TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com » Recession Tactics

It’s a soft work week: Take advantage

Andy Ebon — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:53:50 +0000

Eat ham!

In the United States, this is Thanksgiving week. Most people are off work on Thursday. Many people have a 4-day holiday.

In fact, many people take a half-day or full day off on Wednesday. Now we’re talking.

There is one drawback. December 1st is next Monday. No buffer, no breather, no nothing.

You have some choices this week. You can land on the couch. Watch some parades and football. Watch even more football. Fight the crowds at the every mall and retail store, as you strive to save buck or two.

Here’s an idea: Make a plan

In a week such as this one, there are generally as many demands on your time. Why not create a nice mix, with some uncommitted time, too.

Get clerically caught up, ahead of December.
Do some Christmas shopping online.
Call some old friends and reconnect.
Start your marketing plan for 2009.
Spend quality time, not just ‘time,’ with your family and close friends.
Surprise someone you’re not that close to, with a heartfelt hug.
No matter what your overall state of your fairs, ponder your good fortune.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

One more suggestion, after watching the irrepressible Sarah Palin pardoning a turkey…. EAT HAM!!

Technorati Tags: ham, quality time, Sarah Palin, turkey, wedding marketing plan

It’s Wedding Week at Food TV My good friend, Wedding Consultant, Tracey Kumer-Moore (Your Las Vegas...
Recession Wedding Marketing Tip: Don’t Participate For many people, 2008 has been a lousy year. As...
NACE celebrates 50th Anniversary this week In 1958, an organization called 'The Banquet Managers Guild' was...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Black Friday Promotion

Andy Ebon — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:02:53 +0000

In the retail biz, the day after Thanksgiving, is referred to as Black Friday. This ‘first official day of the shopping season’ has, unfortunately, turned into a discount day.

It’s also a day when many service business are not open at all, or not open regular hours. One often does find the workaholic business owner at the office on Black Friday, working on long overdue paperwork. Is that you?

It occurred to me, today, that you might want to have your own Black Friday Promotion for wedding or holiday business. I’m suggesting that you, specifically, target this promotion to open leads that have not yet converted to sales.

Pick a dollar number you’re comfortable with, perhaps $25, $50 or $100, depending on the nature of your business. Or, tie the dollar amount to the size of the quote/sale.

Then, send an email or electronic postcard to your prospect, offering that discount or added-value, only if they call you on Black Friday, during specific hours.

This is a soft business day, and you might just turn it into promotion that closes hundred or thousands of dollars worth of sales.

Stand out from the crowd. Do something cool.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: black Friday, Christmas, company parties, holiday shopping, retail biz, sales promotion, wedding

Friday Wedding Marketing Quiz Quickly… answer these questions about your wedding sales, since June...
The Friday Focus: GIVING Referrals It’s Friday, and you’ve had a pretty good week or...
It’s a soft work week: Take advantage In the United States, this is Thanksgiving week. Most people...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Your 10-minute wedding marketing tip

Andy Ebon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:10:24 +0000

If I know you, click the logo to get Linked-In?

How much wedding marketing and other quick tasks can you do in 10 minutes? Quite a bit, it turns out.

Take a break from driving fatigue.
Enter the names of 11 people you met at WIPA, last evening, inviting them to get LinkedIn.
Write two ‘thank you emails.’
Have a cup of decaf at Starbucks in Primm.
Write one blog post.

You can either kill 10 minutes or use them. It’s your choice.

Gotta go… it’s Las Vegas NACE, tonight.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, Las Vegas NACE, LinkedIn, Starbucks, tip, wedding marketing, wedding marketing blog, WIPA

Andy Ebon to address Las Vegas NACE, Wednesday, October 22nd Fresh off an extremely successful pair of presentations at the...
Investing 30 hours of time in 2 hours of networking Thirty hours of time, for two hours of networking probably...
New Blog Launched by Wedding MBA Attendee Cheryl Roeske One of the exciting aspects of giving presentations and seminars...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The wedding economy sez: Start networking, yesterday!!

Andy Ebon — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:50:12 +0000

My friends who work at wedding venues are losing jobs at an alarming rate. Their job tenure appears to have no relation to their departure.

