Connections explained (for Vendors)

This article contains details on:
Vendor Accounts and Connection IDs
User-to-Vendor Connections
Requesting a Connection with another Vendor
When a Vendor has requested a Connection with you/Notifications
Why you don't see a Connect button when viewing your own profile 

As a social networking site for event planning, Users and even other Vendors can connect and chat with you in real time from any device.  You can not only chat but collaborate and send files through our chat tool.  

A User is defined as an individual who uses the website to plan or attend events.  A User may or may not also manage a Vendor business.  A Vendor is a business in the event industry (photographer, venue, caterer, etc).

Vendor Accounts and Connection IDs

You may wear multiple hats in your life – an individual who may want to plan your own events at the site and someone who manages one or more Vendor businesses.  In order to allow you to connect and chat with others as both an individual and a Vendor, we have created Connection IDs to keep it all organized. Think of a Connection ID as a “hat” that represents a role you play.  

• You will have just one Account (one login) at EasyEventPlanning.com but you will have a Connection ID for yourself personally plus one for each Vendor Listing you manage.  So if Sara Jones is a Vendor (SJ Photography), she will have a "Sara Jones" ID for herself and an "SJ Photography" ID for her Vendor business.
• When a User connects with Sara's photography business, she will connect with "SJ Photography".  When a User who knows Sara personally wants to connect with her to invite her to a party, she will connect with "Sara Jones".
• If you manage multiple businesses (or multiple locations of the same business), you can choose to have separate Connection IDs for each or you can use the same one. 
• The Vendor Connection ID is the same as your Business Name unless you change it on the Add Claimed Business page or Edit Business Details page.  
  
  

User-to-Vendor Connections

• For a User-to-Vendor Connection to be created, the User must initiate it.  The one exception is if you purchased a Lead from that User, in which case the Connection is formed automatically.  A Lead results when that User requests a quote and you choose to respond to that quote request.  Each service requested is a Lead.  In our example, a User needs a photographer for an event and Sara Jones purchased that photography Lead.
• A User will click the Connect button on your Vendor profile to form a Connection.That Connection is formed automatically to enable instant chat to begin between yourself and the User.  However, you can terminate the connection at any time.
• When a User clicks the Chat button your profile, a Connection is also automatically formed, as a Connection must be formed for chat to take place.  This action will also open the chat box for them to send you a message.
• You must have a Business Email registered on your account for the “Connect” and “Chat” buttons to appear.  In the case of an unclaimed business, there is often no Business Email on file. 
• You will receive an email notification when a User wants to Connect or Chat. The User will also appear on your My Personal Connections page. We are currently working on smart phone notifications for this functionality as well.
• You can terminate a Connection at any time.

Requesting a Connection with another Vendor

As a Vendor, you can connect with other Vendors.  There are three great reasons to do this:

1. It can substantially increase your exposure at the site, as you will appear on all of their profiles. 

2. Users shopping for Vendors will likely view it as an endorsement of your work. 

3. It's a great networking tool that allows you to introduce yourself to fellow local Vendors you may not already know.

In order to chat with another Vendor, an underlying Connection must first be established.  When you click the Chat or Connect button on a fellow Vendor's profile, you will be asked to select a Connection ID (because the site recognizes that you have multiple):

Once you click the Connect button, you will see this message:

 

You will receive an email when the connection has been approved.  That Vendor will then appear on your My Vendor Connections page.

When a Vendor has requested a Connection with you

When a Vendor sends a Connection request to you, you must approve it before the Connection is formed (and instant chat can begin).  Unlike Users, with whom we assume you want to nearly always connect, you may want to pick and choose the Vendors with whom you connect. 

You will receive an email and you will see the word "new" next to the Connections link in your User Menu:



That request will be awaiting your approval on your My Vendor Connection Requests page.

Why you don't see a Connect button when viewing your own profile 

Because you cannot create a Connection (or chat) with yourself, when you are logged in to the site, you will not see Connect or Chat buttons when viewing your own profile.  You also will not see these buttons if viewing search results that contain your listing.