All tagged networking
(Editor's Note: Here's part two of our three-part training series on event day management topics! Check back next Monday for the final installment!)
As I'm working with my business coaching clients on strategically growing their teams, one of the most common concerns I hear is that business owners are afraid of sacrificing their professional reputation - specifically, that the larger their team grows, the weaker their relationships with other vendors will become.
It's not an unfounded fear. After all, plenty of bridges have been burned by a boneheaded contractor flagrantly violating a venue's regulations or acting like a jerk to the rest of the vendor team. Fortunately, though, this kind of issue is entirely avoidable through good training. With a little effort and communication, you can grow your team as large as you want it, without giving up that solid "friendor" foundation you worked so hard to build.
(Editor's Note: Starting today, we're kicking off a whole new content theme for the month of June. All our posts this month will be exploring the topic of event-day management, and how you and your team can be more productive, prepared and successful than ever!)
Most professionals have some sort of routine on wedding days. Perhaps it involves some sort of equipment preparation, product assembly or simply a personal routine to help mentally ready yourself for the day ahead. These days are, by nature, lengthy and intense. There is a strict schedule, many tasks to fulfill and a team of vendors to work with, many of whom you may not know. Oh, yeah, don’t forget dealing with your clients and their guests, and delivering the service you were hired to perform. Needless to say it’s a lot of work. Encouraging you to concentrate on marketing or networking during the day may seem like I’m asking too much, but I promise it can be done and is highly worth the effort.
Anyone who knows me well knows that authenticity is one of my core values - so much so, in fact, that I developed an entire business venture to support entrepreneurs in integrating their authentic selves into their work. It drives me crazy to see good people struggling to succeed in businesses that don't feel right to them, and experiencing the burnout that comes from working harder and harder for clients with whom they just don't connect.
I've said it before: there is room in the wedding industry for every type of person to operate a business, because every type of person is out there, getting married and looking for vendors. There are a sea of clients out there who perfectly complement your personality, who like what you like, and who are dying to do business with someone exactly like you. Those competitors of yours who drive you crazy, who strike you as fake or annoying or whose pricing seems not to align with their talent? There are people out there who are really hoping those aren't their only options for your service category.