Two Tequilas!

On the day of my ceremonial birthday, I’m reminded of a recent time, after all the years walking into bars, how incredible it is when something ‘new’ happens. Sales-savy too.

Nearing the counter, I enquired of my companion, ‘what do you fancy?’

Immediately, one of the two bartenders slammed a pair of shot glasses right on the bar between me and him, exclaiming, “two jagermeisters!”

Instant chuckle. A firm, but polite, ‘no’.

‘Two pints please’, I ordered.

“And two jagies!” Straight back, accompanied with another playful plonk of the empty shot pots.

‘No thanks’, I reiterated.

“Then tequilas!”

All in playful manner, yet a lovely selling point.

His approach made us stay in his place. For longer than we’d planned. And we ordered a bar snack (which we may or may not have really needed).

Competition along that particular strip is tight.

What annoys me so often about such places, is that those with a location to die for all too often allow service and product to fall so short of where they really ought be aiming, They’ve got lazy. Sinking to doing the bare minimum because their physical spot means there’s a constant stream of punters, regardless.

This was happily bucking that trend.

And drinkers were buying his chasers.

Another point, is that he’d shaped his bar to make this a ‘thing’.

The way the empty shooter glasses were arranged. Deliberately so that he could reach under the counter-top and thrust them right in front of you. All with eye contact maintained. And with any accompaniment – totally fresh pineapple unusually in tequila’s case – also right beside.

Despite this being from the world of retail, how many of our workspaces are similarly crafted? (Meezers celebrate…)

And how many times when that pregnant pause strikes, whether ever so slight but still perceptible, do we suggest to our prospects that little extra?