You Need To Vent (Or Do you)?

Like so many hoodlums wearing hoodies in the 'hood, many commercial cooking devices masquerade as ventless appliances.

In breathless whispers, their marketers try to hoodwink us into believing that all are altruistic Robin Hoods - removing effluent from the bad air and giving forth good air ("just follow the blue arrows on the diagrams").

An exhaustive search of the available technologies would yield relatively few that truly could be classified as a ventless cooking apparatus in the first place.  Many perform the heating function, rethermalizing pre-cooked foods with conducted energy, microwaves, steam and the like.  Others can finish par-cooked products - melting, toasting, and/or caramelizing.

Typically only electric-powered equipment with their lack of attendant products of combustion can respire comfortably in this space.  Grease-laden vapors, effluent, odors, particulate and condensate all must be mitigated through mechanical means.  Mandatory too, fire suppression must be addressed.  Catalytic converters, charcoal and specialty filters, precipitators, ionizers, et al provide the mojo "under the hood" of many of these modern marvels.

Now, take a deep breath: duct-season is over.

Certain mini combi ovens use a blend of the above technologies to provide bona-fide ventless primary cooking, allowing operators to prepare a varied menu including whole muscle proteins (from raw to finish)!

Deep fryers with mechanisms that automatically dispense product are self-contained, with fire suppression and extensive filtration on-board .

Slow cookers such as cook and hold ovens and water circulators for sous vide (due primarily to the low temperatures involved) require little attention to ventilation issues.

OK, now exhale a sigh of relief, from Hood Brook ME to Mt. Hood OR, you can find opportunities for ventless commercial kitchens.  Now I'm exhausted.

🎃 A Frightening Visit 🎃

The haunted hayride from the airport to our first appointment led me to be believe that everything the sales mangler needed to know was learned by trick-or-treating.

From his inappropriate costume, to his empty tote, he was ill-prepared for the horrors that awaited him at the dealerships.

Our pumpkin-headed protagonist had one goal in mind: to procure treats (purchase orders).  He would not stand for accepting tricks (service issues).

Of all of the witches, Frankensteins, mummies and ghouls, perhaps the scariest of all of the apparitions coming to town is the werewolf.  You remember him don’t you?  No, not Jack (O’Lantern, we’re talking about the fellow who morphs from one creature when with you, and into another one when in front of a customer).

Why do we continue to drink the same Kool-Ade each year and expect different results?

The time has come for a new strategy: pre-plan the dreaded territory visit!

A few key questions answered in advance could eliminate the horrifying confusion and fear.

Who, what, when, where, and why?  Establishing the logistics before the bewitching hour could go a long way in successfully navigating the bell-ringing before the neighborhood curfew is up.

Will there be training?  What collaterals are needed? Is there a new product to be focused on? Any particular geographic area or customer class that needs attention?  Who’s making the lodging and entertainment reservations?  Are there any skeletons in the closet?

Having ironed out all of the particulars beforehand will go a long way in setting priorities and expectations on everyone’s parts.  Measuring the results against those pre-established goals represent the essential tools for gauging the success of a field excursion.

Accepting candy from strangers is only advisable one day per year.  Actively managing your relationships should not be an ongoing nightmare.

 

 

 

Foodiequipper May 2015

Foodiequipper May 2015

The FoodieQuipper May 2015

They said that you couldn't do BBQ in NYC.  Watch what happens when Brisket meets Brooklyn.

http://tinyurl.com/FoodieQuipper5-15

PageSaver - Foodiequipper April 2015

PageSaver - Foodiequipper April 2015

The Foodiequipper

March 2015 THE FOODIEQUIPPER

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Until Somebody Sells Something

Why do salespeople make the most money?  Why does the wait staff get all of the tips? Why do stockbrokers make a commission whether the security goes up or down, whether you’re buying or selling?

Simply put, because rainmakers make rain!  They, like the hunter & the fisherman, bring home the catch that will sustain the enterprise.

Those who invent, produce, manage, account, etc. are always at odds with Sales & Marketing. Although these business functions are vital to any endeavor, they don’t generate revenue.  At best, they can control costs, typically they increase them.

 

A business’ lifeblood is its sales.  Nothing happens until somebody sells something!

The sales profession continues to be vilified in these United States.  It is sometimes justifiably ridiculed, but more often than not, the lampooning is committed out of jealously and/or misunderstanding.

We are continually reminded by popular media that the best opportunities are those that don’t require “selling”.  How ridiculous!  Sales is the engine that delivers you (and your associates) from poverty. It must be the main obsession of everyone in an organization.

 

I recall an old sales trainer reminding me that when calling on potential clients, if you are not selling something, then you are just a commercial visitor.  Get into the revenue stream and find your fortune.

Marketing is akin to broadcasting, while sales is more closely aligned with narrowcasting – it’s personal.  Salespeople are tasked with finding out what people want and then helping them to get it.   It is amazing to me that customer service personnel (back at headquarters) are so often ignorant of the herculean efforts put forth in the pursuit of a sale, believing instead that the steady influx of orders somehow magically appears on the fax or email.

Given the current marketplace generational shift - the greying of the baby boomers - we are due to experience a lack of qualified sales and marketing professionals. Very few Gen-X’ers are in the profession, and a certain lack of appeal to Millennials almost guarantees a paucity in their ranks as well.

The disruptive influence of e-commerce is often cited as the salvation of an enterprise’s top line.  This can be true in more commoditized offerings.  For high value, intricate, system sales, solution sales, luxury items, and a plethora of other categories, people still want to buy from people.  Relationships matter. 

Networking is at the core of the modern sales profession, and social media is now taking a leading role in customer “touches”.  This bodes well for future generations of digital natives.

If properly trained, anyone can do it!  Success in selling is open to every personality type, ethnic group, gender, and whatever other subcategory of folks that you can conjure. 

 

Like mercenaries, hired guns, and pro athletes, a sales team’s loyalties reside with their current offering.  That loyalty can only be sustained by the maintenance of an ethical proposition.

Besides the lucrative nature of the endeavor, a sense of pride and achievement permeates any successful sales operation, due to the satisfying of the needs of clients.

So, defend sales and marketing, befriend sales and marketing, and hug a salesman today.  Your next paycheck depends upon somebody selling something.