Let’s Do Lunch!

Communication is critical for social and career well-being.

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But how do you break through when there are constraining barriers? There are many ways to bridge communication gaps. Rave Reviews knocks down barriers all the time for other companies. This time it was our team that faced the challenge of breaking through. The culture of our client’s company was reserved, skeptical, and reticent. The answer turned out to be as easy as lunch. The simple act of providing food for a meeting melted away the ice and opened the doors to communication, allowing us all to move forward in social and career well-being. 

​Our Story

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The setting was a mega corporation with worldwide locations, producing critical technology for a very serious, extremely critical industry. Rave Reviews was contacted to produce their international customer meeting.

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The meeting was a huge success. The client was extremely happy and the customers were singularly impressed. The event was creative, memorable, and engaging without ever stepping out of the desired atmosphere of sophistication. But this story isn't about a successful meeting; this story is about a successful process.

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These customer meetings took place every five years in various parts of the world. This time it would be in a mountain resort town in Colorado. It was a chance to express genuine appreciation, to introduce revolutionary technology, and to present a human face to their customers. It took several months of meetings, planning, and brainstorming to create the desired outcome. Because of the serious nature of their business, the people involved in the planning sessions were businesslike, reserved, and resistant. For a while the result of this dynamic was that the tone of the meetings was impersonal, stagnant, and formal–just the opposite of what the client wanted to project to their customers.

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Every time our team arrived we were taken directly to a conference room. Permission had to be asked to leave the room and an escort was necessary to go anywhere within the confines of the massive building. Although the meetings were long, and frequently scheduled over lunchtime, no one offered so much as a glass of water to those in attendance.

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Rave Reviews is in the business of connection, communication, and promoting business well-being. Our team knew that something had to give, the ice needed to be broken. How do you break through with a client with whom it’s difficult to connect? How do you put a nervous committee at ease and open communication lines?

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It turned out to be as uncomplicated as saying, “Let’s do lunch.”

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At the next appointed meeting time we were escorted as usual to a sterile conference room. We greeted each other in a businesslike manner and sat down to begin. Only this time Rave Reviews provided lunch. Delicious sandwiches were passed around the table. Chips were munched and cookies were enjoyed. Everyone in the room relaxed. Conversation bubbled and jokes were made. It was the most productive meeting to date. From that time on we became not only collaborators but also friends. With that barrier broken, trust began to build, and the whole team was free to create.

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Sound too simple? It was simple, and effective. Connecting the dots to career well-being was found in a path of social and physical well-being.

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Do you have a need to connect with an austere client, employee, or customer? Rave Reviews would love to help. Let’s do lunch and talk about it.

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Rave Reviews is comprised of a team of communication experts. We have been creating effective events, meetings, and team building activities since 1990. We are committed to developing programs that engage and empower people to understand how to become more productive in their interactions with each other and improve employee wellbeing. We listen to exactly what you need and deliver precisely what you want. Our specialty is seamlessly connecting business needs with dynamic solutions.

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