Unreasonable Hospitality & the Empty Bird Feeder

We are having an amazing winter/spring!

Our son, daughter-in-law & grandson came to stay with us (they work remote) for a couple of months to enjoy the - ahem… Colorado winter weather (which happens to be one of the mildest winters, not quite what we were expecting; the East Coast is getting all the snow).

So, to help keep a 14-month-old entertained, we bought a bird feeder. I am not a birder. For those of you who are, that’s amazing. I just enjoy watching birds enjoy their lives.

Put the bird feeder up (away from squirrels, correctly positioned so all birds can see, filled with highly recommended bird food and…)

Why aren’t the birds showing up?

I know it’s only been 15 min but hey!! It’s an awesome bird feeder, like Amazon 5 star, and it has free food!

This reminded me of a speaker I recently heard at a convention, Will Guidara, former GM of Eleven Madison Park restaurant and author of Unreasonable Hospitality.

Incredible book on giving your clients unforgettable experiences. If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.

They had a dilemma! The restaurant had already received Michelin stars and they had made the Top 50 restaurants in the world, but they were #49.

Many of us would be satisfied if we received 1 Michelin star type service, but they were challenging themselves to take it higher. What could they do to give incredible client experiences and become the BEST restaurant on the Top 50 list?

Isn’t this where we find ourselves?

We build amazing training calendars, seminars, events, zoom mtgs, workshops, masterminds, places to work in and at, yet the people aren’t engaging, they don’t show up.

It’s especially disappointing when it’s something we thought our clients wanted and we’ve poured our hearts into.

Here are a couple of things I’m learning:

1. How’s my team overall? Have I poured into my team 1st (rolled out the red carpet for them) so they can roll out the red carpet for our clients? Does my leadership inspire my team? Do I empower my team to make decisions, grow themselves and surprise our clients?

In the book, Unreasonable Hospitality, Will describes over and over again the TEAM they created who then created the hospitality and unforgettable experiences for their clients.

2. How do I surprise my clients? Is my goal/our collective team goal to WOW our clients and do something outrageous & “unreasonable” that provides over-the-top experiences for our clients?

At the convention, Will shared how they had mtgs with the team to discuss what they already do for clients. Then they kept talking about how to make each experience ‘unreasonable’ and blow them away.

Depending on how you answer the above, what changes would you want to make in the next 30 days that create the experiences you want everyone to have - from employees to clients?

Start with 1-3 changes! Make it simple & have fun.

Also, read Will & Eleven Madison Park’s story of actually becoming #1; their journey is amazing and will inspire you.

Back home, while this isn't a 5-star Michelin-rated bird feeder experience, we’ll be doing all we can to be attractive to our little feathered friends!!

Here’s to all our success in attracting our clients to the amazing experiences we’re providing! What would it look like if YOU and YOUR business were listed at #1?

Stay tuned for birds-enjoying-the-feeder pics!!

Traci Evans

PS: As we’re providing daycare for our grandson while mom & dad are working… my hat's off to all you working moms & dads! We’re reminded just how exhausting it can be raising little toddlers - exciting, fun, wouldn’t trade it for the world and wow - naps are awesome!!!