And, I knew just the place. It had been many years since I had last been there and I missed it. I initiated my internal GPS and guided us to Crown Chinese Cuisine.
We were seated at a table and soon the waitress came over. She started to greet us and then took a second look. Her face broke into a big smile as she recognized me. We exchanged pleasantries and then she wrinkled her brow in though for a moment. "Skewered beef?" she asked.
Oh, my gosh! She actually remembered. It had been at least three years since I was last in that restaurant and the waitress was able to recall my favorite appetizer.
What a nice feeling, to be remembered like that.
As I watched her going about her tasks, I noticed that she had a very large smile for everyone she met. She made everyone feel comfortable and welcome. It makes me want to continue going there and to recommend this restaurant to my friends.
Now, I know it is hard to remember everyone you meet at a show and much harder to remember what they bought. If you can do that, however, you will be well on your way to art show success. For those of you who have a hard time remembering your own name, much less your customers' names, I offer the following advice:
Smile and greet your customers like they're your old friends. It's amazing what can happen when you're happy about meeting someone. Try it next time you're at a show and let me know in the comment box what happened.