The purpose of technique is not to show it. It’s to transcend it!
Are you caught up in perfecting your craft but forgetting why it matters to those you serve? Do you focus more on what you do than on the result it creates for your clients? What if your experience and skills are important, but the only thing your customer cares about is their own experience? In this episode I challenge you to shift your mindset from technique for its own sake to transcending it and creating something meaningful for someone else.
Listen to this new 6-minute episode for insights into how mastering your technique isn’t the end goal but a path to crafting an unforgettable experience for your customers.
If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at [email protected] or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.com
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View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/
In this episode I explore the deeper meaning behind mastering your craft in the wedding industry and beyond. Reflecting on insights from Yo-Yo Ma’s conversations with creatives and innovators I discuss why technique isn’t about impressing others with skills but about moving past the technical to create real impact and experiences for your clients. I use examples from photography floral design music and even culinary arts to illustrate how focusing solely on technique only gets you so far
I touch on the difference between hobbyists and professionals emphasizing that business success is about providing outcomes and experiences not simply showcasing a resume or technical expertise. By sharing some of my own journey I highlight that clients care much more about the value and results we deliver than the process or the resume behind it
I point out that while learning new techniques is essential the real magic happens when we use our skills to help others transcend and have memorable experiences. True value lies in using our expertise to understand clients create for them and serve their needs rather than simply demonstrating what we can do. I encourage listeners to embrace purposeful practice continuously improve and focus on how their craft transforms others’ experiences.
The purpose of technique is not to show it, it’s to transcend it. Listen to this episode, see what I’m talking about.
Hey, it’s Allen Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions podcast. I just finished listening to an audiobook by Yo-Yo Ma, the famous cellist, and he had conversations with different people from, uh, Jony Ive, who along with Steve Jobs developed a lot of the devices that we’re using with Apple on the design— that’s his part of it— uh, the person who who is in charge of the CERN particle accelerator, you know, where they fly atoms around in different, you know, speeds and then blast them together and see what happens.
Other musicians and poets and things like that. And he was talking with Jacob Collier, who is much younger than him, who’s also a musician and a creator. And they talked about, again, the purpose of technique is not to show it, it’s to transcend it.
And this really applies to a lot of us in our endeavors in this industry and others where your technique, the way that you take pictures or shoot video or arrange flowers or design dresses or cook food and plate them, the way you decorate the rooms, the music, and all these things that we do, the technique of it.
It’s not about the technique. It’s about how that technique is going to help someone else transcend to something else, get a result of something else. And this is what I talk about with the why versus the what.
And if you’ve heard earlier episodes that I’ve done on purposeful practice, where there’s a difference between doing something and doing something with the intent of getting better, well, when you work on your craft, all right, so you, you, you learn how to use a different type of lighting if you’re a photographer or a videographer, or you work on a different type of music if you’re a band or a DJ. This is working on technique, but that technique isn’t going to necessarily get you in the next job, right?
The technique is what gives you the ability to charge someone else for giving them some sort of an experience, some sort of a result. And the transcendence of this is when it’s no longer about you and it’s no longer about the technique. It’s about what you’ve given out into the world and what you’ve given to these other people.
And if you just want to get better at something, you have a hobby. And that’s okay. I have hobbies and there’s things that I do I don’t charge money for. There are things that I do because I enjoy doing them and I work on that craft. And that’s what it is, right?
Whether it’s learning a new language, or whether it’s playing the piano, or whether it’s doing my DIY projects with my garage full of tools, you know, some of those things is about technique, but it’s not a business part of that.
When you transcend this, it’s no longer about the technique, but it’s about the results of that. You know, for me, the technique— when I look around my house and look at these things that I’ve built, or projects or whatever, the technique is not what I think about. It’s— I think about the utility of that, or the beauty of that.
And when I play music, I’m not thinking about my technique. Unique, but I’m thinking about what am I creating here now. And that’s what the, the Yo-Yo Ma and Jacob Collier were talking about, is creating. What are we creating here, and who are we creating this for, and why does this matter to them?
