I’ll Be Speaking @ PCMA Meeting This Week!
Professional Convention Management Association Chapter Meeting, 10/7
Thursday morning, October 7th, I’ll be speaking at the Southwestern/Pacific chapter meeting of PCMA: Professional Convention Management Association. I’d like to send special thanks to Gina Mann at the Las Vegas Convention Vistors Authority for recommending me as this month’s speaker. The breakfast will be held at the South Point Hotel & Casino at 8AM.
I’ll be presenting “B FACE 2 FACE 4 SUCCESS” - a 60-minute keynote presentation on building EFFECTIVE & PRODUCTIVE business relationships that will include suggestions that you will be able to implement IMMEDIATELY to increase your sales and improve your bottom line. This presentation is built upon the lessons I discovered while building relationships during my sales career, which I shared in my first book, “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2.” My experience during nearly 20 years of sales and my ability to build such incredible relationships is why my clients started calling me “The Queen of the Business Lunch”.
A strong ability to build relationships can assure your success – whatever field you are in. WHY? Because PEOPLE PREFER TO DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY LIKE! Your parents were wrong: success in life actually IS a popularity contest! After all – who wants to hang out with or do business with people they DON’T LIKE?! When you look at it this way, it makes sense: to succeed, you need to develop your PEOPLE SKILLS.
People have choices – and when it comes to business, they are even more likely to take advantage of their options … especially in THIS competitive environment. No business decision is ever JUST about price!
When I deliver this presentation, I ask my audiences for a show of hands to
The feedback I get when presenting supports my doctrine: PEOPLE PREFER TO DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY LIKE!
indicate how many people REGULARLY go OUT OF THEIR WAY to patronize a particular business because they PREFER how they are treated at the more inconvenient location than at a similar business closer to their homes. I ALWAYS get 100% response! That supports my point: your people skills can improve your business or destroy it. It’s not that hard to build solid, productive business relationships. I’ll be sharing tips and techniques so that you, too, can become a Business Relationship Expert! Hope to see you there.
Get Paid to Speak & Write: Workshop 10/9/10
Speaking at last week's MPI Meeting in Edmonton
To say I’m behind on my blogging is an understatement! Even now, with so much I want to share here, I still feel as if I should be doing something else – like PPTs for next week, press releases, or new one sheets. Marketing yourself as a speaker has no finish line! That’s just one of the topics I will cover at my workshop - “Get Paid to Speak & Write” - on October 9th – in Las Vegas/Henderson at the Hampton Inn on St. Rose Pkwy – between Eastern and Seven Hills. Read to the bottom for a personal story that’s sure to crack you up!
People ALWAYS tell me they are working on a book or they call me to tell me they want to speak professionally. I hope everyone who has ever thought of being a speaker or a writer will to come to this one-day event. Along with my expert guest speakers, I will help you to move years ahead in your speaking career in one action-packed, entertaining day. You will discover what it takes to succeed and MONETIZE a speaking or writing career.
You may wonder why I am presenting SPEAKING and WRITING together. It’s because the two go together like soup n’ sandwich, hand n’ glove, peanut butter n’ jelly…. you get the picture! If you are a speaker, you need products to sell – books, audios CDs, Mp3s, Video programs, and more – so that people can take your message with them and continue to learn and improve. And, if you are a writer, you need to learn to share your message with an audience in a brilliant, cohesive presentation. Doing one without the other is like peanut butter….all by itself. 
As president of a speakers bureau in Las Vegas, the convention capital of the world, I know what it takes to be a great speaker.
As an award-winning author, I’ve experienced everything the world of publishing has to offer. If you’re working on a book and need to decide whether or not to self-publish, I can help you to decide by sharing the facts of the publishing world with you. I’ve self-published, sold my work, contributed to anthologies, published anthologies, and am a regularly featured columnist in the Las Vegas Business Press. I know the world of professional writing and can help you get your book published or help you to market your book.
Visit my press release at expert click for all the details – then call or e-mail me to register. BONUS: Those of you who know me well know that I love to give more than expected. That’s why I asked my friend LuAnn Terrell – at Showtime Marketing – if she would donate some killer show tickets for my attendees. She came through with tix to HUMAN NATURE – Smokey Robinson’s hot new show featuring four smokin’ guys from down under singing the very best of MOTOWN – on the Las Vegas Strip. Tix are regularly $70 each – but each attendee will get a PAIR of tickets when they attend this workshop. AND every attendee will also get a FREE copy of “The Power of the Platform” – an anthology that features messages from some of today’s top motivational speakers.
