from TheMindGuru's Blog

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Daily, I read and hear stories from many vendors about how they are not able to connect with others, for whatever reason they create in their own minds.
My personal input on this matter is always the same: what do you have to lose? Nothing at all :)
IF,

you apply proper engaging, it will take you ---> everywhere!
Don't be afraid to be the initiator of your next business relationship BUT, be aware...
there is always a right and a wrong way to do it.

DO NOT:
- send a single link to... none will click on it.
- demand: "we just friended you, friend us back..."
- promote yourself/ your product/service at someone else's Facebook, Twitter, etc. I think it is called "spamming" :) That's an instant turn off.


DO:
- engage, properly. "Rosie: I would like to see if I can add a couple of clients to your site... Please let me know if you can include these venues on your site and what details you need...thanks!"

- refresh others memory. "Rosie, I hope you remember me from... a few months ago.
Just wanted to pass by and say hello and ask if you can please forward me your bridal packages? I would like to add you to my vendor files for future reference and to see if your packages fit with a few of my existing brides. Hope all is well - take care!"

- read the "it's not that small" print. If you want to be added somewhere, make sure you follow their rules.
For example, you are a vendor located in NYC. Most likely, the South Florida local vendors directory will reject your entry, not because they don't like you but cause' they only feature South Florida local vendors.

- your homework. Take the time to research about the person/service/product you want to network with. Look for something ELSE than the simple plain benefit of doing business together :) get inspired, inspire.

Outsource it.
There is a bunch of gifted entrepreneurs out there, sharing the good, the bad and the ugly with all of us, just because... so do yourself a favor and follow the ones who are "making things happen" :)

my response was:
Dear A, I was wondering how to approach you because you don't know me at all.
I have just one way to be and that is "brutally honest". Hope you don't take it personal cause' it is not.
I've been around for a while, marketing myself and others. I like your concept but,...

Did you ask yourself?
- what I offer others don't, etc... (basic MKT101 questions)

You should address them before moving forward.
My words have the best intentions so please don't get discouraged.



There are many ways to approach the "starting a business" phase.
I invite you to visit "Emily Ley" blog, you will read about her whole experience.
She started selling via Etsy.
She just opened her online store last week.
While building up her new website, she started sharing the process of taking her business to the next level with all her readers (I'm one of them).
Today, she's conquering the stationery world, and then some: http://emilyley.com
She will be a great source of inspiration to you.
If there is anything I can do to help you, ask away.
Regards, Rosie :)

(I must say I didn't hear from her for a couple of weeks. Nothing, zero, nada...)

Until last Friday :) Yay!!!

A: Hi Rosie,
Thank you so much,

my response was: WOW! I'm glad to see you've done MAJOR progress...
Believe me, my words come from my own experiences so I know they are not pretty @ the beginning but, com'on... better me than a prospect client, don't ya think? :)
 
(yes, I'm doing her product photography now)

When Steve asked me to do some head shots to feature in his upcoming website I decided to combine his clean cut look with his physical abilities.
This image shows nothing else but his real-life-passion and it sells much more than any $x,xxx magazine ad.

Did you hear about neuromarketing?

DEFINITION - Neuromarketing is the study of how people's brains respond to advertising and other brand-related messages by scientifically monitoring brainwave activity, eye-tracking and skin response.

I'm not going to get all technical here but, the more I read about neuromarketing the more I'm convinced I'm doing something RIGHT, which is... I'm getting emotional.

90% of the emails I receive after phone or in-person consultations are similar to this one:


"I can tell you have a passion for photography and that is important to me. Of all of the photographers I have spoken with, I got a really good feel from you..."

Forget about my beautiful images and my affordable packages for a minute... at the end of the day it's all about making clients trust in my ability to deliver what they want, expressing my genuine enthusiasm about what I have to offer.

