with a fabulous blog post that everyone should read, regardless of your business.

Check out the post here and then do yourself a favor and follow Saundra for daily sales tips here. Here are the points she makes...

1. You undervalue your service/work.
   
2. You will surely tick off other vendors.
3. Have you figured out what you are really making?
4. It’s a hard climb to higher ground.
5. Quit having pity.

And because Saundra never stops sharing helpful information, she followed up with a fantastic post entitled "Don't Fret About What Other Vendors Charge". The main points Saundra makes are...

1. Quit worrying.
2. Educate them.
3. You are NOT competing.
   
4. Understand your value.

[pro shot of Saundra; snapshots of Saundra, Aletha, Janice & Jen]

A New Blogging Resource | Edit and Post

When I started blogging about weddings in September 2007, Ami & Rebekah were right behind me with their inspirational wedding blog, Elizabeth Anne Designs. Since then, Ami has continually provided brides-to-be with resources as they plan their weddings. She even branched out with Elizabeth Anne Designs Living because she has so much to share with the blogging community!

Ami's newest venture, Edit and Post, lauching today, is going to be an asset to anyone thinking about blogging. She will be sharing all she has learned over the past years as a busy blogger, which will come in handy to others who are just getting started, or those who have been blogging forever and need to be inspired to keep going!

Ami writes, "Edit and Post will encourage you to think more closely about your blog, about your business, and about your goals. I am excited to share the blogging and Wordpress knowledge that I have gathered through the existence of Elizabeth Anne Designs, and while I may chat about weddings on EAD, my education and experience is in finance and accounting so I will be providing plenty of general business suggestions and tips."

I encourage you to check out Ami's newest venture today!

Happy 2010 & New Blogs to Read

I cannot believe 2010 is in full swing already! With the new year, brings new resources, and I wanted to share two new(ish) business blogs that I've been reading.


The first blog, Starting Out Right, is authored by local photographer, Jason Aten, who has been awesome to personally know. Jason is based in Lansing, Michigan and honestly loves helping people. Ask him anything, and he'll give you a straight up answer. Although his new blog is primarily for photographers, I've found much of the content helpful to me. Check it out!

Follow Jason on Twitter | Check out his business blog | Check out his photography blog


The second blog that I've enjoyed reading is Backstage at Style Me Pretty. Most people in the wedding industry know Abby Larson writes Style Me Pretty, however, since it's an overload of information, I no longer read. It's great for brides, but for me, it was hard to keep up with. Abby, and her business partner (and husband), Tait, run the ultimate wedding blog and it's great to see what happens behind the scenes.

Check out Backstage at Style Me Pretty