Too often we put obstacles in our customers’ way and add friction to the sales process. Join me for a great discussion with my good friend, and fellow member of the National Speakers Association, Shep Hyken. Shep is one of the leading customer service experts in the world, and a down to earth, nice guy. Through his many books and trainings, Shep helps companies, big and small, create a better customer experience. Listen to this new, bonus dialogue episode, for ideas on how you can reduce the fri...
Sep 06, 2021•32 min
I got an email that had the words ‘income’ and ‘outcome’ in the subject line and that was the spark for this episode. In my sales training and speaking I always say that you should be selling the results of hiring you, not your list of services. Listen to this new 9-minute episode and see how changing what you talk to your couples and customers about can lead to more bottom line profits for you! If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a t...
Sep 01, 2021•10 min
Asking “why” is a great way to learn more, except of course if it’s your 4-year old asking “why” repeatedly! But there are many ways to interpret “why”, including “why not?” or “why should I?” In this 7-minute episode I’m going to help you see the many ways to look at the word “why” and show you which versions can help you and your customers the most. 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 m...
Aug 25, 2021•8 min
For my Series: ”The Pivot” I’m inviting wedding and event pros to come and talk about how and why they made their pivots, into the industry, out of the industry and within the industry. For this episode, I invited my good friend, and fellow speaker, Rob Ferre, to talk about his pivot from being a wedding and event DJ, to MC, game show host and more. Rob is still doing weddings and events, but he’s also finding a new niche to supplement his event work. Listen to this new bonus dialogue episode fo...
Aug 23, 2021•23 min
This is a quote I read on the Forbes.com website by Micah Solomon – “The answer is Yes. Now, what was the question?” It’s such a powerful way to approach the customer experience. However, too often people’s first reaction is to say “no”, or to resist anything that’s outside your normal procedures. “No” can be a powerful word in sales, but in the customer experience you want to default to “yes” whenever possible, and even sometimes when the ‘yes’ the customer wants isn’t possible. Listen to this ...
Aug 18, 2021•12 min
I was consulting with a client and his sales team the other day and I asked them to tell me, in 7 seconds or less, what it is that they do. After stumbling over their words they realized that they couldn’t do it. It’s called an ‘elevator-pitch’ because the theory is that you have to be able to explain to someone what you do, while in an elevator, before they get to their floor. Many people think that their elevator-pitch can be 30 seconds. That’s way, way too long. Listen to this 9-minute episod...
Aug 11, 2021•10 min
Nil Saltuk has created a unique niche within the wedding and event world, providing products for inclement weather. In this new episode for my series “The Niche”, Nil and I discuss how she created her niche, or rather how it came to her. All of us are presented with opportunities, not all of us have the vision to see them, or the will to capitalize on them. Listen to this new episode and hear how you can capitalize on the opportunities that come your way, so you can carve out your own niche! Abo...
Aug 09, 2021•20 min
In my over 25 years in and around the wedding and event industry I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. We’ve survived economic downturns, the 9/11 tragedy, the housing crash and now the pandemic. Some of you have been around for all of these, and some of you got in later. Every time there’s a downturn there’s talk about the “new normal.” The thing is that it’s not just a new normal it’s the next normal. Listen to this 11-minute episode and see what I mean and how you can use this to gain a new persp...
Aug 04, 2021•11 min
One question I get asked over and over in my consulting and sales training is how to stand out and show how you’re different than your competitors. However, when I dig into how you’re presenting yourselves, I see a lot of the same things. You’re selling ‘what’ you do and not ‘why’ they should hire you. Very often I can take someone’s web page or marketing piece, remove that company’s name and replace it with a competitor’s, and that competitor can fulfill everything written. So, want to know how...
Jul 28, 2021•10 min
For this bonus episode I invited my good friend Ron Ruth to join me to talk about the customer experience. Through Ron’s speaking and training, and his lifelong addiction to all things Disney, Ron has some great perspective on how you can create a better experience for your couples and customers, right from the start. Join us for this discussion that was so compelling, there’s going to be a part II later! With over 15 years experience in corporate management and 30 years as a small business owne...
