A local restaurant makes a small adjustment to turn huge rewards for their wait staff.

First, I’m trying something new. My quirky template doesn’t allow for headlines any longer than a couple words, so I lose out on my initial impact. I’ve decided to add a makeshift subhead to see if that gets attention. If anyone reads this (which isn’t likely these days), let me know what you think. On to my story.

Tonight, Leslie and I took a drive down the coast to visit Gulfstream restaurant, the location of one of our first dates. They have this great outdoor patio with huge fire pits and comfortable Adirondack chairs that’s perfect for enjoying a cocktail and conversation. We shared some shoestring fries over drinks and enjoyed some people watching (never boring in Newport Beach).

We finished our fries and cocktails and handed over the credit card for the check. The waitress brought back the check to sign and it included the smartest thing I have ever seen on a bill, a tip chart. I’m pretty good about figuring out tip amounts. In fact, I usually give 20% or more because 20 is easier to figure out than 15 and I used to be a bartender, so I know how tough their job can be. I’m sure there are others who prefer to give 15% exactly, which is perfectly fine, but not always something you can do in your head. Gulfstream saves their diners the trouble by including a note right in the tip section that automatically calculates a 15%, 18% and 20% gratuity. There’s absolutely no way to get it wrong.

The best part is how the restaurant managers give tremendous support to their wait staff with this simple element. It saves the servers from getting short changed and perhaps even helps them take home more tips each night. The guest is happy for not having to think too much, the waiter his happier because they got more money in their pocket and the managers look like rockstars just by making a few adjustments in the computer.

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This has been a powerful week for me. Lately I’ve been contemplating the idea of doing more marketing and design consultation but I usually get discouraged thinking I haven’t learned enough to warrant the kind of reputation needed for that jump. I always talk myself out of it, but this week was different because two separate times, two completely different people complimented me on my knowledge of the subject. Usually I’d blow off the sentiments but because they came from people I’d never worked with before, I took them a bit more seriously, but it wasn’t just the compliments, but the conversations that made me realize my own potential.

Earlier in the week, some coworkers and I were lamenting about the fact our magazine was down in page count because ad sales came up way short. Of course we talked a lot of smack about the sales guys, but when my editor related a conversation he overheard about one of the sales guys not being able to close a sale because of $25, I knew why immediately. I don’t consider myself a salesman by any stretch, but I live with one of the best. Because of conversations with my wife, I know that the reason our sales guy couldn’t make the sale was because he was trying to sell ad space instead of selling the benefits. He’s selling a 4×6 inch blank space instead of giving the client a perception of value to the advertising investment. In the sales guy’s defense, the team gets very little if any training, so it’s not a big surprise he can’t close the deal. He’s an order taker, not a salesperson. If he took the time to find out the client’s objectives, present the benefits and features in a way that appeals to the clients sense of urgency, he’d be a lot more successful.

The other night, my friend PC (Phoung-Cac) joined Leslie and I for dinner. PC designs these unique high-end accessories she calls keychains, but they’re much more than that. Each one is a unique, hand-crafted piece of wearable art. They’re beautiful and she’s getting noticed slowly, but still isn’t making enough to live on. We talked in length about how to improve her website and how to hit her desired market. The more we talked, the more I realized that for her to successful, she needs to stop looking at them as a mere keychains and start treating them as a high end accessory. I added that she might consider naming each one, like an artist would name a painting. They are works of art after all. Despite what it costs to make one, presenting them at a much higher price point will give her the perceived value she needs to sell them at to be profitable. This is absolutely a Long Tail product that will do better if she sells “less of more”.

After my conversation with PC, I realized that I might actually be able to make it as a consultant because I know now that part of my success is going to be in my perceived value. The way I present myself will determine a lot of the business I get from potential clients. Having a belief in my skills and knowing in my heart that I can help folks improve their businesses is crucial to my own development as a professional.

On that note, you might see this site change again soon. Time for a new facade perhaps and a new attitude, but don’t worry, I’ll always be that same self-deprecating, rock-n-roll clown, just without the red squeaky nose.