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Oct 22 2012

What’s the value of FREE?

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Over the years I’ve heard many discussions revolving around “free” things. Couples may be asking for you to throw in free services, or wedding pros may be talking about getting free ads, so I got to thinking about the value of “Free”.

On the surface free usually seems like a good idea: free parking, free samples, free speech, free advice, etc. When we’re on the receiving end of free services and products, we rarely seem to mind. Everyone likes free stuff, regardless of their income bracket.

Is free really free?

In reality, free is not free. There is a cost, it just may not be yours to bear. Free parking is paid for by the merchant who owns the land, or the municipality that built the parking lot (paid for with tax dollars). Free samples are paid for by the merchant who wants to get your business. Similarly, the free advice you get on the WeddingWire Pro Forums is supported by the technology and manpower behind it, paid for by WeddingWire. You get to use the Pro Forums for free, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a cost. Read More

Sep 24 2012

Wedding Planning Article – Do you want to plan your wedding or manage it?

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Alan Berg's Wedding Planning Article

Email Alan to get a copy of the full text or PDF of the article

Published article on why you should hire a professional wedding planner

It’s hard to turn on the TV these days and not see another wedding related program. There are reality shows and movies, all glamorizing the planning process. Whether you are hooked on them or not, one thing’s for sure; they make the planning seem easy, usually because they have professional help.

By now you’ve probably realized that there are way more decisions to be made than you originally thought. From save-the-dates to invitations, rings to dresses, caterers to music, photos and videos to flowers and decorations, there are so many decisions. Have you thought about hiring a professional wedding planner? No? Don’t think you need or can afford one?

There are a lot of misconceptions about today’s wedding planners. Some couples think they can’t afford one while others just want to make most of the big decisions themselves and enjoy the process. Either way there’s a planning service for everyone. A professional planner will work with you to tailor your wedding to your needs, tastes, style and budget. As a matter of fact it’s their job to know all of the best wedding pros in your market. Since they regularly do business with them, they can often get you a preferential rate or additional services that other brides might not get. Read More

Sep 09 2012

How to be the experienced wedding pro, without sounding old!

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I’m giving a brand new presentation this week at the Las Vegas DJ Show, “How to be the experienced wedding pro, without sounding old.” The catalyst for this was that I’ve been around the wedding industry for over 20 years and in that time, brides have only gotten about 4 years older. While that’s not fair, it’s a reality.

So what’s a wedding pro to do? What can you do so that today’s couples judge you by your work and not the color of your hair (if you have any left, which I don’t).

Let your voice be heard, take the 8-question survey now. It won’t take you very long and you can share your thoughts, whether you’re in your 20’s or 70’s, and anywhere in between.

Here’s the link. Please share it with your friends, thanks!

Aug 27 2012

Anatomy of my new business cards

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Alan Berg New Business card both fronts

The “two fronts” of Alan’s new business cards – Click to enlarge

As someone who speaks and writes about marketing, often specifically about what your marketing says about you, creating new business cards for myself is no small undertaking. Not only do they have to be functional, they also make a statement to whomever gets them. So, for better or worse, here are my new business cards and the thought process that went into creating them.

Different for a reason, not just to be different

I knew that they needed to be a different size than standard business cards, but what size? I wanted them to fit in my wallet, as the reason I decided to make cards is that my bookmarks, at 2″ x 8″, don’t fit in mine, or anyone else’s wallet. Therefore I was often without a card on me when out in social situations. I’ll still use my bookmarks, but I also wanted something more manageable.

So, if they’re going to be a different size, what’s the right size? A standard business card is 2″ high x 3.5″ wide. I went with 2.5″ high x 3.5″ wide so they’d be noticeably larger, but not too big to fit in a wallet. Yes, I know that they may not fit in a business card file (the pages with slots in them), but not may people still use them and, being standard width, they will still fit in, they’ll just stick up 1/2″. Read More

Jun 07 2012

Are you taking action or afraid to fail?

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When I write and speak about success I say that successful people don’t necessarily have more ideas, they just take action on more of their ideas. They know that they all won’t be winners, but you can’t find the winners without taking action. This is the thought that grew into my new book: “Your Attitude for Success“

 

You may have seen this on a motivational poster: “What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?” It’s a truly empowering concept and, the crazy thing is, you’ve all done this already in your lives. If you started your own business you didn’t do it expecting to fail. You expected great success, or at least a comfortable living doing something you enjoy. Read More
Apr 01 2012

Are you Self-Employed, Unemployed or just Under-Employed?