In some cases the person with the most experience (and highest paycheck) is let go in a ‘cost-cutting move.’ In other situations, a job is eliminated, due lack of event activity, and one or more people absorb the work until ‘business picks up.’ In yet other cases, business close down altogether.

Here’s the thing: If you slave away as an event or catering manager for a wedding venue, it’s easy to never leave the premises. Bad idea.

It’s always important to attend industry networking events at other properties. There are two good reasons. First, see what cool things other venues are doing. Second, meet other industry people and develop personal relationships.

Today’s competitor may be your next employer, should you get laid off. Also, vendors do business in many places. They could be the source of your next job opening.

Vendors like to brag about their relationships with ‘big name businesses.’ They name drop an event at the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton.

The fact is, too often, vendors don’t have a relationship with ‘the venue,’ they have a relationship with ‘one person at the venue.’

So the question becomes: If that venue contact is transferred or laid off, how solid is the relationship, in real terms?

Relationship building means more than attending industry organization meetings. It means becoming familiar with everyone in a department. It means having friendly relationships with competitors.

There is nothing more sad than seeing a member of organization who has been MIA for a year, suddenly show up after he or she has been laid off. It’s a little late, at that point.

Networking should not be situational or calendar-based. It should be part of everyone’s personal and business marketing plan.

The value of real interpersonal business relationships is priceless.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Network

Technorati Tags: AFWPI, laid off, layoffs, NACE, networking, Relationship Marketing, unemployed, wedding economy, wedding industry, WIPA

Investing 30 hours of time in 2 hours of networking Thirty hours of time, for two hours of networking probably...
The Hanging Around Factor There are many books on successful networking (my favorite still...
Getting trumped by ‘unofficial relationships’ Sometimes, you can do all the correct things in wedding...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Make a time for: wedding marketing planning

Andy Ebon — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:48:34 +0000

The recent post on wedding marketing planning for 2009 resonated with a lot of activity on the blog.

Step One: Block some dedicated time on your calendar for this activity.

Judging by the way the calendar sets up in the next 6 weeks, sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 28-30) looks good. So does the December 26-28, the Friday-Sunday after Christmas.

You probably only need 4-6 hours for this, if you isolate the time and prepare for it.

Which time slot would you prefer? November or December? Which day?

Terrific! Now write it down on your calendar.

I’ll be checking up on you.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: calendar.andy ebon, time, wedding marketing blog, wedding marketing planning

New Web-based Wedding Planning Software launched My Wedding Hero is online wedding planning software that allows...
Set your wedding marketing goals for 2009 Please pull out your 2008 wedding marketing plan. You have...
Your 10-minute wedding marketing tip How much wedding marketing and other quick tasks can you...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Shameless Self-Promotion: Andy Ebon on Blogging

Andy Ebon — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:45:07 +0000

Since early 2007, I’ve become an active blogger, and something of a blogging evangelist, too. It has been great fun to share the reasons for, and the how-tos of blogging, in presentations and seminars from coast-to-coast, during the last year.

There seems to be no question in my mind, or the minds of most internet communication experts, that a business without a blog is sorely lacking in its media mix.

This month, marks the publishing of my first wedding marketing article in Mobile Beat Magazine. Naturally, it’s all about blogging. My personal thanks to Mobile Beat Publisher, Ryan Burger, for bringing me into the fold.

Readers of the Mobile Beat website have had the opportunity to read a syndicated version of The Wedding Marketing Blog.

I’m proud to announce that I’ve been tapped to write a chapter, titled: Blogging Your Way To Business Success for the forthcoming book, “Power of the Platform - Speakers On Success.”

Power of the Platform is the brainchild of Robin Jay (Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau). Robin has created an anthology of contributions by 20 notable speakers, including many recognizable national names, such as: Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Dr. Tony Alessandra, Amanda Gore, Marcia Wieder, Jack Canfield, and many more.

