Setting The Stage in almost any scenario is so important, but especially in the sales world.  This article will help you set the stage in your favor and give you some tips on how to do it more effectively. I first learned of this concept in the book “The Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes.  In this book Chet talks about the Threshold Effect. The Threshold Effect states that whenever you walk into a space and meet someone for the first time, you or they are making 11 different assumptions about you or your space, such as “What kind of money do they make?”, “What kind of car do they drive?”  “Are you afflu... [read more]

We wrap up our month long article discussing two of the most common last minute changes and how to handle them.  What do you do if the party gets out of hand...if a guest or two gets a little bit rowdy? I had this happen recently with two younger gentlemen (I’m not sure if they were of true drinking age or not) where they got a little out of hand and began crashing into the head table and I see it literally starting to topple.  Two of the ushers stepped in along with the Groom and handled the situation. Have you had that kind of discussion with your clients? Finally, what are your Plan B’s and Plan C’s if... [read more]

When dealing with last minute changes, the best thing you can do is to handle as much of the discussion surrounding who is the ultimate decision maker in advance if at all possible.  Most conflicts on event day are completely preventable if you are prepared ahead of time and have prepared your client’s mindset ahead of time. Let’s look at a couple of other scenarios where you may have last minute changes and how to handle them.   What do you do if the Event Planner changes things on you last minute?  First off, do they have approval from your mutual client? This again speaks to a previous conversation you... [read more]

Last week we discussed emotions running high and the psychology and preparation that goes into handling last minute changes.  This week we’ll expand on the topic at hand a bit more, and discuss WHAT you need to do. Knowing that you’ve done your preparation and understand the psychology of the event and how it impacts your clients lives, up next is managing expectations.  You of course want to expect that they will have a great event. The key is to under promise and over deliver in your client’s eyes. Don’t promise them the sun, moon and stars and only deliver the basics.  As Ray Davies of the Kink... [read more]

What's Your Legacy?  We continue where we left off last week.  I share this with you to hopefully inspire you.  To realize that your next event is NOT just another gig.  It’s NOT playing just another song. Your job is NOT just about playing music and making announcements.  It’s about impacting people’s memories. Moving people emotionally. Changing lives for the better. Giving a Grandfather a moment; to share with his granddaughter and flash that knowing smile of his life’s work left behind.  Creating a memory for a Mother who is in the middle of her life’s work. She can see from both sides of the hourglass i... [read more]

How To Handle Last Minute Changes?   Every client has last minute changes it seems.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a kids birthday party or a large wedding reception, they happen and sometimes happen often.  For some of us, (yours truly included), it can drive you CRAZY. How do you deal with a client who seems to ALWAYS be changing their mind?   You must have preparation going in.  You need to have everything laid out in your head of what to do. Not only in your head, but on paper too.  Do you write a script? Do you rehearse before your event, or are you practicing at the event itself? You may... [read more]

“My heart is filled with sorrow today but also great love and gratitude. We lost my dad Sunday evening. It was very unexpected, quick and a great shock to all of us! Kleo was an amazing man, filled with faith, integrity and a smile for everyone he met! If he met you once he remembered you forever and knew your story & probably your whole family's story. My mother was the love of his life and even after 57 years of marriage never let a day go by without a wake-up & good night kiss and an "I love you"! 
His children meant everything to him and he made great sacrifices throughout his life to make sure all five if us... [read more]

Last week we discussed The Last Time and Purpose for Kristi and Andrew.  For your Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances, how do you compress 20 plus years of life into 4 minutes?  That’s what Kristi’s Mom was feeling, that was her experience in that moment. How do you get to the heart of their purpose?  By questioning your client how they want to remember that moment, what they want to feel in it, practicing scripting, writing out, inflection, tone, phrasing...that’s how.  Don’t let someone’s last time with you be negative or just left to “It’s time for the Father/Daughter d... [read more]

This is our final installment in Sharing Is Caring.  Some will say “But Mitch….brides don’t care about me”.  You would be correct. They care about themselves, their event and their outcome.  However they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This is where SHARING your story becomes important.  When you SHARE something…you come from a place of common understanding of the desired goal. I’m sharing my pizza with a friend because we are both hungry and I don’t want to see them starve.  I’m sharing my story because I want the client to understand how much I care about what I do and ho... [read more]

Last week we talked about what if it was your last time with a loved one.  We also discussed your purpose and how you are fulfilling it. Now, the garage that was used for Kristi and Andrew’s reception, that wasn’t its initial purpose.  Its initial purpose was to store his 18 wheeler and do oil changes on it. However, he repurposed his logging garage to serve his daughter and a new purpose of giving his baby girl a beautiful space for her wedding day.  His purpose as a father was greater than his purpose as a businessman. Why? He tapped into his heart. Tap into your heart and ensure yo... [read more]