Why wait? Sign up now and get started on the path to achieving your dream of GETTING PAID TO SPEAK!
Now, here’s my personal story: Every time I get a check for THOUSANDS of dollars to speak for an hour, I call my brother, Barry. When I was a little girl, Barry used to give me a quarter just to STOP talking for a few minutes! Ahhh- sweet revenge! The truth is, however, that I owe him a debt of thanks. If he hadn’t been so hard on me, I don’t know that I ever would have learned how to make my stories more exciting, more compelling, and more content-rich. Nothing like having a hard-to-please audience to raise the stakes! And now you know my darkest secret.
If YOU would like to show someone a check for thousands of dollars that you earned for speaking, be sure to e-mail me to register for this outstanding one-day workshop. It will TRANSFORM your life!
Being “The Queen of the Business Lunch”
Even a "Queen" needs a new logo once in a while!
I often get asked about my nickname, “The Queen of the Business Lunch.” It’s been years since I wrote the award-winning book “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2″ and even longer since I earned my nickname. I thought since I just got a new logo, I would take this opportunity to share some of my business lunch tips and business relationship expertise.
First, the nickname. It came about as a combination of many things. The nature of my business was such that I merely needed to stay in touch with many of my clients. Once I sold them, they were sold, so I didn’t need to do any more convincing. By the nature of my work, all I could do was take them out to lunch, build my relationships, keep them up-to-date on what was going on with my business and our industry, their industry, and so on. What better way to do this than over lunch?
I took great care of my clients, and since I had so many of them, I would book lunches weeks in advance. This of course meant that I, too, was booked weeks out. Friends in the business would call me to book lunch. “How about next Tuesday.” “Can’t…I’m booked already.” You can imagine how long it would take to find a “free” day!
It wasn’t unusual for me to be booked as much as three or four weeks out. And THAT is when the name calling started. My peers would tease me and say, “You don’t really work … You are just the Queen of the Business Lunch!” I took great offense at this, at first! I worked VERY hard. It’s never easy to make something LOOK easy. Of course my friend were just teasing. They knew how much business I was booking and that it didn’t happen by itself.
That is why I wrote “The Art of the Business Lunch.” I had hosted more than 3,000 client lunches (do that math – at a conservative 4x a week (considering business breakfasts, mixers, and lunches combined), times 52 weeks a year, times 18 years…) and I saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%! I knew I was on to something. I wanted to share my Business Relationship Expertise with business professionals everywhere.
Here are some quick tips:
- Always make a reservation.
- Don’t skip lunch; if you’re crunched for time, meet your clients for breakfast! You’ll save money, too.
- Prepare for casual conversation. Avoid awkward silence by knowing a little about a lot.
- Choose a restaurant with a great menu, lots of selections, and a medium price – unless it’s a special occasion.
- If you can wait, don’t bring up the subject of business until AFTER everyone has eaten. We tend to be more receptive to new ideas on a full stomach.
For more tips, click the RSS link to subscribe to my blog, or click the products menu button at www.RobinJay.com or Amazon.com to order “The Art of the Business Lunch.” Remember – how you behave while at a business lunch can MAKE or BREAK a deal! Don’t risk it – stack the deck in your favor by being prepared.
WHY is the Business Lunch SO IMPORTANT? Watch this quick video to discover the answer….
“The Queen of the Business Lunch™” on Face Time
I guess everyone wants to know how I became “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” (a nickname my clients gave me). I’ll get to that in a minute. My book, “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2” has become a tremendously helpful guide for entrepreneurs and business professionals. And now, I want to help even more people through speaking engagements as well as endorsement deals.
I’ve been focused lately on helping businesses to build deeper, more caring relationships. Allowing others to really get to know you – even some of your vulnerabilities – is invaluable. My newest keynote presentation is titled, “B Face 2 Face 4 Success.” It’s spelled out like a text message because the very technology that was supposed to help us seems to have consumed us, instead!”
It’s apparent that creating new ways to generate quality face time is on everyone’s mind – from iPhone’s “FaceTime” software to American Airlines’ new business-class swivel seats for in-air face-to-face meetings as well as their offering air-to-ground calls on the new iPhone, to CISCO’s recent campaign: “Welcome to the human network.” Corporate America is going all-out to put us FACE to FACE with each other.
