Serving Suggestions

After 6 years of working in the restaurant industry while going to college, I can really relate to a lot of the suggestions. I’m currently working for a marketing firm and appreciate the great analogy. “Fill them up with the meal and still get them buying desert!” THX Chris

This is an excellent article, thanks for sharing your experiences. The commentary on bringing solutions forward instead of problems is great for anybody in any career.

Especially in today’s world where every employee and customer can become an ambassador for the corporate brand, it’s vital that everyone learn to think like this. Marketing doesn’t end with the marketers any more … not that it ever did, but the situation is really different these days.

This is an excellent article, thanks for sharing your experiences. The commentary on bringing solutions forward instead of problems is great for anybody in any career.

Especially in today’s world where every employee and customer can become an ambassador for the corporate brand, it’s vital that everyone learn to think like this. Marketing doesn’t end with the marketers any more … not that it ever did, but the situation is really different these days.

Thank you for framing how we might think about our marketing & communications. I too was fortunate to work for bosses who wanted to know about solutions as well as the problem.

As a person who has spent more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, I totally appreciated your metaphors! What a great explination for business and life for that matter. I think that it may also help soften the blows of not getting the business; some days you are in the mood for Osso Bucco, some days it PadThai. It isn’t that you don’t like the Osso Bucco – just don’t feel like it today.

What I learned early on as a server is how to read my guests ASAP and change my approach to give them the exact evening they were looking for. I had many managers try to fit us all into a box by giving us a script for what to say and do at the table. This served as an okay tool for the newbies, but most guests read right through that crap – if you are uncomrtable wearing “flair” and singing the specials – then your guests will also be uncomfortable and less likely to enjoy the experience. The best servers tweaked it to fit their own personal style and then tweaked some more based on their read of the guest.

Anyway – as I start out on my new business venture I am totally going to use this metaphor to help me stay on top of my game. Thanks Chris.

As a person who has spent more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, I totally appreciated your metaphors! What a great explination for business and life for that matter. I think that it may also help soften the blows of not getting the business; some days you are in the mood for Osso Bucco, some days it PadThai. It isn’t that you don’t like the Osso Bucco – just don’t feel like it today.

What I learned early on as a server is how to read my guests ASAP and change my approach to give them the exact evening they were looking for. I had many managers try to fit us all into a box by giving us a script for what to say and do at the table. This served as an okay tool for the newbies, but most guests read right through that crap – if you are uncomrtable wearing “flair” and singing the specials – then your guests will also be uncomfortable and less likely to enjoy the experience. The best servers tweaked it to fit their own personal style and then tweaked some more based on their read of the guest.

Anyway – as I start out on my new business venture I am totally going to use this metaphor to help me stay on top of my game. Thanks Chris.

I love the idea of offering a suggestion rather than asking an open-ended question. You know your “menu” – make a recommendation!

Position is everything! There’s a lot of interesting new neuroscience research going on in decision making. A couple of points I like to keep in mind are that people are more likely by a significant multiplier to make the “bad” but immediately gratifying decision if they’re under stress. [RadioLab's excellent podcast about choice. Lawrence Lessig is later in the show.] Baba Shiv did an experiment where subjects were given a string of numbers to remember. Some subjects only had to remember a short string, others had a long string. Then the subjects were asked to wait in the hallway before going into another room to write down the number. The real test was happening in the hall while they were waiting. A researcher offered them either cake or a healthy fruit plate. The people who were stress because of having longer strings to remember chose the cake in shockingly huge proportion.

This is a simplistic example, but I think it has some practical business application, especially in these stressful economic times. It’s more important that ever to get our positioning right. We either have to jump the hurdle of “this is the right thing to do” and convince our clients to take the time and effort to make the “right” decison. Or we can position our services in a way that is immediately gratifying to the customer. Either way, our potential clients are more stressed out than they have been in since the dotcom bust and we should take that into account wherever possible.

Position is everything! There’s a lot of interesting new neuroscience research going on in decision making. A couple of points I like to keep in mind are that people are more likely by a significant multiplier to make the “bad” but immediately gratifying decision if they’re under stress. [RadioLab's excellent podcast about choice. Lawrence Lessig is later in the show.] Baba Shiv did an experiment where subjects were given a string of numbers to remember. Some subjects only had to remember a short string, others had a long string. Then the subjects were asked to wait in the hallway before going into another room to write down the number. The real test was happening in the hall while they were waiting. A researcher offered them either cake or a healthy fruit plate. The people who were stress because of having longer strings to remember chose the cake in shockingly huge proportion.

