Guest Blogger • Markel Insurance • How to Cultivate Vendor Relationships

In the event planning business, you will be working with a variety of vendors. It is important to have good working relationships so you can be successful. Here are some tips to help you establish these essential relationships.

5 tips to better vendor relationships

  1. Expect to pay fair market value

Yes you want to give your clients a deal, but not at the expense of another vendor losing out. It is important to understand pricing in the event industry, so that you can negotiate fair pricing for both your client and the vendor you are partnering with. Do not expect special deals beyond what is reasonable. The vendor will be much easier to work with if you see their side of the business too.

  1. Refer other business to them

You already have your finger on the pulse of the event industry and most likely know other local event planners. If you like working with a particular vendor, reach out to your other industry contacts and recommend your preferred vendor to them. The vendor will appreciate the business and may give you better discounts in the future. They may also return the favor.

  1. Write glowing reviews

In addition to personally referring business to great vendors, take the time to write a favorable review for them on popular sites like Google and Yelp. This will make you appear more favorable in their eyes and they may in turn write a review for you too.

  1. Respect their opinion

You know a lot about event planning and have many opinions on vendors and their services. It’s important to let other vendors in the industry have a voice too. They are in their respective businesses because they have an expertise. When you are open to their views and vision for their part of the event, you will cultivate a great working relationship. This doesn’t mean giving in to ideas that won’t work for your client, but there might be some value in their thoughts that you hadn’t considered.

  1. Give thanks and praise

You both have jobs to do, but it’s always nice to be thanked for services even if the service is expected.  A “thank you” can go a long way, especially when it comes to establishing mutual respect and trust. In addition, it’s a nice gesture to praise a vendor for an excellent job in front of your client or potential clients. This could lead to more business for them.

We hope these tips help you foster great relationships with vendors.  When you cultivate relationships, you also start sharing best practices. Consider informing them about event insurance. They will thank you.

Markel offers event liability insurance to hosts and honorees, protecting from incidents such as property damage to the venue or injury to a guest. Up to $2 million in event liability insurance can be purchased by your client from Markel any time at least 1 day before the event. Policies start as low as $75.

By offering Markel Event Insurance, it will not only protect your clients, but it can also protect you by potentially decreasing your own business liability risk for accidents due to negligence of the event host or honoree. Markel Event Insurance is an easy and affordable solution for your clients – a free quote takes only a few minutes online or on the phone – turning you into a one-stop-shop for your clients.

Have a website? You can receive a $25 gift card simply by placing a Markel Event Insurance link on your website.  Email maicmarketing@markelcorp.com to learn more!

If you don’t have a website, Markel can also provide you with brochures to help raise your clients’ awareness of the benefits of event liability insurance.

To learn more, please visit http://www.markeleventinsurance.com/wedding-and-event-professionals or call 1-855-480-9757.

Writer, Lauren Hernandez, Markel Insurance


Guest Blogger, Markel Insurance…”Free Wedding Directories to List Your Venue”

(One of our 2017 Sponsors, Markel Insurance, is on the blog this week! )

Listing your venue on free online wedding directories will help you reach more brides and grooms.. To help get you started, we’ve listed some website directories where brides can easily find you.

Directories to list your wedding venue

ReceptionHalls.com
This online directory is a perfect place to list your venue. It’s free with no trials or upgrade packages. Customers can find you by searching on location, capacity, amenities and budget.

 WeddingVibe.com
Get your business in front of more brides by listing your venue for free on Wedding Vibe. There are additional packages you can purchase to gain more exposure.

 WeddingVenueLove.com
Another great website to list your business for free with a basic profile. You can also upgrade to a paid profile that supports more portfolio images and more promotion opportunities.

theWeddingDirectory.us
This directory lists more than 700,000 wedding vendors. Create a free listing with the option of upgrading.

BridalTweet.com
Join in discussions with real brides. Set up a profile and you can start interacting by updating your status, creating a headline and sharing a blog.

Eventective.com
This website is a comprehensive resource for event planning. It lists more than 300,000 venues and services for weddings. This is also a free directory with the option to pay additional fees to participate in certain Programs the website offers.

TheVeil.co
This website offers free listings for high-end wedding vendors who cater to upscale brides-to-be.

Additional websites that offer free listings:

We hope these free online directories help you attract more brides and grooms to your venue.  After you gain your clients, make sure your clients are protected with wedding insurance.

Markel offers wedding liability insurance, protecting the host and honoree from incidents such as property damage to the venue or injury to a guest. Up to $2 million in wedding liability insurance can be purchased from Markel any time at least 1 day before the event and covers the ceremony and reception, rehearsal and setup/takedown. Policies start as low as $75.

By offering Markel Event Insurance, it will not only protect your clients, but it can also protect you by potentially decreasing your own business liability risk for accidents due to negligence of the event host or honoree. Markel Event Insurance is an easy and affordable solution for your clients – a free quote takes only a few minutes online or on the phone – turning you into a one-stop-shop for your clients.

Markel can provide you with free client materials to help raise your clients’ awareness of the benefits of event liability insurance.

To learn more, please visit http://www.markeleventinsurance.com/wedding-and-event-professionals or call 1-855-422-5944.