Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The long and the short of it

We took a little trip away to see the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Yep, they are still there, more houses than we both remember, but it was great to see the ocean.

Then another trip up to Norfolk to continue cleaning out the house. Cleaning out houses wears one out both physically and mentally. Yet, I am determined not to fall down the rabbit hole of despair. Instead, with every movement I make I look at how nice this house is going to be for someone to live in.

I promised you a story last week and here it is if you have time.

At the show before Thanksgiving I had a couple buy a honey pot.
I asked the man if he was buying it for local honey since most of the honey pots we are selling are being bought for that purpose. I am happy to see this item come back in favor knowing that folks are buying a local product to put in them that is so much better than the manufactured honey that is made by bees who are fed sugar water.
So- I asked and he laughed.
Do you have time for a good story he asked me?
Oh, I love a good story I told him.
He said that he needed some things from Wally World and had run up there to pick them up, as he was walking in the store he passed a young man wearing a full length trench coat. The young man leaned toward him and said, "psst, do you like honey?"
Taking a few steps back and giving the young man a good look up and down, he thought, "I don't think you are my type". 
Just then the young man opens his coat and every pocket is filled with jars of honey.
 Very quickly he said "Yes, I will buy some".
As he bought a jar, the young man handed him a business card, it turns out he was helping his grandfather sell the honey.

" Well", he tells me, "that was the best honey that I have ever eaten.
So, I called the number on the card and drove out to buy more.
As I was leaving I pulled the young man to the side and told him, You need to work on your marketing skills".

We get so much from the interactions that we have with our customers.
I love to ask where they are from and find out a bit about their lives.
I love when they share a good story or two.

Now, I am off to work on my marketing skills.
M



14 comments:

ctarves said...

Yesterday the Bonner Bridge on Oregon Inlet was deemed unsafe. They have set up a ferry run for all transportation.

cookingwithgas said...

we would have loved to take a ferry ride. Maybe we can go back.

smalltownme said...

That is a great story.

Linda Starr said...

oh it's foggy and misty here, what a great place to be.

Sandy Miller said...

Probably good we are many states away :) How many rabbit holes can we find? But the beach!!

LOVE! the honey story!!! Highlight of my day.... really!

Shannon said...

The customer stories and info and interactions are the best part of the studio tour, really. The stories stick.

Tracey Broome said...

Love the Outer Banks, we used to go every October and fish for bluefish, then we had a kid that had to be in school and those days ended:(
Re the Bonner bridge, Gerry was out there with a reporter over five years ago and the AP reported the bridge was unsafe, after hearing the info on the bridge, the reporter wouldn't ride across it, and it's taken them this long to close it!?

Lori Buff said...

Great story. Of course I don't think the young man needs to work on his marketing skills at all, he sold more than one jar of honey didn't he. Hehehe

Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen said...

Your beautiful honey pots deserve only the best local honey! That's what we have in ours. Love this story! The outer banks are on my travel wish list.

cookingwithgas said...

the beach was fabulous.
I have wondered if we could fill the pockets with pottery- psst do you like pot....might not be the best plan!

Gary's third pottery blog said...

a friend and neighbor sold me a jar of her honey the other day and HOLY CATS it is the best and now I TOO am making honey pots and need to make some kind of deal with her...for the hand balm they make too!

cookingwithgas said...

that is great Gary! I love local honey- it is so good.

CATHY DANIEL said...

Pssst! I like your honey pots! Ha ha. Lovely story and what characters there are out there! xCathy

cookingwithgas said...

it was pretty funny... I do love a good story.