Robin is ever the taskmaster (or is that taskmistress?). She’s right on schedule, and the finished product will be ready for sale in mid-December. Another announcement about The Power of the Platform will be made, as soon as pre-orders are available, online.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: Amanda Gore, Andy Ebon, Brian Tracy, Dr. Tony Alessandra, Jack Canfield, Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, Les Brown, Marcia Wieder, Mobile Beat Magazine, Power of the Platform, Robin Jay, ryan burger, Speakers On Success, The Wedding Marketing Blog

Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, contributes to book anthology Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, been asked by the Las...
Wedding Marketing Blogger co-authors new book Published by the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, The Power...
Ebon wows Mobile Beat Chicagoland Conference It was eleven years ago, 1997, when Andy Ebon gave...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Don’t violate the ‘no surprise’ rule

Andy Ebon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:14 +0000

Last week, when I presented, “Marketing and Selling to the 21st Century Bride” to Las Vegas NACE, i emphasized the importance of relationships and communications as key factors in surviving and prospering during current economic downturns.

During the Q & A period we transgressed into the area of ‘vendor meals’ and other side issues.

Rather than rehash the discussion, there was one strikingly clear comment made to me, after the meeting, by Frank Gregory, CPCE. He said, Andy, “It’s not that a Catering Manager objects to providing meals for the appropriate vendors (as agreed to by the client). It’s that we when we are about to open a room to 250 guests, we don’t want to be surprise.

What the catering contact needs is communication, early in the week, to make certain that the client has included you in the head count, and listed you for seating. Then we can confirm it, and it’s a very minor item.”

The bottom line is: No Surprises

If you like be referred by venues, it’s important to make their life easy. You can do that by communicating clearly, and several days in advance.

Or, face their wrath!!

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, CPCE, Frank Gregory, Las Vegas NACE, Marketing and Selling to the 21st Century Bride, no surprise rule, Relationship Marketing, venue referrals, Wedding Marketing Blogger

Andy Ebon to address Las Vegas NACE, Wednesday, October 22nd Fresh off an extremely successful pair of presentations at the...
Ebon to Keynote final day of Wedding MBA Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, will kick of the final...
Wedding Marketing Blog celebrates 1st Anniversary February 19th marks the beginning of year to for The...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Andy Ebon: On the road to present at Ventura NACE

Andy Ebon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 03:23:13 +0000

Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, is on the road again. This time he’s headed to the Pierpont Inn, in beautiful Ventura, California The view from the Pierpont is so picturesque, one can see the Pacific Ocean just a few hundred yards away.

Andy will be presenting a 2-hour blogging seminar, beginning at 3pm on Tuesday, October 28th to members and guests of the Ventura Chatper of NACE. That same evening, he will be giving a shorter 30-40 minute presentation about exploring New Social Media.

There is still space available, both for the seminar and the general meeting. For details, just visit the Ventura NACE website.

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, blogging, New Social Media, Pierpont Inn, seminars, Ventura NACE, Wedding Marketing Blogger

Andy Ebon to address Las Vegas NACE, Wednesday, October 22nd Fresh off an extremely successful pair of presentations at the...
Andy Ebon to address Las Vegas NACE at May 21st Breakfast Andy Ebon will be addressing the Las Vegas Chapter of...
Wedding MBA adds Ebon for second seminar: Blogging Wedding Marketing Blogger, Andy Ebon, is pinch-hitting 10am, Wednesday morning,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

You know your website needs an update when…

Andy Ebon — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:47:39 +0000

: An example of website layout that needs updating.

FYYou know your website needs an update when all of your visible content runs flush to the left hand side of the screen, and LOTS white space on the right.

This is not a judgment on the quality of the business. In fact this business is outstanding, and carries a Best of The Knot 2008 banner.

There are several issues here. Some require very little work.

