I went to a food show yesterday with Sean Oldroyd and his wife-to-be, Julie McCraw hosted by Sysco Foods. I was fairly excited about the event as I was driving to Fresno for a breakfast with my pal, Scott Falk, which was wonderful as always. New things to come!
Anyway after breakfast, I am driving, parking and heading over to the Fresno Exhibit Hall *2 and I am watching everyone getting out of their cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and one guy on a reclining bike with a tall post with a flag on it, and all walking towards the hall. The same gate to their walk... they were going somewhere... in a hurry... lots of expectations. Inside the hall we all were greeted as we got our name badges and were given the agenda for the day and a bag for what we were going to be given. People with shopping carts knew what was in store. They had been there before and knew that no stinking bag was going to contain all they were going to get. There were professionals in uniform, novices with them in their novice uniforms, administrators, and the rest of us food people. We all came to know more about food and how to use it in our lives.
Walking into the hall was incredible... lots of action like in a red ant's nest. Each booth with a presentation... its own environment, different than the guy next to them. Some incorporated other like minded companies into their both. The SM, the sales(wo)man, was engaged in conversations with the public talking about their product, how to use it, answering hard questions, problem solving, looking in the catalog, asking how do they use it and are their any uses they company doesn't know about - new recipes and such. Lots of stories, smiles, training, tasting, people earning their wages on both sides of the carpet.
They greet you by name, like they have known you for years, but then I remember the name badge clipped to my fleece. It didn't matter, I liked having my name said by these people. It is like being called on by the teacher. I like hearing, "how are you doing today, TONY?" I particularly enjoyed meeting Sandi Bland, the Western Regional Distributor, Sales Manager for The Cheesecake Factory. Nice woman in her forties. She asked which one I would like to taste. I pointed to the plain cheesecake and said, "I would like to begin with the basic one." She smiled and cut a small piece, placed it in a mini cup, (like the kind with all the pleats that we use to have in the boys bathroom at Easterby Knox) and handed it to me. "Good" was all I could say. "what's next?" she asks. "The Supreme Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake." She had me. I wanted more. "Supreme Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake", please!" and finally "Supreme Lemon Drop Cheesecake, please." I was taught to say please by my mom, I could tell this impressed Sandi. I wasn't trying to flirt but she had the Supreme Cheesecake. After each time she gave me a sample she watched me ate and would say, "It is very good, isn't it!?" She enjoyed giving me a taste of that which she already had tasted. She knew the joy that she was bringing to me. There was a connection. She asked if there was questions? I asked a few while wiping my mouth, she gave me her card and told me to... "enjoy the rest of the show."
I watched a demonstration by a chef on different ways to prepare salmon. He talked from experience, he prepared a dish, let us try it... "Good." He told us what to be careful of when thawing it, preparing it, cooking it. Gave some great new ideas from an old favorite. I was ready to leave and begin trying what he said. I wanted to tell Christel, no, I wanted to show Christel this new way of Salmon. She would want to know.
The next guy had some taco seasonings, the next some flavoring you add to a Coke. They all let you try a sample. "Taste and see..." They want you to experience that which is offered. They instruct you in the way of the product. Hope you will come back and buy.
I love the food show. Each show I look to try something new. This time it was cheesecake, last time it was sausage, the time before that it was sauces, and the next time I don't know what it will be but I am already looking forward to it.
Might be a great way to meet as believers.
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