TONY RIMBAULT, SALES DIRECTOR
AT CAPRICE HOLGINGS - Part 1
Tony Rimbault started working in hospitality in 2008 at D&D London before joining Gordon Ramsay’s group. I met him at 34 Mayfair where he shared his best practices for successful business meals.
00:00 Introducing Tony Rimbault
00:43 How do you sell in the food business ?
01:29 How does the menu & experience change from one restaurant to another ?02:10 What are business meal clients’ expectations ?
02:39 What is the market share of business & leisure meals ?
03:11 How do you know if a meal is going successful ?
03:41 What are the best conditions (number of guest, duration) ?
04:35 How important wines & spirits are in a business meal ?
05:34 Which advice can you share to sell more or to convince ?
07:03 How can the staff contributes in the business meal’s success ?
07:32 What kind of dishes are to avoid or to have ?
08:27 What is the evolution of vegetarian menu ?
09:39 What are the must know wines to impress the guests during a meal ?
The meal is at the heart of events and professional relationships. My masterclasses target sales team, managers and entrepreneurs who want to empower their brand image and network. An idea for your next seminar ?
MASTERCLASS #1 EMPOWERMENT : expand your network MASTERCLASS #2 LEADERSHIP : increase sales opportunities
MASTERCLASS #3 FRENCH CULTURE : expand your conversation
MAKE BUSINESS MEALS MEMORABLE
Depending on the types of restaurants in the Caprice group, business or leisure customers represent 70/30 of the turnover from Monday to Friday. « Understanding the guest & what they are looking for is key to provide an experience they won’t forget. When you sell wedding, the most memorable thing is the food. When you sell business meals, what people will remember is the food and the wine». Customers want to have a good time and obviously everyone’s time is precious. So make sure to go straight to the point. At the end of the business meal, there must be a ROI or a concrete way to make money and work together. »
CARE ABOUT THE CONVERSATION
A business meal is successful when « people start sharing more information that I need, talking about non-related business (family, kids, hobbies). When they talk more & more, when plate & glasses are empty ». According to Tony Rimbault, the perfect best business meal gathers 3 to 4 people for 2 hours or more depending on the conversation.