Image courtesy of http://letmegrowstudio.net

I used to roll my eyes every time my grandma mentioned "Good example starts at home" to me.
Today, I understand her preaching had a purpose.
I promote good causes and many talented people just because... I believe in them. Period.
I can honestly say that investing in others pays off. How? well,...
Vendors love the fact I take my time to talk about them and what they do, specially when I barely give any indication of who I am. Because of that, they take 'their time' to find out about me and what I do. You can call it curiosity. I call it OPPORTUNITY.
I really don't expect anything in return but, sometimes, a 2-lines-email appreciating my effort is what makes my day.
Because it's clear I don't have a hidden agenda when spreading the word around, relationships between other vendors, potential clients and me start developing and...
at the end of the day, my own business gets exposure. My name is remembered.
You never know where a simple act of kind can take you.

Are you ready to join me? Hope so.


"Action is the foundational key to all success." - Pablo Picasso

A couple of years ago I got one of the 1st generation "infamous" iPhones and after returning it twice for different issues I decided to go back to my old-fashioned trusty cell phone; no internet, no emails, not good for my line of work.
2010 started on the right foot and getting a new iPhone 3G was top priority on my "must-have devices" list.
"Making myself available 24/7 and being just a click away are key elements to my daily business workflow. Instant response to my clients is setting me apart from my competitors... and then some."
Well... that's what I thought 'til I came across “My Wedding Concierge” iPhone App.
Today, this new collaboration tool is changing the way I expose my products and services - taking it to another level.
Now, I'm going places... hope you join the ride soon.
Rosie :)

http://www.my-wedding-concierge.com

"The “My Wedding Concierge“ iPhone App allows brides to research wedding vendors on the go. My Wedding Concierge is the only iPhone App that focuses solely on wedding vendors. Focused on this vendorcentric view, the iPhone App forgoes traditional wedding planning tools such as seating charts and to-do lists.
As a result, My Wedding Concierge can confidently say that all 60,000+ page views last month were of brides using our app to search for wedding vendors in their local areas.
My Wedding Concierge offers one touch email, phone, and visit to the vendor’s website. Wedding vendors can upload up to 30 pictures of weddings for the bride to peruse. 
Brides can rate their favorite photographs and store them away in her favorites folder. 
Brides no longer have to carry around a huge wedding folder with pages ripped out of a magazine. Brides can click on the “Request Info” button and their email is immediately captured and sent to the wedding vendor for follow up.
My Wedding Concierge aims to be the ultimate wedding search engine. Brides will be able to use our site to search for relevant information from wedding vendors, hand selected wedding blogs, images, and news articles. All wedding blogs indexed on our site have been selected for content and brides can search through all wedding blogs in one place instead of visiting each site individually. "

"I'm a better photographer and a better person today because I reached out and connected with like-minded photographers who helped me along the way. You cannot and will not survive alone. The odds are greatly against it. Don't try it. Learn to share, link, connect. The burden is ...so much lighter when there are others to help shoulder the load." - Jack Hollingsworth

I look at networking as the opportunity of being on the same side of the fence with equals and count on each other.

There are few things I understand 'better' since I became a professional photographer:
- There is business for all of us.
- Not all the jobs are for me, not every project is suitable to what I offer.
- Not matter how professional I am, I'm only human... like everybody else.
- There is something 'else' to learn from others experiences. Always.

I personally like to know that if, for whatever reason I'm not available to commit I have someone reliable to recommend, I can give a feedback about some other local vendor, I can even refer my favorite baker to my clients.

Facebook is my biggest source of networking.
How exactly do I online-mingle?
- Sometimes, I just love what others do so I compliment them and then engage.
- Lately, I get plenty of friends suggestions. I visit their website, FB, whatever they have available and I make the connection happen.
- You will be surprised who they know that you know, and viceversa.

Once again, if you are a genuine crafter of your art, others will appreciate it and follow.

The relationship I have with the owners of www.StylishInvitationDesigns.com is the perfect example of online networking.
Today, after connecting through FB, meeting in person, etc. I feel I can't recommend them enough and I know they have my back as well.


Source

Half Of Top Web Retailers Have No Meaningful Facebook Presence

Studies show Facebook is the most beneficial social network for small businesses, followed by Twitter, among others.

Generally, the internet is the first point of contact that a potential clients has with your business.
Proper showcase of your work and information about who you are could generate genuine interest in your products and services right on the spot, avoiding time consuming meetings with prospects who are just tasting the waters.

"I used to post about everything and going nowhere. Now I only write about related topics and interactive subjects. Attention is being paid by other wedding vendors and potential clients".