This is a simplistic example, but I think it has some practical business application, especially in these stressful economic times. It’s more important that ever to get our positioning right. We either have to jump the hurdle of “this is the right thing to do” and convince our clients to take the time and effort to make the “right” decison. Or we can position our services in a way that is immediately gratifying to the customer. Either way, our potential clients are more stressed out than they have been in since the dotcom bust and we should take that into account wherever possible.

Great post, Chris. I really like the real-world analogies you use to make your points. Too many bloggers rely on business-speak and jargon as if they’re talking to a closed set of people. You, on other hand, open up the conversation to everyone by making your posts so accessible. It’s never about inside and outside, it’s about making a connection across the barrier between the two. Thanks

“how was your dining experience?”

i consistently come back for more – so it’s fulfilling. You are my “Ruth’s” Chris.

“how was your dining experience?”

i consistently come back for more – so it’s fulfilling. You are my “Ruth’s” Chris.

Great article. I really like the restaurant analogies – easy for anyone to relate with.
I also dig the references to Billings, MT. I work about 1/2 mile from that Famous Dave’s!

Bring solutions, not problems is a wise approach. I would add a cautionary note however, appearing to ‘suggest’ too early or ‘have an answer’ too quickly can play badly in certain cultures. I know it is not the intention, but in the ‘stiff upper lip’ world of England it can appear somewhat gauche to be presumptuous. I often find that clients want to feel a bespoke solution is coming their way, even though in all other realms of sense a proven ‘cookie cutter’ solution ‘from the menu’ is a lot more appropriate (and cost defined!). Understanding global restaurant culture might well be a first step to understanding successful globalisation!

Bring solutions, not problems is a wise approach. I would add a cautionary note however, appearing to ‘suggest’ too early or ‘have an answer’ too quickly can play badly in certain cultures. I know it is not the intention, but in the ‘stiff upper lip’ world of England it can appear somewhat gauche to be presumptuous. I often find that clients want to feel a bespoke solution is coming their way, even though in all other realms of sense a proven ‘cookie cutter’ solution ‘from the menu’ is a lot more appropriate (and cost defined!). Understanding global restaurant culture might well be a first step to understanding successful globalisation!

Chris,

I always look forward to your posts – this one is a perfect reason why. You’ve made great use of the restaurant metaphor. I will take this one to heart. I am going to start recommended instead of asking. Great advice for anyone. Show them that you are working on solving problems. Even if your solutions aren’t what the want, they have something to work from. Perfect! Thanks!
@balemar

Best question I was ever asked in an interview, and one I use to this day when I interview, is “are you a problem solver or a problem identifier?” the people that are problem solvers will answer yes and provide examples where they ahve done this, without hesitation.

Best question I was ever asked in an interview, and one I use to this day when I interview, is “are you a problem solver or a problem identifier?” the people that are problem solvers will answer yes and provide examples where they ahve done this, without hesitation.

Relationship equity is what separates a product with a name from a brand.

The marketplace you compete in, whether it’s your personal brand or your product, is often filled with competitors who, at the functional level, are parity. Delivering what’s not expected, or what’s expected in an exceptional manner, creates relationship equity. This not only builds your brand, it also provides competitive insulation.

Your post highlights the importance of the total package, which is much more than the functional benefits of the product, in creating relationship equity.

My meal was delightful thank you.

It gave me a brief glimpse of where I might take my marketing for holistic health services.

My meal was delightful thank you.

It gave me a brief glimpse of where I might take my marketing for holistic health services.

You might remember Dave Carter (@dkrcarter) saying this in the recent Awareness Inc webinar that you participated in — “Everything I learned about social media, I learned as a waiter in a restaurant.” This struck home with me because (in a past life) I managed restaurants for ten years and spent additional years either in the front or back of the house. So much of what makes good sense about social media is what a successful restaurant operator does — listen to and know your what your customers want/need, treat them as you would want to be treated (the golden rule), apologize sincerely and fix mistakes as soon as you find out about them, know what’s happening at all times both in your restaurant and in your market, be yourself, be authentic (believe me, their gut can tell the difference), be honest, and do the right thing always (not the easy thing). Following these precepts will make it easy for your customers to be an evangelist for your business. We all know how word-of-mouth works.

I’m sure there are many more similarities but these are the ones off the top of my head and seem imprinted in me (years of practice!). Aren’t these all the things that any smart company does in the social media world?

@Deidre – you know, I’d forgotten that he said that. How interesting. I’m thinking we’re on to something here.

@Deidre – you know, I’d forgotten that he said that. How interesting. I’m thinking we’re on to something here.

@Deirdre @chrisbrogan I was in sales and I’m a mom –never been a waitress. But since I’ve been involved int social media I’ve learned simple etiquette in real life that I never was taught growing up. LOL.

I’m nicer now. And my tantrums aren’t as scary to passers-by.