Healthy Influence – Persuasion Blog

In 1988 Melanie and I made reservations at the New Orleans Emeril’s.  Mark Rodrigue at Rubenstein’s on Canal Street had recommended that we eat at the Food Bar, which is pretty much what it sounds like  – a long counter top that overlooks the kitchen.  It’s the upscale dive diner experience.  We made the reservations for the first seating, 5:30pm, I think.  And, because we’re always hungry, we arrived early.

Somebody let us in even though the place was not officially open.  As we stood in the bar just outside of the main dining room and Food Bar, we could see and hear the staff finishing up a meeting.  The leader ran a spirited, energetic presentation that described the evening’s specials with a focus on key terms to be used when offering the dish.  The key terms were not simply a list of ingredients with jazzy modifiers, but rather were aimed at making the listener happy, interested, and motivated.  The key terms including “what’s new and different” and “why you would like this” ideas.  Through it all the leader maintained high energy and encouraged a similar feeling in the staff.  The leader then concluded the meeting with what must be the Emeril’s Cheer.  I couldn’t make it out because I’d just gotten my Martini at the bar – I heard the staff roar during my first sip and knew that dinner was on.

For the remainder of the evening I was struck by the repetition of key terms and energy from that meeting with the various servers and staff people that worked the room.  I could overhear snippets from the servers as they described various dishes with those “new and different” and “why you’ll like it” suggestions.  I could see the controlled bustle of every staff person whether out front serving or in the kitchen preparing.  And, of course, the patrons responded.  The room burst with excitement, energy, and enjoyment.  Bam!

And every time we’ve gone back to Emeril’s in New Orleans, we’ve had that same kind of experience even though we haven’t always caught the staff rah-rah meeting that precedes dinner.  Emeril figured out a long time ago that upscale dining is about more than just great food.  The Other Guys need to feel happy, excited, and involved.  The experience is more like participative theater where the distinction between actor and audience is blurred to create a stronger bond of immersion for everyone involved.  Emeril’s also figured out that this begins with the service staff and how they are trained and motivated.  In essence, the persuasion play Emeril runs is a kind of two step where he first motivates the staff who then motivates the customer.

Now, let’s move forward to 2011 and the recent National Communication Conference in New Orleans.  I carried Melanie’s purse to the meeting for our first visit to NOLA since Katrina.  We noted many differences.  Fewer people.  Less buzz.  More money moving into the tourist areas.  And we also noticed a large persuasion change at Emeril’s.

We again arrived early for the first sitting and yes, we booked the Food Bar.  While sipping my Martini (very dry, very cold, stirred not shaken, thank-you) at the bar we anticipated that staff rah-rah meeting both as a Ding-Dong for dinner and as a pleasant persuasion experience.  Learning about practical persuasion over a Martini is a great way to acquire new insights into human nature!  The house remained rather quiet and I kept looking into the main dining room waiting to see the staff gather and that rah-rah begin.  And, hey, it was getting late.  Where is everyone?

Then I noticed that the room had been remodeled since our last visit.  The bar used to have a wall that blocked off a smaller dining room off the main seating area.  That wall was now gone and replaced with a ceiling to floor curtain.  Our bartender walked through that curtain and I then saw the staff seated in that smaller dining room with a guy in the chef’s outfit standing among them.  Oh!  That’s where they do the rah-rah now.  Ignore that man behind the curtain.  Channeling the Wizard of Oz.  A little persuasion joke.  An irony best appreciated with cold vodka!  I listened more carefully now that I knew where the rah-rah was and then noticed the large persuasion change at Emeril’s.

The guy running the rah-rah had the charm, skill, and enthusiasm of a taxidermist.  He killed his staff with boredom, endless detail, and foolish admonition.  He mentioned himself numerous times in the meeting.  He lovingly focused on details that intrigued or puzzled him.  He spoke of his past and his future goals.  Then he told them to get busy.  The staff scurried out hoping to avoid his attention.  He looked as if he might call a remedial meeting.

It was one of the worst public persuasion performances I’ve seen as either an observer or a participant.  Paint dries faster.  Growing corn excites more.  Root canal ain’t bad in comparison.  The rah-rah guy couldn’t lead a kegger at a frat party.  And, it showed the rest of the evening.

Hey, the food was great and the service was smart, friendly, and correct.  Plus, as always at the Food Bar, we met an interesting foodie and shared dishes and conversation.  But the overall experience felt deflated, cool, superficial.  All that Bam! had left the building.

NOLA still suffers an attributional malaise from Katrina.  An event that devastating leaves lasting damage, but much of life can go on as before if you live that life as you did before.  You can observe poor outcomes today and attribute them to the storm and that damn President Bush.  But, Katrina did not kill the rah-rah meeting and the basic principles of persuasion, leadership, and performance a good rah-rah needs.  Remember the Rules.

It’s about the Other Guy, Stupid.

All Bad Persuasion Is Sincere.

Persuasion Is Strategic or It Is Not.

Drive with Science, Putt with Poetry.

There’s a Difference between Persuasion, and Smoke and Mirrors; With Persuasion the Illusion Lingers.

If You Can’t Succeed, Don’t Try.

P.S. And just to rub salt in the strawberries, if you’re a foodie with only one dinner in NOLA, try Stella’s instead.  That guy is a cooking fool.  And, if you’re looking for that former joy and buzz in the Big Easy, tell me where you find it.  I looked, but it’s hiding still.