Here's what to do next
In this first module, you'll dive into the fascinating concept of finding opportunity in unexpected places through the story of "The Murder Barn." You'll learn the first big lesson in venue marketing: how to spot potential where others see obstacles. Meredith and Mary Claire walk you through identifying your venue's unique story, considering niche markets, and reframing challenges as selling points. They've even created a worksheet to help you uncover and leverage your own venue's history. It's a conversational, engaging introduction to thinking differently about what makes your venue marketable!
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN WHEN YOU DIVE INTO THIS MODULE:
Ep.1: The Barn, The History, The Murder
EP. 1: The Barn, The History, The Murder
Refer to the time-stamped show notes below when you want to revisit any particular portions of the episode.
listen to the podcast
SHOW NOTES:
0:17 Welcome to Marketing The Murder Barn!
0:22 Intro to our series
1:06 Meet your hosts: Meredith and Mary Claire
1:48 What you can expect from this episode
2:45 The fable behind Marketing The Murder Barn
5:36 Where you can find the rest of the story
5:58 How does this relate to wedding marketing?
8:18 How your biggest perceived obstacle can be your most successful sales proposition
8:43 Some inspiring, real-world venue examples
13:45 Discovering perfect positioning for any venue
14:15 The obstacle to opportunity framework
14:33 How do we start this transformation process?
14:57 The four steps of the framework
16:57 Our Obstacles to Opportunities Worksheet
18:12 Our goal throughout this series
18:45 What we’ll cover within this series
21:30 How we created this series specifically for wedding venues…and made it fun too!
22:06 A look ahead at episode 2
22:16 This episode’s key takeaway
32:50 Case Study #2
33:34 Asking the right questions opened up this venue's demographic and revenue stream
36:32 Small and intimate weddings are not over, so be loud and proud about it!
37:11 Recognizing the NEW new normal, and acting on it.
37:33 Diversify your revenue streams
The first big lesson in venue marketing shows you how to spot potential where others see obstacles.
We guide you through finding niche markets and reframing challenges as selling points that set you apart.
Use the included worksheet to uncover and leverage your own venue's history in this conversational, engaging introduction to strategic venue marketing.
The STORY Method™
The STORY Method™ helps wedding venues transform their history into compelling narratives through five steps: Study, Transform, Own, Respect, and Yield. Venues learn to find romantic angles in their past, embrace unique elements, and create signature experiences. Rather than hiding challenging histories, this framework turns them into powerful selling points that attract couples.
WORKSHEET
The Obstacle to Opportunity Framework™ transforms wedding venue challenges into selling points through four steps: identify, reframe, amplify, and integrate. Examples include repositioning limited capacity as "intimate celebrations" and remote locations as "exclusive retreats." This framework helps venues stop apologizing for obstacles and instead market them as unique advantages.
Obstacle to Opportunity Framework
WORKSHEET
YOUR TOOLS FOR THIS MODULE
You know those people who can instantly pull you out of a funk with a one-liner that has you literally LOL'ing? That's Mary Claire: witty, sharp, and comfortable in her own skin. Since joining our team, we can't imagine functioning without her. When she's not chatting with clients and brightening their day, she's outdoors with her family or designing jewelry. She's the ultimate gem.
MARY CLAIRE NEWCOMB
Meredith Monday Schwartz started at Here Comes The Guide in 1997 (we didn't even have a website back then—there might also have been dinosaurs running around!) and was a wedding venue specialist for 10 years before taking over as Chief Bossypants in 2007. In the years since she joined HCTG, she's learned a lot about wedding couples, wedding venues, and running a company profitably—and well.
MEREDITH MONDAY SCHWARTZ