I can help companies drive the message home – whether that message is “Breakfast is the new lunch!” or “Take time to make face time,” or even “Connecting on a budget.” As a Business Relationship Expert, I show how to create the quality face time that can help individuals to achieve greater success and companies to connect more deeply with their customers and clients….even on a simple coffee date. Also, many people need help with how they are supposed to behave when they are – finally – face-to-face!
My colorful stories help people create more productive “face time” when out with their clients – from getting that first, all-important face-to-face meeting to building lasting relationships. The more people you know, the more people you can get to know. Everyone in your circle knows other people who may need your services or products. Successful professionals understand this and take mere networking or business meetings to a much higher, personal level.
Information about Business Lunch is IN DEMAND! Here I am featured in SERAI - a trend-setting Japanese magazine
I recently trademarked “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” since I’ve become so well-known by that nickname. If you are just getting to know me, you will appreciate that during my advertising sales career, I personally hosted more than 3,000 client lunches and saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%. I wrote my first book on the business lunch and building relationships to help other business professionals become more proficient at building productive business relationships, particularly by sharing a meal with their clients. I’m excited to share that the book was so popular that it is now available in twelve languages.
Now, I’ve taken the foundation of the principles in the book and expounded on them to apply to today’s tech-obsessed world, when a great business lunch isn’t always an option. There are many alternatives to a business lunch, especially for those who are on a seriously limited budget. I enjoy helping others to create quality face time regardless of their circumstances. Distance and limited money are no reason to stay behind your desk all day. Sometimes, we just need to get a bit more creative.
In “The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Life,” the newest anthology in “The Power of the Platform” series published by the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, I shared a story in about my friend, marketing consultant Phil Robertson. In discussing the importance of opening your home to clients, Phil shared, “Now that I think about it, I realize I’ve never lost a client who has been to my home for dinner!” Of course I was not surprised at all; candor and vulnerability can help your business associates to see you as a human being. Exposing your true self can help you to create even better business relationships that will, ultimately, pay even greater rewards – personally and professionally.
If you’d like information on bringing me in to speak to your organization or to inquire about endorsement opportunities, please e-mail me at Robin@RobinJay.com or call 702-460-1420.
Etiquette FUN for Client Lunches OR Dinner with Friends
Louise and Barry Berlin share a laugh with me at a big restaurant opening recently.
I had a few friends over for dinner last night, including my friends Barry and Louise Berlin. Louise asked if it is okay to use your bread as a “pusher” – as in using it to push the salad onto your fork.
She was surprised when I ran to my bookshelf to retrieve my copy of “Etiquette for Dummies.” I explained that I went to a source because while I was quite certain I knew the answer, I really wanted to be sure … and when it comes to this particular question, I remembered that there are actually several different answers! That’s the thing about etiquette – different behaviors apply to different situations. MOST of these variations are simply based on the differences between formal and casual settings; bread as a pusher is no exception!
I was able to share with Louise and another friend, Edy, that in a CASUAL setting, it’s okay to use your bread as a PUSHER! BUT – in a more formal setting, it is not. No wonder I couldn’t remember!
Pick up a copy and be sure you're on the right track!
It’s funny to me that many people are often too intimidated to dine with me. I try to put them at ease by explaining that I was only able to write my book, “The Art of the Business Lunch” because I had already made every mistake there is to make; why not learn from my experiences? Why must we make every mistake ourselves? But I do know a lot when it comes to etiquette … I even speak on it!
So, where does the FUN come in? We started reading all about bread at the dinner table – how to pass it (to the right), how to take a slice (using the napkin to hold the loaf while you tear off a slice), and how you must put butter on your dish and then butter your bread; never take butter directly from the community plate and put it on your bread.
I think it’s fascinating to read about etiquette and discover all the little nuances that add grace to a client lunch or business dinner. If you’ve ever wondered about exactly what to do, pick up a copy of an etiquette book. You’ll really find it enjoyable and some of the tips are sure to surprise you!
How Do You Ask a Client to Lunch?
A Gift Bag - Always a Great Attention-getter!
You are ready to invite a really BIG client out to lunch. You have the perfect “power lunch” spot picked out. You have your corporate expense account ready to roll. You just can’t figure out the best way to invite a client to lunch. You are not alone!
