There are many ways to do this. Game tickets are a time-proven strategy, of course, only not everyone likes sports. A dinner at a fancy restaurant is always a potential deal clincher. And so forth.
Everyone does it, though. It's expected. Predictable. Routine.
If you want to be remembered by your client, though, you might as well try something unusual, something that'll set you apart from the rest of executives who only entertain their customers because they have to. Most customers can feel they're being entertained as a matter of necessity. They still like the entertainment, but the rest depends on their mood and your personal charm, and should the fillet mignon be overcooked, they might become upset.
Maybe you should try something completely different. Unusual. Unique. Fail safe.
Like opera.
Wait a minute, what a minute! OPERA?
Two problems. One, your customer may not know anything about opera. Two, you may not know anything about opera.
Still, you want to be remembered and appreciated. You want to give your client a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maybe. Still - opera? The problem folks have with opera is they don't know what's going on when they attend a performance.
It's all a matter of getting a heads up before each act (there are usually three acts) and getting good drinks in the intermission (with three acts, there are normally two intermissions). All you have to do, really, is select a good piece, find out all about it, and be your customer's guide. Instruct them before each act (tell them the story, explain about the moments they should pay especial attention to, throw in a couple of nuances and tips, relate some of the piece's history, etc).
It's not rocket science. There are only about sixteen great, invariably entertaining operas in the world. If you're thoughtful and helpful, your customer will remember you fondly forever, ESPECIALLY if they have no prior opera experience. Sounds like an interesting idea, doesn't it? Still, the problem is you don't know much about opera, so you wouldn't be able to give your customer a heads-up, etc.
Well, the problem is soon remedied ... How soon? (By the way, did I just mention that there are only sixteen good operas in the entire repertoire? Yes, I believe I did). You can attend courses given by opera professionals, or you could enroll in music school and spend some years studying music theory and other opera-related disciplines.
Alternatively, you could listen to my three-hour course once (or twice) and become an opera expert. Seriously.
Download Ricardo's 3-hour, very entertaining audio course Getting Opera - for real.
Ricardo is the author of a number of Mighty Niche books, including "In Bed with the President," "The Kept Women of New Orleans," "Jenna Jameson: the Chief of Two Dozen Hideous-looking Highway Robbers," and others.
A former business executive, Ricardo lives in New York, working as a freelancer, writing novels, and entertaining customers.
Source: www.articlecity.com