Social media shouldn't be used as one-way communication avenue. Ask for feedback, have polls, answer to comments publicly, etc. Being transparent and personable are must-have ingredients when building relationships.


Do you want to develop a FB page for your business and have no idea where to start?
Contact us for more info: fromgoodtogreatmedia@yahoo.com

Image source

Let's start defining what social media is.
It is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses Internet and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). (See Wikipedia)

Enough technicality.

I won't deny it: interacting with others through different social media platforms it's overwhelmed at times but... like studies state, it takes 21 days to make a good habit part of your daily routine and... you should give it a try.

Below you will find a list of the most influential online social media tools I recommend and use:

- Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world, with more than 200 million members. Members’ home page streams can now be seen in a wide range of applications and devices. (See Wikipedia)


- Twitter is a simple tool that helps connect businesses more meaningfully with the right audience. It lets members post updates of no more than 140 characters at a time. (See Twitter/about)

What you are going to communicate through these avenues becomes crucial.
Relevance is the key word.
Relevance most commonly refers to topical relevance or aboutness, i.e. to what extent the topic of a result matches the topic of the query or information need. Relevance can also be interpreted more broadly, referring to generally how "good" a retrieved result is with regard to the information need. (See Wikipedia)

What does it mean?
- Whatever you want to say, relate it to your potential and current clients needs of your products and services.
- Never lose the human touch.
- Bad promotion is still promotion doesn't apply here.
- Make your posts appealing to today's world. Be real, conscious and always yourself.

We can develop and manage your online presence while you take care of other business tasks.
Contact us for more info: fromgoodtogreatmedia@yahoo.com

The most important element you need to build a relationship with your potential clients is trust.
The only way you are going to be trusted is if you expose yourself... and I mean it.
Trust doesn't happen overnight but if you are represented as a genuine crafter of your art, you share not only your accomplishments but your obstacles and the way you overcome them, you will succeed.

As a wedding vendor, I always suggest to my brides, specially the ones from out of the state to "keep an eye on me" inviting them to follow my blog, to FB friend me, etc.
Constant appearances, posting about your current projects, your journey to success, your real life, etc. pays off.

Communicate ---> build relationship ---> get booked

Yes, consider yourself an open book and if they feel the connection, they will invite you to be part of one of the most important moments in their lives.
Like I always say, it's all about relationships. Wedding vendors interact with a wide-range of emotions and perceptions.
It's up to us to accommodate clients needs the best possible without betraying our own beliefs.

Do you need us to start writing smart, up-to-date, weekly content for your blog?
Contact us for more information: fromgoodtogreatmedia@yahoo.com

For many years, bloggers have been promoting their clients products and services without the need of releasing the real interests behind their posts.
Now, as not too many people out there know and under the new Federal Trade Commission regulations: “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. (See FTC)

Note - these rules also apply to Facebook and Twitter.

We, as FGTGM editors are committed to share our knowledge, experiences and all things related to online media and social networking without expecting any financial gain.
On the other hand, our management services are time and talent consuming, therefore fees will be applied accordingly.

Our paid relationships are disclosed and labeled as “preferred vendors” and "PV".

Based in South Florida, Rosie Hernandez is a very well-rounded professional portrait, wedding and event photographer who has a passion for her craft.
With 70% of her paid assignments coming from Facebook (and FB word of mouth), 20% from Google and 10% through networking, you can tell she has been mastering the art of virtual communication for a while.
She is looking forward to help other local wedding vendors to expose their businesses to the online world, incorporating social media to their daily workflow.
She believes in the power of 'going green', 'teaming up' and 'paying it forward'.

She's also the connector behind SouthFloridaVendorsUnited.com, one of the editors of the new Real South Florida Weddings and an active promoter of the "Brides Against Breast Cancer TM - Nationwide Tour of Gowns" of South Florida

She also is a marketing assistant for a local interfaith wedding officiant. She virtually assist’s her thorough technology, they have meetings through skype and connect through email and mobile me.
She loves all things that are about weddings.
When she's not helping other wedding vendors you can find her writing posts for Southfloridavendorsunited.com and http://realsouthfloridaweddings.wordpress.com/
 

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." - Henry Ford