Jul 26, 2021•41 min
Many wedding and event pros think that taking responsibility for mistakes, especially those out of their control, makes them seem weak. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Accepting responsibility is actually a sign of strength. After all, when you’re the customer, do you like businesses to pass the buck or try to lay blame on you when things go wrong? I’ll bet you don’t. Listen to this 9-minute episode and hear how you can show your strength when something goes wrong, and still make the cu...
Jul 21, 2021•9 min
How do you make your business decisions? Do you gather and analyze carefully curated data? Or do you go by what “feels” right – going with your gut? The truth is that even data-driven analysts have that inner voice that helps them decide the right way forward. In this 11-minute episode I’ll help you understand that pros and cons of just going with your gut when making important business decisions. If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a...
Jul 14, 2021•11 min
Inspiration for my episodes comes from all around. I caught a video of my good friend Bill Hermann talking about investing in yourself and I just had to have him on the Wedding Business Solutions podcast. We talked about the ways you can invest in yourself, personally and professionally. We’re not just talking about monetary investments. There are many ways you can invest in yourself and your future. Listen to this episode and hear some spirited conversation and ways you can move yourself forwar...
Jul 12, 2021•29 min
By the time someone gets to your website, it’s likely that they know a little something about you. Maybe they’ve seen an ad, watched a video, saw your social media page or have your business card. Getting them to your website isn’t the end. You need them to take action, likely contacting you, so you get a chance to close the sale. Most websites that I see in my website reviews and consulting are lacking in some key elements. In this 10-minute episode I’ll share one easy change that you can make,...
Jul 07, 2021•10 min
In my consulting and sales training, we do a lot of secret-shopping of wedding and event pros, just like you, big businesses and small. And what we find is that most of you don’t follow up nearly enough times to maximize your sales and profits. I spoke about this in my presentation and my most popular book “ Shut Up and Sell More Weddings & Events ”. By the time someone has reached out to you they’ve made a short list of their preferred choices… and you’re on it! Why give up sooner than you ...
Jun 30, 2021•13 min
Nearly all couples will read some reviews before deciding to contact their wedding pros. That should be no surprise, since these days we can find reviews for almost anything we are looking to buy. Just getting reviews isn’t enough. There’s an art to maximizing your return on those amazing things your customers are posting about you. Listen to this 12 minute episode and learn the 4 things that matter most when it comes to reviews. If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my pod...
Jun 23, 2021•12 min
One of the most popular episodes of The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast is “The Difference Between Branding and Your Brand.” In that episode I talked about how your brand is what people say about you after they’ve experienced what you do. That doesn’t mean that branding isn’t important, it’s just different than your brand. So, to complete the topic I invited my friend, and fellow WeddingPro Educator, Kaleigh Wiese to come on and discuss branding, which is her expertise. Kaleigh Wiese is an en...
Jun 21, 2021•31 min
You get a new inquiry. You want to reply quickly and get them some information. So, you copy/paste your carefully written reply, attach your brochure or price sheet and click SEND. What’s wrong with this picture? Well, honestly, there’s a lot wrong with that picture, especially the attachment part. When I wrote “ Why Don’t They Call Me? 8 tips for converting wedding and event inquiries into sales ”, I talked about how I wanted to ‘break’ your attachment buttons and why holding off on attaching i...
Jun 16, 2021•10 min
We all know that our websites are an important part of our marketing and branding. They’re waiting, 24/7/365 for someone to come from somewhere, and that’s when your website’s job begins. If you sell on your site (e-commerce) then your site’s job is to get people to put things in the cart and check out. If you don’t sell online, then your site has one job – get you the inquiry. If you’re getting the right people to your site (the job of your marketing and advertising) and those people aren’t con...
Jun 09, 2021•11 min
I’ve often referred wedding and event pros, like you, to Traci Brown and her books/courses on body language and detecting lies. I got to wondering recently what reading body language is like in the age of Zoom meetings. Do the same rules apply as in-person? What signals are you sending with your body language on a Zoom sales meeting? Great questions, huh? So, I asked my friend, and National Speakers Association Member, Traci Brown to come on and discuss these questions and more. Listen to this 2...
