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Selected stories 2011-2021
We've discussed the merits of social media and the fact that we feel that more in our industry of hospitality tabletop should dramatically ramp up their social media presence. But, we also understand that it's often difficult to undertake something new when you are already more than busy trying to grow your brand. And....it's even more difficult whenever that something new is sooo new ...and uncomfortable. That's where the skill of "feeling comfortable with feeling uncomfortable" comes in. But, you have to take a first step before you take a second......so, let's talk about how to get started. Whenever you decide to try something new, whether in your private or your corporate life, you’re probably like most people in that you want to have a good game plan before beginning. While we admit to being more of the “ready, fire, aim” mode, we still think it’s good to have at least a good basic game plan to start. So, we’ve come up with three points to consider before leaping into the world of social media:
There are many more things to remember when using social media for brand messaging. But, if you give these three points proper thought and attention before launching, you’re going to have a good start on a basic social media foundation from which you can adjust and grow.
See….it wasn’t that hard to get started, now was it?
In 1997, with the introduction of the Norex SafeLite®, an innovative rechargeable LED candle produced in the USA, Norex brought to the hospitality and cruise line industries a brand new product category. Using the newest LED technology, the Norex SafeLite® made it possible to replicate the beautiful, bright and natural flicker of live flame candlelight without striking a match. The Norex SafeLite® LED candle made it possible to provide the relaxing, romantic, "this moment is special" ambience of candlelight in a clean, safe, eco-friendly and economical way.
In 2012 , Norex introduced Safelite-WP, a powerful, longlasting, water submersible rechargable LED candle leading the way in the LED candle market. With many municipalities enforcing laws against the use of open flames outside the kitchen, Norex is able to provide unmatched tabletop ambiance.
To learn more about Norex and their Safelite sytem of tabletop lighting go here: http://www.norexenterprises.com/
From a nominating list of over 2700 names, Eater.com has announced its Eater Young Guns Class of 2013: Shion Aikawa, 27, Director of Operations, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, Austin, TX Mike Brown, 28, Chef/Co-owner, Travail and Pig Ate My Pizza, Robbinsdale, MN Alyssa DiPasquale, 29, Manager and Advanced Sake Professional, O Ya, Boston, MA Jeremy Hoffman, 29, Chef de Cuisine, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA Ryan Lachaine, 38, Sous Chef, Underbelly, Houston, TX Matt Lackey, 27, Executive Chef, Flyte World Dining and Wine, Nashville, TN Jessica Largey, 27, Chef de Cuisine, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA Mitch Lienhard, 26, Sous Chef, Grace, Chicago, IL Jayce McConnell, 25, Bar Program Manager, Snackbar, Oxford, MS Brooks Reitz, 29, General Manager, The Ordinary, Charleston, SC Alissa Rozos, 29, Pastry Chef, St. Jack, Portland, OR Hourie Sahakian, 25, Pastry Chef, Short Cake, Los Angeles, CA Mark Schieber, 26, Cook and Kitchen Manager, Forequarter, Madison, WI Henri Schock, 29, Proprietor and Wine Director, Bottlehouse, Seattle, WA Jason Wang, 25, President, Xi'an Famous Foods, New York, NY The Eater Young Guns Class of 2013 will be celebrated at a gala event in Los Angeles on Monday, June 24. Young Guns Eve, a public tasting event featuring many of the winning chefs, goes down the night before on June 23. Tickets are still available. To learn more about Eater.com’s Young Guns Class of 2013, go here: http://eater.com/archives/2013/06/19/eater-young-guns-2013.php Eater.com is a website that is a great source for people who care about dining and drinking in the America's most important food cities. A favorite of industry pros and amateurs alike, Eater has an uncanny knack for finding out what's opening where, who's serving what, and how it's all going down.
One of the most frequent topics of discussion these days is social media. No, not just in techno-geek online sites, but also in our world of hospitality tabletop. Which…I guess, is the good news. At least the discussion is beginning. As a publication that is committed to the idea of celebrating hospitality tabletop and all that goes into it, marketing of tabletop products (from the supply side) and their role in the dining experience is a major component to this mission. In today’s world, social media is not a passing fad or a shiny new object that has grabbed our attention until something else comes along. While it will evolve and change, social media is here to stay. Our sister company, Black Cow Media, is beta-testing a hospitality tabletop social media participation index and the early results for our category are not great. Later this summer, once we more comfortable with the algorithm under test now, we will be publishing our index. With the early reviews showing that clearly the majority of hospitality tabletop suppliers have not made the commitment yet to social media…the only question can be is WHY NOT? We can tell you that the chef and the culinary community is fully engaged in all platforms of social media. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube, or any one of the other major – and emerging (think Vine)– social media platforms, the hospitality and chef community has fully embraced this current wave of communication. In fact, we see a trend of Twitter replacing even traditional email, with some chefs seemingly living on Twitter. If the chef and food community is an important target audience for your tabletop brand message….why wouldn’t you want to be where your customers are? If selling, in general, is further enhanced by engaging in conversations with your customer…don’t you want to be having conversations with these hospitality decision makers and influencers? More..... Most in our industry know Michael Hawkins as a top recruiter of tabletop sales and marketing talent. But prior to that Mike was a top international sales manager traveling the globe for Diversey, Inc. putting together worldwide purchasing agreements with hotel chains such as Intercontinental Hotels, Sheraton, Hilton and CIGA. Mike's love for tabletop developed during his decade-long tenure as Vice President of Sales for Edward Don & Company, where he managed over 300 high-performing tabletop sales people. The combined expereinces as a top sales manager and top recruiter give Mike Hawkins a great perspective on how to be successful in selling hospitlaity tabletop. So, simply put ....Mike Hawkins knows more than a thing or two about selling. Mike's latest article forTabletopJournal touches on how to strike the proper sales balance to be effective and efficient in selling hospitality tabletop. Here's what Mike has to say about seeling tabletop ...the assertive way.... In an effort not to be labeled as pushy, aggressive, or obnoxious many tabletop sales people adopt the opposite end of the spectrum and try to be, or known, as professional. Unfortunately, a professional tabletop sales call is OK, but rather boring and typically has no outcome and often means lots of fruitless follow up. Obviously the customer has to perceive that you are a professional but it’s more of a look on your part (as per one of my previous articles) and a perception on the part of the customer. In summary, professionalism alone will not garner tabletop orders. Between the “used car” sales person and the professional there is a middle ground where tabletop sales are being made and it’s called being assertive. Assertiveness is an art that needs mastering just like any other so that being assertive is acceptable to the customer. This art form can only be mastered if one believes deeply in one’s heart..not one’s head. This belief is the first step in being assertive. It dictates that you can differentiate yourself from your competitor and that the customer is better off purchasing from you. It is the belief in what you do, your belief in the tabletop portfolio that you sell, your belief in the company that you represent, and indeed your belief in yourself. This belief now begins the assertive process. The process of assertiveness develops further after belief with total preparation including pre-call planning and creating an objective for the sales call. This is not simply the basics of pre-call planning with samples, literature, product knowledge, etc, but preparation in the areas of customer needs, desires, and their victory. Neglect these and expect to lose out to someone who has built them into their tabletop presentation. Lastly, being assertive has to contain undeniable value in favor of the prospective customer that the customer can relate to and believe in. Then the purchase order will be created as a result of combining your belief, preparation, and your value with assertiveness which ultimately results in a very predictable outcome – more tabletop sales. You can reach Mike Hawkins at [email protected] |
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