The second most important thing next to staging a world-class event is
front and back-end promotion. By that I mean, cultivating referrals from your clients/vendors/attendees. Promoting your services for other events to this base of referral business requires careful, strategic, ongoing planning. You could turn one event into many with right marketing mix. It’s personal attention, details and relationships you build that will create this flood of referrals. Gather Information:
Create information cards that will be your resource for referrals. The cards should be completed for both clients and vendors. Vendors can be a great source for referrals and should be treated with same care and personal attention as clients. Information on cards should include:
· Names and birth dates of family members
· Wedding anniversary, and other special dates such as # of years in business or with same company
· Interests of each family member to include hobbies, talents and accomplishments
· Place of employment of client and spouse
· Special designations, offices or memberships of client
· Corporate client cards to include information of your contact within corporation and CEO
· Birth dates of key personnel within company
· Any annual celebrations company hosts
Ask your client for an evaluation immediately following event. Make it brief and concise. Send evaluation with a thank you note. Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Ask one or two open-ended questions to elicit candor. Ask client to be open and honest about all aspects of event you were involved in.
Handle any complaints professionally and proficiently. Do not allow time to lapse before addressing complaints. Handling and correcting complaints quickly will solidify relationship, and increase your chances of working with client in future. Remember statistics which imply that when a complaint is handled quickly and favorably, 87% of those who complain will do business with “offending” party again. You’ve worked so hard to get client; in most cases, it’s much easier to keep a client than find a new one.
