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Apr 08 2014
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

Mar 09 2014

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

Jan 14 2014

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

Dec 19 2013

Are you too busy to be successful – 2014 edition

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Last year I wrote an article and new presentation titled “Are you too busy to be successful?“. I got the idea, as I do most of my topics, from speaking with people just like you. We meet at conferences, conventions and in my consulting practice, and what I noticed is that many of you seemed to always be busy… but not all of you seemed happy with the way things were going or feel successful. Others are flying high, but which is you? So, I put out a survey and had over 400 responses – thanks!

How was 2013? Are you living the dream? Are you spending enough time with your family, making the money you’d like to make, doing the things you most enjoy? I’d like us all to revisit that survey and see how we did in 2013, compared to 2012, and to get a feel for how things are going in 2014, now and throughout the year.

So, please take this 10-question survey, whether you took last year’s survey or not. I’ll be releasing the results in the updated presentation in 2014. Thanks, and please let me know how I can be a part of your success.

Click to take the survey

 

 

 

 

Nov 05 2013

5 More Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You

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5 More Things Your Guests Won't Tell You

If you’d like a copy of this article to post on your website or blog, please email me and I’ll send you the PDF and WORD versions, along with the attribution to use.

I had such great feedback after my last article for engaged couples, “5 Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You” that I wrote the sequel: “5 More Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You“.

Please share your ideas for a sequel to the sequel. If you’d like to use this on your site or blog, just email me and I’ll send you the PDF and WORD versions, along with the attribution to include.

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5 More Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You
By Alan Berg
In my article for the last issue I shared 5 Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You, with some of the things that you and I, as guests, have experienced at other people’s weddings and events. You know, the things we say as we’re leaving, or when recounting the tales of the affair to those who weren’t there. Read More

Oct 21 2013

What’s wrong with this picture?

By Blog
Business cards

What’s wrong with this picture? All of these cards look alike.

At the many conferences where I speak each year I’m privileged to meet a lot of wedding & event pros. Along the way I collect stacks and stacks of business cards. The photo to the right is just the latest in my collection.

So, what’s wrong with this picture?

Do any of these cards stand out from the others? While they’re different colors, paper stock and fonts, they’re all the same size. What’s the first impression your prospects and clients will have of your business? Is it a thin, standard-sized business card? If it is you’re missing out on an opportunity to stand out. Read More

Sep 10 2013

You get to review my new site – oooh, this is going to be fun!

By Blog, Uncategorized

Review my new siteHow’s this for a rare opportunity? Teach the teacher. Review the reviewer. Critique the critiquer (I’m not even sure that’s a real word).

I’m the guy who wrote a book on websites and who reviews websites for a living… and now you get to give me a dose of my own medicine and review my new site. And, for doing so I have a free gift for you if you take the survey before Sept. 30th. Read More

Aug 28 2013

5 Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You

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5 Things Your Guests Wont Tell You - Alan Berg article

Here's the article wedding couples don't want to hear... but they need to

I recently had an article published in Beautiful Bride Magazine entitled “5 Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You”. As most of you know, I don’t usually write for wedding couples, rather for wedding and event professionals. These articles give me free reign to speak my mind, as I would advise someone I know that’s getting married. I have to say I’m usually pretty direct with my advice, but fair. From telling them why they should have professional video or needing a wedding planner, to just recounting advice from a happily married man, I’ve touched on a lot.

This time I reached out to you, the wedding and event pros, for tips on how to avoid some common mistakes, as seen from the eyes of a guest (or you guys in the wings). Here’s the article. If you’d like to get a copy of the PDF or to share this on your site, please email me and I’ll send it over. Thanks,

– Alan

5 Things Your Guests Won’t Tell You

By Alan Berg, North America’s Leading Expert on the Business of Weddings & Events

I remember hearing Colin Cowie speak to a group of Wedding Planners in NYC. He said that he tells his couples (who are spending millions on their weddings) that it’s not really their wedding. It’s their first chance, as a married couple, to host a party for their friends and family. That surprised me as we always think of weddings as being for and about the couple. The ceremony is definitely for and about the couple. The party that follows is a celebration of that marriage, with your closest family and friends.

If you accept that perspective, what would you do differently? If you’ve been a guest at one, or more weddings, what would you have liked to have told the newly married couple, but you couldn’t (or you and other guests just told each other, quietly at the table or afterwards)? Here are 5 things that your guests won’t tell you (unless they’re brutally honest or blunt).

  1. Your guests won’t thank you for making your Mom, sister, best friend or maid of honor work on your wedding day. They’re not wedding planners, they’re your closest family and friends. Let them mingle, dance and enjoy the day.

    2. Read More

Aug 12 2013

Living outside your comfort zone

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Living Outside Your Comfort ZoneFor my opening keynote address at Wedding MBA this year I presented “Free Falling – Jump out of your comfort zone“. Shannon, from Wedding MBA, who is is pushing herself outside her own comfort zone is taking tap-dancing lessons. She felt if was an appropriate topic for me to explore, given my history of starting Tae Kwon Do at 39 (achieving a 2nd degree black belt), skydiving and now studying to be conversationally fluent in Spanish.

You were the shy kid?

Most people who know me wouldn’t believe that I was a relatively shy child. As a matter of fact, I read recently that a lot of professional speakers are introverts offstage (not me, but many). My road to public speaking wasn’t a personal goal, nor did it happen overnight, but I was a willing participant. I began standing in front of audiences by playing piano in the school jazz band and in rock and roll bands as a teenager, then moving to the speaking stage, many years later. Read More

Jun 18 2013

Find Your Fortune – One Cookie At A Time

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Send your fortune cookie sayingsI’m gearing up for this year’s Wedding MBA, and I hope you are, too! As with each conference I always bring at least one, brand new topic. This year I’m bringing THREE! I’ll be doing the opening keynote, a session on Wednesday and then the closing keynote… and that’s where I need your help.

I’m working totally outside the box for the closing keynote and challenging myself to do a presentation using only Fortune Cookie sayings as the slides, and inspiration for the messages.

Have you saved any Fortune Cookie messages because they connected with you in a special way? I need you to take a picture and email them to me. Don’t create one, they have to be actual, little papers that you’ve pulled out of a cookie and saved. My wife and I will sometimes put the date on, because they were relevant to what was happening at that time.

So, please send me any you have now, that have a special meaning. If there’ a short story you’d like to share with it, that’s great. If not, no worries, I’ll look for the inspiration in it. If you get a new one next week, or next month, send that over as well.

Please email them to me at [email protected]

Have you registered for Wedding MBA yet? If not, use this link and save off the lowest posted rate