So how do we transcend this technique when people— you want to say that, you know, you have X amount of experience, or if you’ve done X amount of things, and that’s wonderful, but I’ve said this before, they care more about their experience than your experience.
Your experience is what allows you to give them these results, but they don’t care about your resume. That’s why on part of my About page, I have a tab that says, what have I done that helps me understand you better? Because great, here’s my resume. Whoop-de-doo, there’s Alan, look what he’s done, right? But how does that make me better for you? How does that make me understand you?
And then on that tab, then I talk about the fact that I’ve owned several businesses and I know what it’s like to hire and fire and ask for a bank loan and get turned down.
And I know what it’s like to do payroll and all these things that you have to deal with. And that’s how I understand you, right? I don’t have to have done what you do to understand what it is to run a business like yours, because these are separate skills.
I tell people this all the time. The skill of doing what you do is one, getting the job is another. And in the speaking world, a lot of times this comes up where, you know, the getting the gig is the business. The doing it, that craft part, that’s the fun part, right?
You creating that, those dishes for that event is the fun part. Yeah, it’s work. Of course it’s work.
If it wasn’t work, anybody could do it and they could do it cheaper than you. Of course it’s work. But the menu planning, the ordering, the prepping, and all those things, that is the work.
And photography and video, right? How much work do you do after an event with the editing and all those things? That’s the fun part. That’s the work, the shooting it, being there in the moment, capturing that. That’s the fun part.
The playing the music as the DJ, the band, that’s the fun part. I just did the music thing at our speaker conference this summer, and we spent months on Zoom calls, me and 5 other people, and never got to play together because there’s a lag when you’re doing on Zoom.
You can’t play live music. You’d have to have very fast connections, everybody wired connections and different software and all that. And when we finally got together and played, that wasn’t the work. That wasn’t the work, even though that’s what they asked us to do.
The work was getting all that ready and all the time spent on that beforehand. So the, the technique, the fact that each of us had a musical technique, that was wonderful. And coming together created something that we couldn’t do by ourselves, and it transcended each of our techniques into something bigger.
So yes, your technique is important.
But you have to keep in mind, if you’re doing this as a business, you’re doing those techniques and learning those techniques. Why? So that you can create different results, better results for your customers.
So we transcend the technique and get into the creative, and we’re creating this experience for them, and that’s what it’s about. So keep that in mind.
I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is [email protected] or you can text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.
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Question
Why isn’t technique the most important thing in my wedding business?
Tags:
#mindset #businessgrowth #customerexperience
Answer
Technique is essential, but it’s not what gets you the job or wows your clients. The real impact comes when you use your skills to create experiences and results for others. Clients care less about “how” you do things and more about what you do for them.
Takeaway: Results matter more than technical skill.
Question
What’s the difference between doing something and doing it with purpose?
Tags:
#purpose #growth #craft
Answer
Anyone can go through the motions, but purposeful work means every action aims to improve and deliver better results. It’s not just about practicing—it’s about always striving to create more value for others.
Takeaway: Intentional practice leads to meaningful growth.
Question
How do I move beyond just showing off my skills to actually helping clients?
Tags:
#customerexperience #businessmindset
Answer
Ask yourself how your skills can improve someone’s experience. When you focus on the impact you create instead of the technique you use, you shift the spotlight from yourself to your client’s results.
Takeaway: Put client experiences ahead of personal accolades.
Question
Is it enough to be technically good at my job?
Tags:
#skills #businessgrowth
Answer
Being skilled is just the beginning. True success happens when you use those skills to deliver what matters most to your clients: great memories, beautiful results, or smooth events.
Takeaway: Skill is the ticket in, not the finish line.
Question
How do I make my business stand out if technique isn’t enough?
Tags:
#differentiation #businessadvice
Answer
Leverage your technique to provide unique outcomes for clients. People remember how you made them feel and the experiences you delivered, not the technical details of your craft.
Takeaway: Stand out by crafting memorable experiences, not just flawless execution.
Question
Why do clients care more about their experience than my resume?
Tags:
#clientperspective #sales
Answer
No one hires you just because of your credentials—they want to know what you’ll do for them. I’ve found clients are focused on their needs and outcomes, not the list of things I’ve done in the past.
Takeaway: Focus on what matters to clients, not your achievements.
Question
How can I use my experience to connect better with clients?
Tags:
#sales #customerconnection
Answer
Relate your experiences to their needs. Show you understand what they’re going through by sharing relevant stories—not by listing accolades, but by highlighting how your background helps you solve their problems.
Takeaway: Make your experience relatable and client-focused.
Question
What’s the real “work” in running a successful creative business?
Tags:
#workflow #behindthescenes #businessoperations
Answer
The creative part is fun, but the true work is planning, prepping, communicating, and handling logistics. If it was all fun, everyone would do it—it’s the behind-the-scenes work that sets you apart.
Takeaway: Success comes from doing the hard work others skip.
Question
What mistakes do creatives make when talking about their experience?
Tags:
#sales #presentation #mistakes
Answer
Many focus too much on their own achievements instead of how their experience helps clients. Switch from listing accomplishments to showing how you understand and can serve your clients’ needs.
Takeaway: Clients buy solutions, not resumes.
Question
How do I balance “doing the craft” with “getting the gig”?
Tags:
#businessgrowth #sales #skills
Answer
Doing the work and getting the work are two different skills. Don’t just master your craft—work on your ability to book jobs and run your business too.
Takeaway: Build both your craft and your business skills.
Question
When does technique get in the way of creativity?
Tags:
#creativity #growth #technique
Answer
If you’re always thinking about your method, you miss out on creating something new or meaningful. Let your training become second nature so you can focus on what you’re creating and who it’s for.
Takeaway: Master technique so you can forget about it and create.
Question
How can working with others expand my creativity?
Tags:
#collaboration #creativity
Answer
When skilled people work together, you create something you couldn’t do alone. Collaboration elevates your technique and turns it into a bigger, more impactful result.
Takeaway: Collaboration multiplies creative potential.
Question
Why is learning new skills not always enough to grow my business?
Tags:
#learning #businessgrowth
Answer
Learning is great, but growth comes from applying new skills to create better results for others. Don’t just chase techniques—use them to serve your clients better.
Takeaway: Apply new skills to client needs for real growth.
Question
What’s the secret to turning a hobby into a business?
Tags:
#businessadvice #mindset
Answer
A hobby is all about personal satisfaction. A business is about using your skills to create value for others—and getting paid for those results.
Takeaway: Turn your passion outward to build a business.
Question
How can I show the value of my experience to potential clients?
Tags:
#sales #communication
Answer
Translate your background into benefits for clients. Instead of listing jobs or years, explain how what you’ve learned means better service, reliability, or creativity for them.
Takeaway: Connect your experience to client outcomes.
Question
What should I focus on when talking to prospects: my work or their results?
Tags:
#clientrelationships #sales
Answer
Always prioritize the results and experiences clients will receive by hiring you. Make the conversation about their needs and how you’ll help, not just the process or technique.
Takeaway: Lead with what clients get, not how you get there.
Question
How do I practice with purpose instead of just repeating old habits?
Tags:
#growth #practice #improvement
Answer
Make every session count by setting goals and seeking improvement, not just “doing the thing.” Practice should push you towards delivering greater value and experiences for your clients.
Takeaway: Practice with intention for continuous improvement.
Question
Why do so many creatives struggle with business tasks?
Tags:
#businessoperations #entrepreneurship
Answer
Most creatives focus on their art, but building a successful business takes different skills—like sales, admin, and planning. Embrace the learning curve so you can thrive, not just survive.
Takeaway: Master the business side to sustain your creative passion.
Question
What’s the most important question to ask when developing my service?
Tags:
#service #customerfocus
Answer
Ask yourself: “How does this help my client?” Make your offerings about solving their problems and delivering for them, not just about showcasing your own abilities.
Takeaway: Service starts with understanding client needs.
Question
How do I make all my behind-the-scenes work pay off for clients?
Tags:
#workflow #value
Answer
Clients may not see the menu planning, preparation, or post-event editing, but they absolutely feel the benefits in the final product. All your background work is what creates a standout experience.
Takeaway: The unseen work creates visible value.
