ASSOCIATION FOR FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTOR REPRESENTATIVES

DSR HALL OF FAME

Learn from the best

TOP 400 PRODUCTS

Widest distribution anywhere

OUR SUPPORTERS

Industry leaders supporting DSRs

814 DSRs Benefit from Relationships with All Employees at their Operator’s Businesses

TO DOWNLOAD this show to listen to it anytime, anywhere, RIGHT CLICK & SELECT “SAVE TARGET AS”

We are highlighting more from this month’s DSR of the month, Jared Rideout as he explains the importance of having interaction with every employee at each of the food establishments/operators that you do business with.

It took about three years for Jared to understand that each person in every operation was very important to his long-term success. Since dishwashers, prep cooks, KMs, GMs, chefs, line cooks and all other employees change positions within their operation and also move around to other operators, developing relationships with them is a big reason why he is now selling over 20 million a year.

Rideout also learned that it is a good idea to have a great relationship with the owner because they’re the ones who write the check. Try having an owner-to-owner type of relationship by acting and caring like you DO own part of the place. This means you’ll have to have a better understanding of their business so you can read and understand their P & L, understand food cost, understand yield loss and tell them the hard truth about their operations.

Jared gives a good example of how he got a prospect, the owner of an Italian Restaurant, to give him a chance to sell him because Jared happened to know the market on a product the operator bought a lot of and gave him a price on it. When the operator checked it out and the price he was being charged on it, he saw that Rideout really knew the business. Bringing something to an operator, like knowledge, as opposed to just showing up with a price, shows you are invested in knowing the business.

Rideout suggests to DSRs that they might want to think about building their relationships from the top down and make sure they have great relationships with everybody in the place.

DSRs, Be a Resource…and Sell Something!