Maximizing Success at Bridal Fairs: Expert Tips and Strategies for New Leads

I am doing a bridal fair this weekend and hope to have some success with new leads?! I've been reading the threads and I am a little nervous about how it will go as it doesn't sound like the overall all trend is that great. The organizer said they expect 300-350 brides and about 700 people total.

For those of you experienced with bridal fairs
- What paperwork should I bring?
- What's your strategy for getting them interested in registering?
- What's been you're success rate with registries actually being used?
- Do you follow up with the names given to you form the organizer that maybe didn't stop by the booth but were at the fair? How did you contact? Mail? Phone? email?
- Any great "words" you used when you called them for follow-up? Anything different for brides who visited you?
- If you did a door prize - was it for just brides or everyone? I was thinking maybe doing one for brides (maybe a cookbook) and and one for guests or bridal party (free cooking show). Is that too complicated?

Frankly, I'd be happy just to get a few regular shows from the mom or MIL or bridesmaid. Heck, even another vendor would be great.

Looking for all words of wisdom - I know there's bound to be some very experienced fair vendors here!

Thanks in advance!!
Susan

I've done several, but haven't had great results so I'm not doing them anymore. Here are some answers for you, though:

- What paperwork should I bring?

Just catalogs and the Registry Rewards flyer. Opportunity Brochures are good, too. Anything else is too overwhelming (don't make homemade flyers, etc. - waste of energy and time, IMO!).

- What's your strategy for getting them interested in registering?

The best way to get someone registered is to get them to your house! That's the way I got my 3 registries I've had so far. Invite them over for wine and cheese and shopping in your kitchen. Set out everything you have and let them shop and ask questions.

I've also offered to register people for them - just fill out the drawing slip and check off "wedding registry" and I'll register for you! I would just pick the "Well-Stocked Kitchen" for them and let them decide on the rest. Haven't had anyone take me up on it yet, though. One of my downlines had someone register just from taking her catalog, though, so it does happen sometimes, but most of the time, you have to physically do it for them, in my experience.

- What's been you're success rate with registries actually being used?

I had 3 sign up for registries, and 2 of them actually got stuff. One bride's family knew she loved PC and knew me, so they bought a bunch - her total was over $500. Another bride's family refused to get her anything from her PC registry and only bought her nighties and other random things she didn't need. She returned them all and bought all of her stuff off of her registry herself from the return money and the other cash she got, so she could get the registry rewards. So, it's really important for the BRIDE to promote the registry to her family and friends as much as you promote it to brides.


- Do you follow up with the names given to you form the organizer that maybe didn't stop by the booth but were at the fair? How did you contact? Mail? Phone? email?

Yes, I do follow up. I call the people who gave me their phone numbers on the drawing slips (they gave me permission to call by doing that), and followed up with EVERYONE on the organizer's list with a personalized email from our websites ("Dear XXX" - you can set it up to send a bunch like that at a time!). Mail is too expensive and hasn't worked for me. I've tried mailing flyers with cover letters, but nothing. I'd rather just send an email and get nothing than mail stuff and pay to get nothing, kwim?


- Any great "words" you used when you called them for follow-up? Anything different for brides who visited you?

Just basic "customer care" - "Hi, XXX, how are you? This is Cathy from TPC, I met you the other day at the XX Bridal Fair" Then just go on and chat and ask if they're ready to get started on their registry or their Wedding Shower plans, and if not, when (and set another date to call). Follow the basics of booking shows and you can't go wrong.


- If you did a door prize - was it for just brides or everyone? I was thinking maybe doing one for brides (maybe a cookbook) and and one for guests or bridal party (free cooking show). Is that too complicated?

Yes, that's too complicated. I just do a personal gift certificate (one I make myself, not a PC GC). I make a sign and put out drawing slips and when they stop by to chat, I mention the drawing for a $25 gift cert. I tell them anyone can enter. At the end, I pick one name and post it on the table, so they come back to see who won. If they don't come back to claim it, I just mail it to them. If they never redeem it, no money out of my pocket!! I tried doing a Stainless 8 Qt. Mixing Bowl as a drawing prize, but the winner never came back to get it, and it's too big to mail. I told everyone to make sure they came back to my booth after, but of course, everyone but the winner did. I'm not mailing it to her - it's too much $$!! I've tried to set up a date/time to have her pick it up but she never calls back. Her loss!!

Overall, I've found that brides are VERY overwhelmed at these events, and unless they really know PC, they really aren't interested. Focus most of your energy on the people who show interest back - invite them to your home or a cluster meeting/your next show to see the products and so that you can register them, as well as give them info. about the business so they can pay for their wedding!! Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Thanks for such a thorough answer Cathy!! I think I'll take the idea about the Gift Certificate. And I didn't think about sending out email follow-ups from our website ... so glad I asked these questions! I suppose on the bridal list it would have most pertinent info - name, address, email, phone, wedding date.
You've been a great help! Thanks.

Any one else?
Susan

I don't usually hand out catalogs at bridal fairs. Too expensive. The minis, however, are perfect! And one thing I do include is a coupon for a free cooking show (I bring the ingredients). That's a way to get a few shows and some immediate sales.

I hope your bridal fair was a success ... for those still reading:- What paperwork should I bring?At my fair this weekend, we each had business cards, mini catalogs, bridal registry brochures and big catalogs for those "really" interested.We also put up two signs saying "Enter our bridal registry" and "$200 in free product ... ask us how!" Then we explained to each person that the bridal registry is awesome because the bride gets free product and half price items just for her friends getting her gifts ... and Bed Bath and Beyond doesn't offer that!- What's your strategy for getting them interested in registering?Same as above!- What's been you're success rate with registries actually being used?Don't know yet ... I'm thinking positive! If I have two good shows it's worth it!- Do you follow up with the names given to you form the organizer that maybe didn't stop by the booth but were at the fair? How did you contact? Mail? Phone? email?We are each getting a list of 250 names. After we divide them up, we plan to hit them all with a mass e-mail or phone call, depending on whether we got a number. Of course, the ones who entered our drawing are all ours!- If you did a door prize - was it for just brides or everyone? I was thinking maybe doing one for brides (maybe a cookbook) and and one for guests or bridal party (free cooking show). Is that too complicated?Door prize is for everyone! My recruiter and I both had baskets ... her partner yesterday gave away a stone ... and we got better responses on our baskets. Neither of ours were all that costly ... hers had the simple additions heart dish and some door prize items and maybe other stuff ... mine had the measuring cups from my kit, a season's best, a planner, a heart pen from the dollar store, a bottle of lotion I never used, and a couple of door prize items.A LOT of people at bridal fairs are siblings, friends, parents, etc. They are actually very important to our success. The moms often have experience with PC and talk up their love of the product to their daughters.

I like to hand them a new catalog and a marker! They can do the registry right there and I can set it up for them! just my thoughts....

Susan - thanks so much for starting this thread!!! How did your bridal fair go?? I am doing one in March with 3 other consultants so am excited to see how it will turn out.

I just did a bridal fair on Sunday and it was really successful. Well, I got a ton of contact information and it was really fun. We'll see if it generates anything, but I already have one recruiting interview set up and two other follow-ups on Friday.

The one thing I wish I had done was make a space for the date of the wedding on my DPDS. I have a bunch that are interested in a bridal shower and registry, but I don't know when the wedding is. I will follow up with all of them, but if I had the date I could put them in an order of wedding date priority.