On a Friday in May of 2022 a buddy of mine asked me to join him on a Pizza tour. First a Pizza tour is basically hitting a bunch of pizzerias in the same night, in our case we hit 8 places in 3 hours ordering 9 pies (4 people.) We chose the places based on ratings from a website/facebook groups etc. While what I should have learned is not to consume 2800 calories of pizza and 2 diet Snapple’s in one night, what I did learn was something different.

At the last stop Nola’s in Garwood NJ (which by the way had the best Pizza) we had a nice chat with the owner. Now Marc, the owner, asked a few questions, and with these simple questions he made our night. How did he do this, what did he ask, and why did it make our night?

He simply asked us what other pizzerias did we go to, and what we ordered. Immediately after we responded he asked his guys to put our pie back in for a few minutes, and topped it off himself with fresh parm. Let me tell you, the crust, the sauce the cheese, this pie was amazing. But that is not what made out night, it is what he told use while our food was cooking more.

He started to list other Pizzerias, and telling us the owners name, or who to ask for. He followed up with the line ’tell them Marc sent you..” Now why is this important, and what did he surmise from his questions. From asking questions, he understood what we were looking for simply put, what type of pizza meets our fancy. He took the time to hear we were on this quest, and gave use some key info. The Pizza business (well the high quality one) is a small community, and he knew the key people. He knew which place we would like, and also who to ask for to make sure we got good treatment. He really assured we would be back, not just for the food, but to support someone who takes care of his customers.

The question is can you find the right questions to ask the next time you meet someone to make a connection, to earn business, to gain trust, to get the job… If you take some time to think, ask, listen then respond with what you learned. Marc new how to do this simply, and more important he knew how to make the connection after asking. This is a lesson that I knew but lost along the way.

This opinion is mine, and mine only, my current or former employers have nothing to do with it. I do not write for any financial gain, I do not take advertising and any product company listed was not done for payment. But if you do like what I write you can donate to the charity I support (with my wife who passed away in 2017) Morgan Stanley’s Children’s Hospital or donate to your favorite charity. I pay to host my site out of my own pocket, my intention is to keep it free.  I do read all feedback, I mostly wont post any of them

This Blog is a labor of love, and was originally going to be a book.  With the advent of being able to publish yourself on the web I chose this path.  I will write many of these and not worry too much about grammar or spelling (I will try to come back later and fix it) but focus on content.  I apologize in advance for my ADD as often topics may flip.  I hope one day to turn this into a book and or a podcast, but for now it will remain a blog.