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Ways to invest in yourself (so others will invest in you)

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How you can invest in yourself

In my last article I talked about how you need to invest in yourself and your business first, before you can expect others to invest in you. But what are some of the things you can do?

And the answer is?

So I got to thinking about the many ways businesses like yours can invest in your success, both personally and professionally. Some involve only your time (which I know you have oh so much extra of, I write sarcastically). Others involve money (which of course is limited for almost all of us). Here are a few things you can do to invest in yourself and your business: Read More

Invest in yourself if you want others to invest in you

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I was giving a presentation recently and I used the phrase “Invest in yourself if you want others to invest in you”. In that case I was referring to your websites, branding, collateral marketing (business cards, brochures, etc.) and to your sales skills. Before you can expect your target clientele to invest their hard-earned money with you, especially for their once-in-a-lifetime wedding, you have to invest your time and money into earning their business.

Too often I meet someone who’s complaining that they’re not getting the clientele they’d like (usually one that will spend more for their services). However, that same company usually isn’t doing the things they need to attract, sell and service that same clientele. You see other businesses getting the clients you want, but what you don’t usually see are the behind the scenes things that got them where they are. Read More

The Business of Gay Weddings Book

The Business of Gay Weddings – book review

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The Business of Gay Weddings Book

To get your copy or to find out more about Bernadette Covney Smith and the Gay Weddings Institute, click on the book image

Given the recent news in the world of same-sex marriage I thought it was finally time to finish my friend Bernadette Covney Smith’s book “The Business of Gay Weddings“. Have you ever wished you had done something sooner? That’s how I felt when I read the final chapter.

Some of you may have read my review of Kathryn Hamm and Thea Dodd’s book “The Art of Capturing Love. Before reading that book I had thought that I was somewhat knowledgeable about the subject, but boy was I wrong. Now, after reading Bernadette’s book I can honestly say that I’ve learned so much, in a short time. Read More

Alan Berg’s free Wedding MBA recap webinar

By Blog, Uncategorized
Alan has been a featured speaker at every Wedding MBA conference

Alan has been a featured speaker at every Wedding MBA conference

With so many sessions at Wedding MBA it’s easy to get overwhelmed and sometimes hard to remember, and take in, all of the great information. Now that you’re back home, Alan wants to help you process, and use what you heard by doing a FREE one-hour recap of his presentations at Wedding MBA 2014:

  • Your Own Worst Frenemy – Why Entrepreneurs Make Emotional Decisions
  • Internet Intervention – 5 Signs It’s Time To Fire Your Website
  • and his Wed Talk The Quick Close – How to Complete the Final Step and Ask For The Sale

Read More

Never mind Waldo, where are you? part II

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Young woman holding a laptop and presenting colorful world mapNote: In my last post I began a conversation about your websites and the importance of location information. Here’s the second part. If you didn’t get a chance to read the first part, click here.

Hold the phone

It used to be pretty easy to look at the area code on your site or business card and get an idea where you were located. These days with so many people using their cell phones as their main or only phone, and the portability of cell phone numbers, area codes are no longer a reliable indicator of location. A few years ago my family moved almost 100 miles to a new area and yet my wife and sons still use the same cell phone numbers. Their area code would lead someone to believe they are in another state – which would make it the state of confusion! Read More

Never mind Waldo, where are you?

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young woman making phone call with colorful world mapNOTE: I try to make my articles short so you can read them quickly, in one visit. I was writing this one on a flight and when I had finished it was about twice as long as my typical post, an indication that I’m particularly passionate about this topic. So, to respect your time I’ve split this into two parts. Here’s part I. Click here to read Part II.

Through my speaking and consulting I get to see a lot of websites. It’s not unusual for me to see hundreds of sites in a month, so I truly get to experience the good, the bad and the ugly. Fortunately for most of you, the bar is being set so low that it’s easy to have one of the nicest sites, even if you haven’t updated yours in a while. However, that’s not an excuse to stick with what you have. On any given day a new competitor can appear or an existing business can update their site and then, just like that, you’re playing catch-up to their newer, nicer site.

