I have recently move out of state and am looking to expand in my new location. I've been calling local wedding reception locations concerning the vendor list, and have gotten cold shoulders.
I have tried putting my best foot forward, but they just don't seemed interested.
I was an established photographer back in NY. What is the best method of cold calling a wedding coordinator in a reception hall concerning the vendor list?
The best way to get onto a vendor list is to build relationships and prove yourself. Think about what the list is - a selection of people that they trust to do a good job for their clients. They can't put you on that list after a cold call. So look for networking events (NACE, ISES, etc) where you can meet these people and networking with the vendors that you have access to from the jobs you book. Networking and getting on lists is a long-term endeavor so be willing to put the time in to prove yourself.
Think about it this way: Most of these venues see dozens (if not hundreds) of photographers every year. They know who the best ones are. They like them. In my area, they're often best friends with the people on their vendor lists (seriously). A phone call won't change their minds. Do something to get their attention or prove yourself without looking desperate. TRR gave some good suggestions, but these things take time.
A lot of times it's really not about a venue having the best vendors, it's about who they like. You need to do something to be their friend. Join networking groups that they belong to, or find someway to get acquainted outside of cold calling their office.
I've seen coordinators come and go over the years and they will automatically bring in their buddies from the last venue where they came from and slowly move the others aside. That's the reality of venues and the vendor list.
Now, if it's a "pay to play" and they have openings, it's then just a matter of coming up with the money and deciding if you want to play.
Another way is to create a beautiful album from that venue should you happen to do a wedding there and give it to them. That works sometimes, yet I've seen it where coordinators loved the album but didn't refer the photographer.
In my experience if you actually work an event with them and they like working with you, you do everything to make their job easier, follow up with them, etc. or even better they follow up with you to let you know you have been added to their preferred vendor list is even better. Cold calling will probably get you nowhere because they don't know anything about actually working with you and seeing what kind of feedback is coming from those clients. I agree with networking ideas that were already shared.
Cold calling is the old way of marketing. You probably will get little to no results that way. Getting on a vendor list is about being buddy buddy with the venue or whatever wedding vendor. Most planners don't want to work with photographers due to new constraints on wedding planning and the newer/cheaper weddings. This normally causes the entire wedding to be planned about 1 week before it actually happens and the schedules normally don't coincide with photographs that the couple want. It's not to say that the planners are bad, but their schedules are being compacted and photos are one of the first things to go. I normally work some extra time even if I'm not contracted for the time so I can take nice photographs of the venue as well as couples there. This however doesn't guarantee a good relationship with the venue, it only gives them something that they can market.
