Luigi and Giovanni decide to open up a cosy little Bistro. Luigi is going to do the cooking, and Giovanni will wait at tables, although he has never done anything like it before.
The first dinner customers arrive and sit down. Giovanni serves up the steaming pastas and delicious pizzas. He then gets the big wooden pepper mill out, and goes around the table to each person in turn, asking them if they would like black pepper on their food, “You wanna da pepper?” Not for me thanks. “You wanna da pepper?” No ta. “You wanna da pepper?” Can’t stand the stuff. “Hey lady – you wanna da pepper?” No thank you.
This is all too much for Giovanni, and his Latin temperament. He runs off into the kitchen, ripping off his apron, crying – “Luigi – I no good at dis a serving on da tables. They donna wanna da pepper!” That’s all you are going to do with your business. Although you might not be very good at asking people if they want to join, the first thing you have to do is ask!
Now if Giovanni had been an experienced waiter, he would have known that it was his job simply to ask customers if they wanted pepper on their meal. As he found out, not everyone likes black pepper ground all over their food, and they declined his offer.
If he had waited for a few more people to sit down to eat, someone would have said “yes please” or “excuse me – do you have any black pepper?” So invite people to sit at your table, and then ask them if they want what you are offering.
Some people don’t want it. Some people will want it…