When I’m doing a website review I look for 5 key things on your site:

1)    Who are you? I know this sounds simple, but many sites do not make it clear on every page, not just your homepage. Search engines might land someone on an internal page, so they have to be branded and clear.

2)    Where are you or where do you do business? Either your actual address or where you do business. Read More

Referrals

Referrals revisited

By Blog, Uncategorized

ReferralsI was recently asked by an industry connection about my thoughts on referral business. Many people assert that they’re getting most, or all of their business from referrals. If you don’t do any advertising, marketing or promotion, then there’s not many other sources for you except referral. However, most businesses I know are doing other things to get the word out, they just can’t connect the dots from those things to their bottom line.

One is the loneliest number
When someone gets engaged, they’ve likely already been exposed to many wedding service providers. Whether as a guest or part of a wedding party, or through their many friends, relatives, co-workers and acquaintances (at the gym, at church, etc.) there are countless people who are ready and willing to put in their 2 cents on whom you should use. The thing with referrals is that they’re not created or given equally. Read More

The New Art of Capturing Love

The New Art of Capturing Love – a book review by Alan Berg

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The New Art of Capturing Love

The New Art of Capturing Love – Kathryn Hamm, Thea Dodds

When Kathryn asked me to read The New Art of Capturing Love: The Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography I knew that it would be filled with beautiful images. What I didn’t realize was the amazing gift I was about to receive. Woven around and through the amazing images is a treasure-trove of information about LGBTQ weddings, traditions and customs. It’s educational, in a very engaging way. Having been around the wedding industry for 24 years, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about same-sex weddings. After the first dozen pages I found myself drawn in by the nuances and details of which I was unaware.

What I love about the images, and message, is that this is about the union of two people in love. Whether they choose an elopement, commitment ceremony or legal marriage, it’s about the love that has brought them to this time and place. That can sometimes get lost on opposite-sex couples, who often take for granted that they can marry, and focus too much on the pomp and circumstance. There’s plenty of cause and time to celebrate, but we should all take pause to enjoy the significance of the moment, and the wonderful images and photographers who capture them. Read More

Why can’t they just say “Thank you”?

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Thank you!Every day is another story
One of the things about being a speaker on business topics, including the customer experience, is that every day presents an opportunity for a new story. Treat me well and you become a story. Treat me poorly and you definitely become a story. However, every day we get exactly what we expect, nothing more, and nothing less, and those experiences just fade away. They’re erased by the next mediocre customer experience.

One of the things that’s struck my wife and I lately is the complete lack of any expression of thanks by so many businesses. You go to their store. Help yourself to find what you need. Bring those purchases to the cashier. Make your payment, with no haggling. And then, instead of being given the common courtesy of a smile and a sincere “Thank you for your business”, maybe a “Please come back again”, you’re rewarded with, at best, a neutral expression and handed your receipt. Read More

5 Signs It’s Time To Fire Your Website

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5 Signs It's Time To Fire Your Websitez

Click the image to get to the MP3 of this presentation

I recently gave a new presentation at The Special Event Show (TSE) in Nashville titled “5 Signs It’s Time To Fire Your Website“. It’s the sequel, if you will, to my book “If your website was an employee, would you fire it?“. As a consultant, website reviews are one of my most requested services, and I don’t really want to tell you that it’s time to make a new site. I know that it involves stress, time, money and aggravation… and who needs more of that?

When it’s time, it’s time
However, there comes a time for every site when it’s time. For most of us, that time comes sooner than we’d like. I recently launched my new site after 2 1/2 years with the old one. Now, that may not seem like a long time for the old site, but there were some things that made me know it was time. Those things, at least for me, weren’t that it was outdated or non-functional. Rather, for me the signs were that my old site wasn’t designed for e-commerce. When I first launched it, in March 2011, I only had one book. As I developed more products, DVDs, Audio CDs, ebooks, Spanish-language books and MP3s, it became clear that I was outgrowing the architecture of the site. All products were on one, long (and getting longer) page. I wouldn’t want to keep scrolling down, down, down to get to the other products, so I knew none of you would either. Read More