It’s Not As Easy As It Looks!
by Larry Williams
As I travel the nation and speak to organizations and groups associated with the wedding industry, it never ceases to amaze me the stories I hear of people in our profession who seem content with their on-the-job experience. People come to the various professions within our industry in a number of different ways. Some literally stumble upon it quite accidentally, while others methodically study their craft to perfection. In many instances, their chosen profession is borne out of a deep rooted conviction for what they do. It is this conviction that makes our marketplace so vibrant and professional. But collectively, are we all living up to our full potential?
Every facet of the wedding industry offers advanced level training. It is as true for florists and photographers as it is for coordinators and entertainers. Let’s take the DJ profession . . . after all, I know it quite well. For the past eight years our local DJ organization has painstakenly organized monthly meetings with fantastic educational content, which has included; workshops and seminars from nationally prominent out-of-town speakers, round table discussions, webinars and product demos. Strangly, many wedding professionals are surprised to learn that there are actually national and regional conferences for the DJ profession. In addition, there are magazines, national organizations, books, DVDs and a variety of other materials that support the mechanics of advanced level education.
But here’s the kicker. There are an overwhelming number of working area DJs who have never been to one of these FREE meetings or a national conference! With each personal invitation, they continue to dismiss the idea of elevating their level of education. They are, in essence, content with their on-the-job experience.
Specialized training in your particular field is crucial to your success! When it is attained, it should be acknowledged by others. This begs the question . . . have you taken the opportunity to really screen the people you refer? When you refer someone – your name is “on the line”. When our wedding community collectively applaudes advanced level training as one of the most important elements for referral consideration . . . we will begin to notice a significant shift in quality that will mirror some of the finest wedding destinations in the world.
Make no mistake, the best vendors in this area are the ones who have studied, trained and meticulously nurtured their craft and taken advantage of every conceivable avenue of education available to them. On-the-job experience is great . . . but just showing up to the party will never make you reach your full potential.
Did you know that Tiger Woods still uses a professional coach? Did you know the greatest actors, actresses and comedians still participate in workshops? On-the-job experience has never progressed anyone to the top of their profession! In this fast moving wedding industry, you should never be satisfied with your on-the-job experience! Search out educational avenues and pursue them vigorously. Refer people who passionately work to excel themselves through every means of education possible. Sometimes the nicest, most well-meaning people in our industry fall short of their full potential because they are “content”.
The bottom line . . . there is no “easy” button for anyone in this industry. It takes hard work, perseverence and an educated level of training to excel in any given field.
