We recently connected with Lindsay Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsay , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

One of the key aspects that sets my approach and brand apart in the wedding industry is my unwavering belief in the power of wedding shows as a marketing tool. While many in the industry may overlook or undervalue wedding shows, I have made it a cornerstone of my strategy.

Traditionally, wedding shows have been seen as outdated or ineffective by some, especially with the rise of digital marketing channels. However, I recognized early on that there is immense value in face-to-face interactions and the tangible experience that wedding shows offer. Rather than solely relying on conventional methods or “what everyone else was doing”, I decided to fully embrace the potential of wedding shows as a way to connect directly with couples.

In essence, by diverging from the industry standard and fully embracing the potential of wedding shows, my brand has been able to carve out a unique niche and establish meaningful connections with couples in a way that digital marketing alone simply cannot replicate. We’re able to schedule 20-30 appointments per show and close 96% of those – something that would take me months to do with social media alone.

Lindsay , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Lindsay, founder of Lindsay J. Williams and I help wedding professionals have success at wedding shows. Super niche but that is my sweet spot.

My background is actually in Wedding Stationery, I started a business designing custom invitations in 2014. I remember my first few years in business and I felt like I could never catch up. When I finally came up for air after a busy wedding season – my calendar practically had dust on it because no one was working on lead generation while I was head down in client work #solopreneur.

So, I got right to it and did what all of the marketing gurus said to do. I posted consistently on social media and waited around for inquires to pop into my inbox, I spent hundreds of dollars (and a whole month of time) creating beautiful sample packs for planners and venues to try and drum up referrals, and I practically begged to be on preferred vendors lists. None of that worked at the level I needed it to to really grow my business.

After 3 years of trying everything under the sun to generate more leads in my wedding business, I threw out all the marketing tips I’ve heard in the past and did something “revolutionary.” I decided to go all in on the one thing that seemed to work – connecting with people face to face at bridal shows.

Because at the end of the day: We work so hard to reach our ideal customers – and the solution is actually so simple. Why not get physically in front of the couples we want to serve?

From my journey, I realized that wedding shows are the most effective way to fill up your calendar. I signed up for every single show I could get my hands on and perfected my strategy.

We got to a point where we were consistently bringing in $25,000 in revenue per show. I was able to spend one day a month in “sales mode” and had the rest of the time to serve my clients and work on other things. I repeated and perfected it month, after month, after month and my business grew tremendously. This approach set me on a journey to grow my business to $300k without constantly being in lead generation mode.

Since discovering this method, I’ve since gone on to help 523 wedding professionals fill their calendar with shows through my signature program, the Bridal Show Blueprint. The course is the step by step blueprint of everything I’ve learned from a decade of doing shows up until this point. I’ve since gone on to create a whole suite of courses and programs designed to help wedding professionals stand out in the market place, generate leads, and close more sales (sales and marketing is my jam).

I’m most proud of the success stories of my clients. Seeing them transform their businesses and achieve their goals through wedding shows is incredibly fulfilling. It’s a testament to the impact of my work and the value I bring to the industry.

For potential clients and followers, I want them to know that my mission is more than just enrolling people in my programs; I’m a trusted partner committed to helping wedding professionals thrive. Whether you’re a seasoned vendor looking to revitalize your show presence or a newcomer eager to make a splash, I have the expertise and dedication to help you succeed in the competitive world of weddings.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Now I coach wedding professionals on all this sales and marketing, but I was not always good at this stuff.

I also through all of this early on in my business. I had debilitating anxiety, a horrible stutter, and I would find myself sweating and stumbling the whole way through appointments – especially when it came to the sales part. It was a disaster. I wasn’t closing any sales and I had already quit my 9-5 job, so I needed to make this work.

I’ll never forget a tearful call to my mom after one of those painfully awkward appointments.

Here was the situation – I was coming off of a wedding show where I had booked 12 appointments. The excitement from filling up my calendar at the show quickly turned to dread as I continued to bomb every single opportunity. Couples would either decide to go in a different direction, ghost me after sending the proposal, or even more frustrating – cancel before we even had a chance to meet.

And I had just quit my 9-5 job so I felt like my back was against the wall. So, time to call in the big guns. My mom spent her career selling radio commercial spots on the air – she was a killer sales woman. So, she offered to come on the rest of my appointments with me (a mother-daughter duo).

I stepped back and watched her work her magic. She was charming, confident, and crystal clear about how working with us was different from any alternative option out there. By the time we were finishing the appointments, couples already had their credit cards out wondering where to sign.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!

I’ve been struggling to get people to just show up for appointments, and now they were chomping at the bit to work with me after one appointment with my mom.

On our way home I asked her to tell me what her secret was to closing and she said, “Lindsay we don’t close people. People close themselves.”

From that moment on, my whole approached to sales and marketing changed. I spent less time selling and more time connecting and communicating our value – and my sales rate rose from 40%-96%. To this day, that is the best business advice I’ve ever gotten.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I had read hundreds and hundreds of business books over the years, but my faovrite as got to be “Hug Your Customers” by Jack Mitchell. It’s significantly impacted the way I do business by emphasizing the philosophy of putting people over profit. Mitchell’s approach underscores the importance of building strong relationships with customers through genuine care and attention, rather than solely focusing on financial gains. This philosophy has reshaped my approach to business, prioritizing customer satisfaction and loyalty above all else and just treating every single person I have the honor of working with as a real life human with hopes and dreams just like me.

Contact Info:

• Website: LindsayJWilliams.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mslindsayjwilliams/
• Facebook: LindsayJWilliams.com/Group

Image Credits
Seventh Arrow Studio Moonshine Studio of Photography