A little over three years ago I was a bride-to-be. I was neck-deep in wedding plans, on cloud nine, and completely and utterly in heaven. As you can imagine, my mind was full of all the fun details of planning my big day. The dress. The flowers. The centerpieces. Well, you get the idea. Being in love with design and decorating, I was eating up every minute of this experience. But you know what, no matter how creative I am, no matter how much I researched, there was one thing that remained…I wasn’t in the business of wedding planning, putting me at a drastic disadvantage.

Brides-to-be have a huge task in bringing all of these details together for their special day. But if they’re not in the wedding business, how will they know about all of the awesome things they could be incorporating into their wedding?

Enter, the expert wedding photographer, who also happens to know a thing or two about the hot new trends taking the industry by storm. After all, it’s their business to be in the know.

You might be wondering…why the photographer? Why not the caterer, the florist, or the venue owner?

Okay, as far as that goes, why does it have to be weddings? Let’s say you’re in real estate. Or maybe you’re a fitness coach.

How do you capitalize on the knowledge you have in your industry and get more customers or clients through your door? Heck, even beating down that door…

Here lies the secret…

It’s not about you getting more customers. It’s not about your bottom line. It’s not even about you at all. It’s ALL about the bride-to-be. The first-time home buyer. The fitness enthusiast. You get the idea.

When you take the focus off of yourself and the moolah, and focus your energy on helping, educating, and fulfilling your customer or client’s needs, that’s when you see the increase! In every aspect of your business.

How does this work?

Pay close attention…

It’s in relationships. Not relationships with fellow photographers, or real estate agents, or other fitness coaches. But in the relationships you build with the other professionals that fulfill your customer’s needs.

Let’s go back to the photographer. What things are occupying the mind of your bride-to-be? There’s the venue, the bouquets, the food, etc. What if you, the expert wedding photographer, could bring together a venue owner, a florist, a caterer, and other wedding professionals, and educate your bride-to-be on the hot new trends she could incorporate into her wedding? Maybe you and your guest experts could outline a typical wedding day, so the bride-to-be can avoid common mistakes? Give tips on planning an itinerary to allow plenty of time for photographs. Maybe have a dress shop owner give tips on how to find the right style of dress for different body types? The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination and get creative!

This type of education can take many forms:

  • Live local event
  • Live online webinar
  • Series of blog posts or articles
  • Youtube videos

How does this actually get more customers through your door?

In the eyes of your bride-to-be, you’re seen as the helpful expert that cares about her and wants her day to go as smoothly as possible. You can bet she’ll be spreading the word among her friends and family. As word spreads, you gain more customers and clients. And, as you gain more customers and clients, you guessed it…your profit sky-rockets!

And, by bringing all of these guest professionals together, you’re creating a valuable network of opportunities. There’s no competition to worry about, so sharing the event, articles, or videos with your individual audiences isn’t a problem.

How would this concept apply to the real estate agent? Ask yourself, what questions and concerns might a first-time home buyer have? Can lenders and financial specialists, home inspectors, contractors, etc, answer these questions? You might think about bringing these types of professionals together to educate your clients on buying their first home. You can even get creative and invite other types of professionals like interior designers or even handymen to join in.

Likewise, if you’re a fitness coach, you could bring together a gym owner, a nutritionist, and maybe even a yoga instructor to share their knowledge with your clients.

Make sure you’re putting your expertise in the mix, in order to capitalize on the new audience you’re attracting by partnering with these other professionals.

 Take Action:

  1. Write down three challenges or questions your customers or clients have (excluding the ones you’re fulfilling with your products or services).
  2. Make a list of professionals you would like to work with in creating an educational event or article series.
  3. Contact your list, and make it happen!

Have you ever done something creative to get customers or clients through your door? Tell us about it in the comments below: