Wedding Business Solutions

Are you going to Wedding MBA? Use the promo code - Alan - to save $20 off your tickets, at www. WeddingMBA.com  And don't worry, if you can't use your tickets this year, they're transferrable or you can hold them to use next year. 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 Busine...

From the corporate world to mobile bars – a pivot into a niche – Sarah Murphy I love having on guests who have pivoted into their business, narrowed their niche and then pivoted again! Sarah Murphy went from the corporate world to starting, growing and selling a mobile bar business. Then she pivoted to training other mobile bar operators on how to have a better business. After all, knowing how to...

I'm the neighbor's parents, are you? When I do sales training, whether for just a couple of people, dozens or more, I always consult with the management about the things that they want me to emphasize for their team (whether it’s just a couple of people, or a large group). As long as we’re in alignment on those things, I have no problem hammering home those points. Very often the managem...

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. Li...

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 busines...

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 consid...

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 t...

I have lots of speaker friends who are also authors and I love when one of their books clearly has application to you and your businesses. As I was reading (listening) to Employalty I was having flashbacks to my own experiences as an employee and boss. It was also very clear that you needed to know about this book and hear about Employalty directly from the author. Listen to this new episode for i...

Starting Prices - Don't Get Me Started!  Whenever I’m speaking or consulting on pricing, the topic of “starting price” comes up. I’ve written and spoken extensively about why I don’t like or recommend using starting prices, yet its usage proliferates throughout not only the wedding and event industry, it’s all over our world as consumers. As consumers, most of the people I talk to don’t like...

Are you using lots of industry jargon and acronyms? If you were an outsider, listening to a conversation between people in your industry, how many acronyms (CPP, WIPA, RFP…) and how much industry jargon (10-tops, GOBO, etc.) are you using? I’ve seen too many websites and too many wedding and event pros that use language that your couples and clients may not know. And many people won’t tell you tha...

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...

Get my new book: “Stop Selling and Help Them Buy Weddings & Events”   It’s the book you helped me write, by asking for things that weren’t already in my other books. Get your copies today!   Paperback: www. ShopAlanBerg.com Kindle: https://amzn.to/3Xbj3cO Audible: https://amzn.to/3PJOLw7   Not in the US? Get it on Amazon here: Europe Paperback: https://amzn.to/3XB7bBa Canada Paperback: https:/...

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. Listen to this new, 12-m...

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 char...

Nequosha Anderson - Employee or Independent Contractor?  When I was interviewing Nequosha for our episode on protecting your IP, we started talking about another important subject… how to classify the people that work with/for you – employee or independent contractor. While it may seem easier and cheaper to use contractors, and in many cases it is, there are very specific rules and laws about this...

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. Listen to this new, 7-minute episode for some ideas on...

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? Listen to this new, 8-minute episode...

Is it time to STREAMLINE your business and life?  Wouldn’t it be great if you knew how to be more efficient, and less complacent while facing the daunting obligation of "taking action ”? I had the pleasure of chatting my friend and fellow speaker Deb orah G who has come up with an exclusive methodology to help you STREAMLINE your personal and business world.  Listen to this new episode so you...

Paying your dues is not the same as showing up I’ve spoken at a few local association meetings lately and it got me to thinking. Are you, or have you been a member of an association or group? Are you getting out of it what you want, and are your expectations aligned with the mission of the group? Do you know the mission of the group? It’s likely that education and networking are at the top of thei...

When doing nothing costs you more I don’t mind making mistakes, because it means you tried something. What bothers me is when people let others decide for them, or when you choose to let opportunities pass you by without actually making the decision to pass on them. It’s OK to say No to opportunities, even good ones, when the timing isn’t right. But it’s not OK (or at least shouldn’t be) to not sp...

Planning Events That Give Back Wouldn’t it be great if you and your couples, clients and customers could make an impact that goes beyond thrilling their guests? Well, Robert Kalt and Howard Goldberg have created PlanKind to help you do just that. Imagine feeding 200 guests at a wedding and also providing 200 meals for a local soup kitchen. Or having a corporate event at an art museum and providing...

Should you use different language with different customers? Thanks to Meredith for this listener suggestion. The question they posed is whether you should be using different language with different customers, but I take this even further. Is it age or other factors that will make you change the way you communicate. When those cultural references (TV shows, movies, etc.) start to fall flat with you...

When are you better off staying home? This was another listener suggestion. Todd wanted me to talk about when it’s better to say no to a piece of business because it might not be worth the effort for the return. Whether it’s too little profit, or would take too much effort, or maybe you just want to have some time off for you and your team, there are several scenarios for this that I discuss in th...

Nequosha Anderson - Are you protecting your IP? I love when listeners suggest guests and topics for the podcast. Nequosha Anderson was recommended to me after she spoke at a local association event about protecting your intellectual property. I’ll bet it’s something that most of us never think about, that is, until it’s too late! Whether it’s someone using a similar business name or even what they...

Curiosity or FOMO? I’ve always had a curious mind, liking to know how things work. Is that the same as FOMO – fear of missing out? I don’t think so. If we’ve been presented with an opportunity, and had a chance to make a decision whether or not to participate or try something, the FOMO comes before the decision is made, not after. If we didn’t know about an opportunity and find out after when it’s...