Photo by BrockPhoto.ca
by Danielle Andrews Sunkel
Lately, I have heard a lot of people give the advice, “Fake it till you make it.”
I’m all for “dressing for the job you want, not the job you have,” but I just can’t get on board with pretending to be successful and experienced, when you are not. It is not fair to potential clients, they think they are hiring a wedding guru, when in fact you are flubbing every step of the way. It’s not fair to colleagues, you are putting undue stress on them, either trying to figure out why they aren’t achieving your level of success or by duping their potential clients. It’s not fair to yourself, if you create an image that you must try to live up to everyday, there is no way to go back gracefully, it would be exhausting and terrifying to live a lie day in and day out.
Instead, I offer this advice: Be the best you, you can be. A true professional has substance, expertise, training, education and experience.
Here are some keys to being successful in the Wedding Industry:
- Work Hard
- Be Authentic
- Get Educated (and keep getting educated)
- Seek Experience
- Be Unique
- Network
- Play Nicely
- Market Yourself, Truthfully
Very well said.
Faking it isn’t the way to go as someone will eventually catch you in a lie or have more knowledge than you in a certain area.
Great article! Thank you for writing it; excellent advice for those starting, those experienced and just those who need a reminder. Be YOU – and be the best you.
I totally agree with you Danielle. I was completely honest with my clients when I started and I couldn’t be anything but honest.
Agreed! I feel you can gain more respect being honest. It will only harm you and possibly others if you “fake it”. This goes for any situation in life, personally or professionally.
I think ‘faking’ is not the same as ‘lying’. ‘Faking’ should be taken as choosing to be confident when you’re really nervous. I think it’s choosing to ‘fake’ a smile on a really unnecessary comment given to you even though you were really hurt by it. People will know you’re nervous anyways, but they will be impressed by the fact that you chose to smile and still be graceful and professional.
‘Faking’ it until you make it for me is taking everything in with a smile and learning from it, no matter how bad the situation was – even if you want to punch someone in the face! It will get you to where you want to be.
Give smiles even to those who don’t deserve it, because one day, you will still bump into them and someone who knows them might know you too. I think that’s how you ‘fake’ it until you make it.
Lying is definitely a no-no. Don’t lie to clients, because they will know. The truth will always come out. No matter what. Be honest to yourself and to people.