Seems many executives choke a bit when it comes to inviting a client out to lunch … and the bigger the client, the more anxiety about lunch. It’s really easy to invite a client to a business lunch – and you are only limited by your own creativity. I’m saving the VERY best method till the end – but don’t skip ahead. If you do, you’ll miss some great ways to get creative!
Imagine an executive’s secretary walks into his or her office around 11AM,
You call THIS lunch?!
and sets a shiny gift bag on the exec’s desk. “This came for you just now.” Inside the shiny bag, the executive finds a brown paper bag. In the bag is a square, sandwich-sized container with a VERY dull sandwich inside – perhaps two slices of plain white bread with a single piece of American cheese between them or a classic PBJ, and an apple.
Written on the outside of the lunch bag in black marker, a note reads: “You call THIS lunch? Meet me at The Palm next week for a steak! ~ Robin Jay.” Your business card is stapled to the top of the bag. Really … who could resist an invitation like THAT?!
A stunt like this is over-the-top – but wouldn’t YOU love it if someone went to that much trouble to invite YOU to lunch? I know I would!
If you want a more subdued method for asking a client to lunch, a written invitation can work, though be careful you don’t come across as desperate! Sometimes, in today’s fast-paced business world, catering to old-fashioned methods might make you seem out-of-date; send a quick text message invitation – “When can I take you out to lunch?” – and you might seem insincere or uncaring. It can be challenging, indeed!
You can always just pick up the phone ~
There is always the phone call. Be direct … and be friendly. Now that I’m an entrepreneur, one of my pet peeves is people calling who 1. Don’t identify themselves IMMEDIATELY, and 2. Don’t get to the purpose of their call directly. If I don’t know you, why would I want to go to lunch with you?
Remember W.I.I.F.M.!!! What Is In It For ME?! I don’t get to socialize with my dear friends as much as I would like – so for me to make the time to have a lunch with a stranger, there had better be a good reason.
“Breakfast is the New Lunch”! …or shall I say, “Coffee is Quicker”!
A coffee date can be "Outta This World!"
If you want to BUILD a relationship with someone by asking them to break bread with you, you might have an easier time getting them to say “yes” by making it easy FOR THEM. Coffee is fast. Meet them near their office.
BEST OF ALL: The VERY BEST way to invite a client to a business lunch is to find someone who PERSONALLY KNOWS YOUR PROSPECT. Ask THEM if they wouldn’t mind setting up a lunch date. Tell them lunch is on you. This “Middle Man” of sorts knows both of you. They will probably be delighted to help you arrange a meeting. And – of course – they will get to enjoy a wonderful free lunch!
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS: Network, network, network! EVERY time you attend a networking event, you will meet at least 10 people who each know at least 10 people … and so on. Ask around. Find someone who knows the people you want to get to know.
Remember: An INTRODUCTION is the VERY best way to meet someone new. If you can arrange an introduction, asking clients to lunch will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done.
“The Queen of the Business Lunch” – There is Only One!
"The Queen of the Business Lunch" Gets Trademarked!
Well, it is about time! “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” is FINALLY trademarked! Robin Jay is the OFFICIAL “Queen of the Business Lunch”! You may be wondering what it takes to earn such a title. I’m here to answer your questions!
I hosted more than 3,000 client lunches during my years in advertising sales – though I’m quite sure that is a conservative estimate. My guess today would lean more toward 4,000. During that time, I saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%! That told me that I was doing SOMETHING right. I was compelled to share my tips and techniques with the world … and so I wrote “The Art of the Business Lunch.”
A lot has happened since I began this journey of sharing ways to build better relationships in business. First, most people are actually AFRAID to have lunch with me! Can you imagine? As a Business Relationship Expert, I can see why. But relax! There is no need to fear. The book has been printed. I am no longer looking for extreme examples to write about (Oh – except for my BLOG – where you may just get a mention or two if you misbehave during a business lunch with me!)
The Art of the Business Lunch - A MUST-READ for Business Owners & Sales Professionals
Seriously, the book is a fine example of the BEST behavior you can exhibit. Unfortunately, many of the anecdotes came from MY own MISTAKES! Sure, I’ve said the wrong thing at a business lunch. Of COURSE I’ve spilled my drink at a client lunch. And those times when I got back into my car only to discover food in my teeth? OMG! I hate that! Why didn’t someone TELL ME? But why make all those mistakes yourself when I’ve already made them FOR YOU!!! We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
The secret to an outstanding, successful “power lunch” is to be prepared. Visit my video channel on YouTube to view some of my tips. Here’s one of my favorite videos that explains WHY the business lunch is SO IMPORTANT!