We all tend to look at the web through the prism of our own computer. That includes its processing speed, internet access speed, screen monitor size, and screen resolution.
4-5 years ago, it was common for people to have 17″ screens, set at 800 x 600 pixel resolutions. That accounted for about 40% of all internet users. Another 40% were set at 1024 x 768 pixels. The other 20% were set at a variety of resolutions, mostly larger. So, at that point in time, a webmaster would usually design a site so that it fit within an 800 pixel width screen. In that way, there would be no left to right screen scrolling, ever. And, if you were the client, and looked at this site, it would look fine and neat to you, everything centered.
Even 5 years ago, there was an issue. A website with a fixed width design of 800 pixels would have 200+ pixels white space (any unused space) if seen in any screen resolution of 1024 pixels or larger. Visually, the best solution is to center the content, so that the excess space is divided, equally, to its left and right.
Fast forward to the present: 50% of screen resolutions are now 1024 x 768 pixels. Almost all of the rest are larger. If the content area, as in this example, remains at 800 pixels, the white space continues to expand. The screen shot (which you can click on for a larger view) was taken from a laptop, set at 1440 x 900 pixels. The excess white space, 640 pixels, is all to the right of content area. Not good

What should be done to improve the ‘user experience’?

The easy, quick and inexpensive thing to do (as you’ve probably already guessed) is to simply center all the content, to equally distribute, left and right. This takes a webmaster seconds per screen.
Longer View: The site layout should be reconfigured. Notice, I didn’t say redesigned. I’m recommending that the content area be widened to be optimum for a 1024 pixel width. Usually, that means about 950 pixels, allowing for browser sidebar tools, such as scrolling and such.
There is another benefit to widening the content area. It will automatically move some content that is currently falling below the screen horizon, into view. User testing has demonstrated that only about one-third of people, viewing a site, will scroll down, when on the welcome page. So it is critical to have ALL navigation, and preferably, ALL content visible on the home page, without scrolling. Do not believe that your site is, somehow, the exception.

Bucking the fallacies:

Do not kid yourself. If your site is working well, that’s great. It also depends on what your definition of ‘well’ is. If your site sets up, like this example, then an hour or two of work by a webmaster will fix it, and it will function better for the user.

FYI: If you had your website redesigned in the last year or two, and your webmaster set it to an 800 pixel width, fire them now. It either means their basic knowledge is far out of date or they simply don’t care about your website very much. In either case, it’s time to throw them under the bus.

Andy Ebon
Website Tweaker
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: Andy Ebon, centered content, inexpensive website fixes, monitor sizes, Recession Tactics, screen resolutions, viewable content area, wedding marketing blog, wedding websites

Why do you welcome people to your website? Using a title at the top of a web browser,...
Stale Website Content Kills Everything Else I came upon a striking website in Vancouver, Canada. Aisle...
There is more to Google than just searching For people with websites, the most important service Google has...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Gasoline Prices Drop: A wedding marketing boon?

Andy Ebon — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:53:05 +0000

A barrel or oil has dropped almost 50% in the last month. Prices at the pump have dropped about 25%. In a quick search of gasoline prices, state by state, I found prices as low as $2.48/gallon. Here, in Sin City, I noticed signs touting prices under $3.00/gallon, for the first time since ‘I can’t remember when.’

Time to celebrate?

You must be kidding!?!! Not on your life.

I originally posted Rethink Your Market Area in May 2007, and then again in April 2008. To date, it has been the most-active-topic on The Wedding Marketing Blog.

What should you do?

First, thank your lucky stars that prices went down, any amount.

Second, realize that with recent hurricanes (It wasn’t that long ago), a supply shortage in the Southeast caused impossibly long gas lines at service stations. It was very bad. It could have been far worse.

Third, don’t get comfortable. There is no crystal ball the can accurately predict where oil and gasoline prices will go, in the next six months to a year.

Fourth, calculate your savings of $1 or more per gallon, from peak prices, and use it to pay off your gas guzzler. The sooner you own a more efficient car or van, for personal AND business use, the better off you’ll be.

This sermonette comes under the heading of ‘take ownership of matters that you CAN control.’

Anything you can do be less exposed to the whims of the market, is a good thing. A very good thing.

And if you haven’t reread that post about Rethinking Your Market Area, now would be a good time. In fact, anytime would be a good time.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: fuel prices, gasoline prices, marketing area, wedding marketing blog

What Las Vegas hotel room prices tell us about recession marketing In my first college Economics class, I learned about the...
Wedding Marketing Blog Top 10 posts from first 200 Having just passed the milestone of 200 blog posts, I...
Rethink your wedding market area, now! This is an update of a post from May...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.