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It’s my Anniversary! No, not my wedding anniversary (although that’s coming up in May). April 1st is one year since I untied The Knot, as some friends of mine so eloquently put it. While it’s been a somewhat seamless process, as I’ve still been out speaking, training  and writing, it’s been a year that I’ve been doing it now as an independent consultant, speaker and author.

What does that mean to you? 

Well, for one thing I’m self-employed like many, if not most of you reading this. It’s not my first time owning and running my own business, but it had been 12 years since I published two WeddingPages magazines. In some ways it was like getting back on the bike after not riding for a long time and in others it was a new experience.

I found myself doing things I wouldn’t have done 11 years ago, including investing in better marketing materials, technology and branding. I did invest in those things back then, but I was more timid about it. Now I find that I’m more bold, more confident and more decisive in my decisions, very much as I advise my clients to do. Read More

Mar 05 2012

And the winner is…

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I’m just back from another great Catersource conference, this being my first representing my own company, not a media company. My time was jam packed with presentations, consultations and my trade show booth. I saw some familiar faces and made some new friends.

At my booth I had all 3 of my books, my 5 DVDs and I was featuring my new online video site AlanBerg.tv, which now has 3 different “All Access” pass subscriptions: 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, where you can watch all of the full-length presentations for one, low price.

I had a box at my booth where I was offering a Free One-Year All Access Pass subscription for one winner who dropped their card in the box.

And the winner is: Laurent Glasroth, from Out To Lunch Catering in Vancouver, BC.

Laurent will be able to watch these full presentations and more (keep reading and see how you can, too):

• Close More Sales, Today!
• Your Attitude for Success
• 5 Reasons Why They’ll Leave Your Website in 5 Seconds
• Speak Like a Pro
• Creating an Exceptional Customer Experience
• Bridal Black Belt (my highly acclaimed keynote presentation from Wedding MBA 2011)
• Bride’s Buying Signals (also from Wedding MBA 2011)
• and 6 more videos (with more to come)

As I add more videos, Laurent will be able to see those as well.

Everyone Wins!

In honor of a successful conference I want to offer all of you a discount to get on AlanBerg.tv to watch these videos. Just use the Coupon Code “SAVE10” and you’ll save $10 off any “All Access Pass” 3, 6 or 12 month subscription.

Feb 07 2012

What do brides really think about your websites and Facebook pages? Alan’s Top 10

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I had the privilege last week of presenting at the Wedding Biz conference in Atlanta. Donna Jakulski and Linda Surles did a great job arranging and producing not only the day of vendor education, but also a fantastic bridal show the day before.

The highlight of Wedding Biz, for me, was the first session where 5 real brides were invited to be on a panel. Donna asked them some great questions and here’s what stuck out for me.

Here’s my Top 10 list highlighting what these real brides had to say:

  1. The brides said that very, very few of the wedding professional’s websites they went to were good. Some even implied that none of the ones they saw were any good. (ouch!) Read More
Jan 22 2012

Can your business survive without social media?

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I attend a lot of conferences around the country, both local and national and one of the hottest topics is always social media. Too often I see attendees coming out of these sessions with that deer-in-headlights look. They’ve just heard someone pontificate about all of the things they need to be doing with social media or their businesses will wither and die. While I agree that social media is an undeniable piece of your marketing puzzle today, it’s not the be-all and end-all that some would have us believe.

So, what is social networking and how is it different from social media… or is it? When you attend Wedding Biz or any trade association meeting or event you’re doing social networking. You’re be surrounding yourself with like-minded businesses who are also there to jump-start their success. Social networking has been going on throughout the ages. Connecting with others who have a common interest is a basic human need. Whether it’s a trade association, a PTA group or the Girl Scouts, people have and will continue to get together around a common interest. Social media has just added a new dimension by eliminating the need to physically be together. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is a debate for another time. Read More

Dec 21 2011

Announcing the launch of AlanBerg.tv

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I’m very proud to announce the launch of my new video site AlanBerg.tv where you can watch free and paid videos. I want to thank everyone who was involved in the filming and post-production of the videos.

Why not YouTube?

Some of you may be asking “Why not use YouTube or Vimeo?” and the answer is simple. I wanted to have a site that was only my videos and both of those sites don’t fit the bill. While I may decide to put some of the free content up there as well, once you finish a video on YouTube you’re presented with lots and lots of other videos to watch… but they’re not my videos!

What are the Ask Alan videos?

I’ve created a series of short (5 to 8 minutes) videos that answer some of the most commonly asked questions and topics by wedding pros and other small businesses, such as “Why do they always ask ‘How much do you charge?” and “Should I have pricing on my website?”. These Free Ask Alan videos will help answer those questions and concerns. There are 4 Ask Alan videos online for the launch and I’ll be adding more in the future. Read More