Client Lunch? Happy Hour? Try My Favz!
The best drinks in Las Vegas are here...
I haven’t written a dining review in a while and I’m well overdue – since it seems I’ve been out socializing…drinking and eating a LOT lately…for business AND with friends! When I’m out and about and just loving a place, I want to share it with my readers. I have a few places in Las Vegas that I absolutely adore. They are consistent, the service is outstanding, and they are perfect for what I want at the time.
Whether I’m meeting a client for happy hour, taking clients or friends to a business lunch, or just building relationships, having a list of the best restaurants in Las Vegas handy makes scheduling networking and socializing events much easier.
I had dinner recenly with Mitchell Davis, owner of ExpertClick.com and the Yearbook of Experts. I use Expert Click to send press releases. Mitchell was visiting Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show and was staying at the Rio. He suggested we have dinner at Gaylord’s Indian Restaurant. When I saw a list of specialty drinks that featured a cardamom martini, a black raspberry martini, and an elder fizz, I couldn’t resist. I love Indian food and especially the exotic flavor of cardamom.
I ordered a cardamom martini, which was masterfully blended by Jozef. Jozef is an artist; he keeps fresh ginger and cucumber, cardamom pods which he grinds up on the spot, fresh nutmeg…and many more special ingredients lined up at the back of the bar.
Gaylord's @ The Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
For weeks, I thought about that delicious martini. I craved another one and talked about it so much that within a few weeks, my friends and I were at the small (REALLY small – just six seats!) bar, ready to see if it was as amazing as I remembered.
Phil Robertson, president of Common Sense Consulting, and Mike McGettigan from Langan had grown tired of hearing me boast about this heavenly cocktail. They soon concurred, however; this martini is heaven on a stem. Jozef went all out and – knowing he had some aficionados – created several amazing drinks for us.
With his incredible array of fresh ingredients, Jozef was ready to make whatever we wanted. He put some “secret” ingredients into our first martini; watching him work was better than watching a television cooking show! He took extra care and worked hard, and finally presented us with the much anticipated blends.
We drank them slowly, savoring their fresh, unique flavors and some lively conversation. I can’t recommend this little treasure enough – but make sure you go when Jozef is working. The food at Gaylord’s is the best Indian food in Las Vegas, but why not go when you can have a cardamom martini, too?!
Another consistent, delicious getaway is Grape Vegas at Town Square. It’s a fun, cozy spot with a great happy hour. Their wine list is impressive. General Manager Jennifer Gaydeski and Manager Kevin Mahony each stopped by to make sure everything was wonderful…and it was.
One of the aspects I really like about Grape is that it’s a kid-free zone, which is as it should be. Even though the space can get noisy – especially during a Friday night happy hour – it’s nice to know that it’s adults only. Kids, BTW, are allowed on the patio. The restaurant displays the somewhat exotic artwork of Las Vegas artist A.D. Cook on the walls, and it is not necessarily anything you’d want to explain to a child. It’s subtle and beautiful, but naked breasts abound.
I recommend you sample their menu of treats while you enjoy your happy hour. One of my favorites is a flatbread with fig, prosciutto, and brie – outstanding! And Grape also has some great hummus and sliders – always yummy. I think, however, charging 50 cents for sauce for the sliders seems silly; I’d like to see the management change that. I’d rather pay 50 cents more and have the sauce come with – agree? It’s like paying $50 for a prix fixe dinner, roquefort dressing, 50 cents extra!
Bottom line? I wish we had more fab places like these two gems in my neighborhood of Henderson. So far, my favorite place in Henderson is my own kitchen! Enjoying your own home, cooking, and atmosphere makes finding a great venue out that much harder. But, wherever you go, don’t forget the most important ingredient: Great FRIENDS and stimulating conversation!
Welcome to RobinJay.com Version 2
Robin Jay with fellow author, Keith Ferazzi
Thanks for visiting the updated rendition of RobinJay.com. You’ll notice that the website and blog are now incorporated within one site. Very cool!!
The fresh format includes drop-down menus, for easy navigation. If you prefer a search box, you’ll see that in the upper right hand corner of every screen.
I look forward to sharing useful information with you.
Please visit often!!
Robin Jay
Business Relationship Expert