5 THINGS YOU MAY BE DOING THAT DISRESPECTS FELLOW VENDORS WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT!

Jul 19

I've said before on this blog, the wedding and event industry is quite small ... even though it feels HUGE at times! Relationships are key to success and it can be hard to keep them healthy if you are unknowingly doing things to make fellow vendors feel disrespected ... these 5 things may be small, but adjusting them can make a big impact and keep things going down a good road!

NOT TAGGING CORRECTLY

Social media is where it's at currently and almost everyone is sharing images that took more than just one person to create ... if you are sharing images from events, weddings, or styled shoots on your feed then it's SUPER IMPORTANT to make sure you are tagging everyone involved and also that you are tagging the CORRECT account! There is a huge responsibility that comes with sharing images on Instagram ... just like you would expect to be tagged on work you helped create ... not sure who you need to include?? I follow the rule of: if the photo includes their work, be sure and tag them! Not everyone would agree with that, so if you're worried it's probably best to just tag the entire team!

One caveat to 'my rule' to tagging 'just the vendors showcased' is when you are announcing that a wedding or shoot has been featured ... if you share an image to celebrate that you have new press then be sure to tag EVERYONE involved ... since they all share in the same celebration as you do!

NOT EDUCATING CLIENTS CORRECTLY

If you are in the position of referring other vendors to your clients then it's important to EDUCATE that client properly so the vendor you are referring isn't put in an uncomfortable place. This includes pricing, services, location and delivery info ... basically it's important to only share information about another vendor's business when you know for certain it's accurate. A follow up to this is 'expectations' ... if you refer another vendor out and that client is going to email them, be sure to say something along the lines of: "this is the busy season, so if you don't get an email back right away don't worry ... it may take a few days!" ... anything to ease the stress of your fellow vendors!

ASSUMING EVERYTHING IS THE SAME FOR ALL CLIENTS

This falls in line with educating clients correctly ... if you worked with a vendor on another event and they had certain pricing or services for that other client, it's wrong to assume that the next client will receive the same. Services fluctuate all the time ... pricing adjusts ... not all clients are the same and if you tell a new client pricing that has changed it can cause an uncomfy situation for the vendor you are referring. Best advice?? Never quote services or pricing unless you have DIRECT APPROVAL from the other vendor.

GIVING OUT PERSONAL PHONE NUMBERS

This may seem like a small thing, but it's NOT ... With all the ways we, as business owners, are summoned to answer questions and be 'professional' it can be a final straw when the phone rings with a cold call we aren't expecting. Every business owner is different in how they like the 'chain of communication' to go in their lives ... for me, I know I prefer email first, always ... if my phone number was handed out to potential clients it would be a major annoyance for me. Play it safe and only give out email addresses for vendors you want to refer ... or, simply tell clients the website and they can take it from there!

NOT TAKING OWNERSHIP

I realize that 'team mentalities' are super important when you work in an 'event environment' ... that working together to create a fluid event or wedding is incredibly important ... but if you f*ck up royally and then try to hide under that same 'team mentality' it's not cool. If there is something you messed up then it's important to take ownership. Apologize to the other vendors and even if you fix it so the client never knows (which is preferred!) be sure to let the team know you are taking ownership of the f*ck up.