Jun 07, 2021•26 min
I know, it’s a strange title for a podcast episode on a platform called Wedding Business Solutions. This is actually a true story that I first shared in a keynote presentation and my book “ Your Attitude for Success ”. This story shows how something as simple as my friend need to paint her house can teach you how to tackle your daunting business and personal projects. Listen to this 8-minute episode, hear the story, and start accomplishing more. If you have any questions about anything in this, ...
Jun 02, 2021•8 min
Some wedding and event pros look at advertising as a necessary evil. Others see it as an integral part of their marketing plan. While others either never pay for advertising and look for every free option out there. Which one sounds like you? I have a unique perspective on this as I’ve published wedding magazines, I was VP of Sales at The Knot and I’ve helped many thousands of wedding and event pros directly through consulting, sales training, webinars and more. Listen to this 12 minute episode ...
May 26, 2021•11 min
Three of the most common sales objections that wedding and event pros hear are: The price is too high; We got a lower price elsewhere – and - You're the first one we've seen. Do those sound familiar? Do you sometimes get stuck in how to best address those and still get the sale? In this 11 minute episode I’ll give you some ideas, and actual wording on how to handle these, so you can close more sales! If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion fo...
May 19, 2021•11 min
I’ve sold wedding advertising, published two wedding magazines and I was VP of Sales at The Knot. Those are things I know a lot about. But when it comes to Facebook and Instagram ads, my knowledge isn’t that deep. So, when I need help, or one of my client’s needs help, I refer them to my expert, Katelin Brogan. I asked Katelin to join me for this episode to help you better understand how these ads work and so you can decide if they should be a part of your marketing mix. In this 19-minute episod...
May 17, 2021•20 min
What can a game with wooden blocks teach us about how to sell more and profit more? It’s a great parallel, with each block representing a product or service you offer. I’ve used this analogy many times on webinars and in trainings and people, like you, always tell me that it makes Top-Down Selling much clearer. Listen to this 9-minute episode and find out how you can sell more via Jenga! If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or ...
May 12, 2021•9 min
I was doing a remote consulting session with a client and I said this phrase: “Perfect is the Enemy of Profit.” It was one of those serendipitous times where we say something we know, we just phrase it in a different way. In this case it was a client who was working on a new website and marketing materials and they were getting caught in the “it’s not ready yet” phase. I think most of us have been there at one time or another. The opposite of that is a sign in Facebook’s offices “Done is better ...
May 05, 2021•8 min
When I’m consulting with venues and caterers, just like you, we’re usually talking about ways to improve their sales and profits. Whether it’s their pricing (packages vs a-la-carte), websites or having better tours, we can always find some improvements. What about the ‘hidden profits’? Those are when you can make more money without selling any more than you are now. Imagine if you could make 10% more profit without making even one more sale. Are you curious? If you’re doing catering for weddings...
May 03, 2021•16 min
Why is “How much do you charge?” so often the first question that your couples ask? The short answer is that they don’t know what else to ask, because they don’t know how to shop for your product or service. They’ve never needed your products and services before, so they default to asking about price. You need to be prepared to answer this so that you can keep the conversation going, whether you want to give them price yet, or not. Listen to this new episode and hear four ways you can answer the...
Apr 28, 2021•14 min
One of the good things to come out of the last year is that many wedding and event pros have learned how to have meetings, and do sales, remotely. But what will you do when it’s safe to meet all of your customers in person again? Will you go back to all face to face meetings, or will you continue to do some, or all of your sales remotely. Listen to this short episode for some thoughts on what you can, and maybe should, be planning to do with your current and future customers. (only 7 minutes) If...
Apr 21, 2021•8 min
Almost every day my inbox has someone offering to make an app for my business. I’m sure you can relate. So, I started thinking about my clients, wedding and event businesses, like you, and when you might decide that an app is the right way to go, and when a website will do. So I invited my favorite tech guys, people who’ve designed many apps for wedding and event venues, Abed Elsamna and Hassan Mahmoud, founders of VenueX, to join me for this special Bonus Episode of the Wedding Business Solutio...
Apr 19, 2021•17 min
