Podcast Transcripts & Articles

Why do people give up so easily?

I’m preparing a new presentation for this year’s Wedding MBA on my experiences and findings from the secret shopping I do. Sometimes clients hire us to secret shop them and sometimes we do it when someone inquires but doesn’t hire us, just to see how badly they might need help (cue the smiley emoji). What amazes us is how many times companies don’t reply at all to our inquiry, even when it’s directly through their website. Sometimes it’s a technological issue (easy to fix when you know about it) but other times the lead comes through, and we still get no reply. Then we’re waiting to see how many times a company will reach back out to us, when they don’t get a reply. The sad answer is that we usually only get one attempt from most of the companies we shop. A few others will try 2 or 3 times, and a small minority will try way more than that. Who do you think will get the business.

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Weddings are down, get used to it!

I’ve been hearing and having a lot of talk about weddings being down this year. Yeah, and? We’re coming off an unfair benchmark, and a time that’s roiled the waters to the point that we’re still sailing on choppy seas. In this episode I try to give some perspective on where we came from and where we’re going, and what that might mean for you and your business.

Listen to this 8-minute episode for some musings on the current and future state of weddings and events.

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Davida Perry, Esq. – Are Dress Codes Still a Thing?

Have you noticed how the people you encounter at different businesses have very different ways of dressing for work? At some there seems to be a consistent dress code, while at others it seems like the wild west. Surely it should match the brand image of that business, but sometimes it doesn’t seem to. I was curious as to what you, as the business owner or manager can legally require of your employees. So, I invited Davida Perry, an expert on employment law to join me and help sort this out for you.

Listen to this new episode for some ideas that you can use to decide what’s right for your business. Read More

Due to my extensive travel, I’m a prolific reviewer of restaurants and hotels. That said, there are more businesses that I don’t post about than I do, even if I had a good experience. While it’s frustrating, I can’t complain when people who are happy with my sales training or consulting don’t post reviews about me, when I am guilty of the same thing. What about you? Do you read reviews when considering purchases? Do you post reviews when you’re happy with the results? If you do, is it every time? Probably not.

Listen to this 6-minute episode for a little perspective on posting of reviews that will hopefully give you a little solace when you don’t get as many as you’d like.

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If you haven’t already heard, Meta (Facebook) has started a competitor to Twitter called Threads. Have you jumped on yet? As soon as I heard I went over, for nothing else except to claim my handle @alanberg. I didn’t realize it was connected to Instagram, so I probably could have waited a bit, should you?

Listen to this new 6-minute episode for some perspective on when or whether you should join this new platform as well.

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You can’t have a wedding or event without having enough bathrooms for the guests. But no one wants to have porta-potties in sight, no less to use. David Sauers realized this when he was at a concert in a park with his two young daughters, and like any good entrepreneur, he went about solving the problem. Royal Restrooms has luxury mobile bathrooms that are a great option for any event where there aren’t enough facilities. They now have locations across the country and are growing.

Listen to this new episode to hear more about David’s growth story from idea to empire! Maybe you’ll be inspired to bring your next idea to life!

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It’s my fault!

When things don’t go as planned (and we know that happens, a lot) how quick are you to look to blame someone, or something else? I believe that if we want to take the credit for our successes, we need to also take responsibility for our failures, even when we didn’t cause them. When things happen on your watch, they’re your responsibility to make right.

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Are you the driver or a passenger?

No matter your position in your company, or in life, there are times when you’re in charge and times you’re not. Which do you prefer? Can you handle it when it’s the other? I’m OK when I’m not driving… but I need to know that someone’s driving and we’re heading in the right direction. Of course I mean “driving” metaphorically, but if you always have to be in charge, it’s hard to play nice with others.

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Don’t Oversell or Undersell

When I’m doing sales training, regardless of the size of the business (1 person up to dozens or more), I always teach about not overselling and not underselling. Overselling doesn’t mean selling them things they need, but didn’t ask about. And Underselling is selling to their budget, not the results they want.

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What do you do when they choose someone else?

This is another listener suggestion. Alberto emailed me to say that they’ve been getting more people telling them No, which if you’ve been listening to this podcast or reading my books, you know that’s a good thing. But what should they do when they get the No? Just leave it alone? Ask them who else they went with?

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