This is the first in an occasional series about people I love but haven’t necessarily met because they don’t know I exist because they are famous. People who inspire me to care a bit less about marketing. People like Thomas Keller, who makes a living doing nobler things, for which he is rightly worshiped. Each post includes a summary of why I love them, plus a brief website lesson you can act on today.
Thomas Keller is the famous chef responsible for the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.
His Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, is so hard to get into you need to start auto-dialing 10 minutes before 5:30pm, precisely 2 months in advance, to have a chance. I’ve never managed to pull it off.
His newest restaurant, Ad Hoc, is more accessible. I’ve had drinks there. It’s also the title of his new cookbook, filled with family-style recipes for the sorts of dishes I grew up with—fried chicken, chicken soup, brownies, chocolate chip cookies. (Okay, dishes I would have grown up with if I could have eaten whatever I wanted, without interference from iceberg salad and meatloaf.)
Thanks to the cookbook, my first attempt at making fried chicken turned out to produce the best I’ve ever had. Crispy and juicy and tender and mind-blowing.
After devouring his buttermilk fried chicken, I became quite interested in Thomas Keller the business person. If the man can make fried chicken taste this good, what could he do for my business?
In the book, Thomas Keller explains that Ad Hoc wasn’t supposed to be called Ad Hoc. That was just a placeholder name. An ad hoc name, if you will. He didn’t have the resources to immediately begin developing the concept he wanted, so he decided to make use of the space he’d already bought by serving the kinds of ad-hoc, family-style meals the restaurant staff usually ate. Then it dawned on him. He could develop that as a concept.
Ad Hoc was born.
They only serve one meal each evening, but it’s a freaking amazing meal, and it’s served in big, family-style portions.
You don’t even have to look at the menu. Your only choice is to go there, and trust they’ll do you right.
Maybe consultants could take a page from Thomas Keller’s cookbook.
For example, what would Thomas Keller do about your Services page?
My old website used to have a page called Services. You know, so people could see what I did. Websites, case studies, bios, lead-generation emails, white papers.
Can you imagine if Thomas Keller had a restaurant called “All the Types of Food We Can Make If You Want?”
It dawned on me that people don’t really come to me for websites, case studies, bios, lead-generation emails, and white papers. Not the right people, anyway.
The right people come to me for because they want to transform their business. It’s my job to help them figure out what it takes to get there. And to keep them from ordering a bunch of stuff they don’t need.
Yet, so many consultants present these gigantic services pages with every combination of packages and services someone could possibly want. Alternatively, they specialize in one single thing, despite the fact most people need much more.
The alternative to “All the Types of Food We Can Make If You Want” doesn’t have to be “Thomas Keller’s Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs.”
Nothing wrong with bacon-wrapped hot dogs. But an entire restaurant dedicated to bacon-wrapped hot dogs would get boring for a chef like Thomas Keller. And you wouldn’t want to eat there all the time.
So, what if you gave yourself permission to write about just one package? The package of helping people figure out what sort of package they need? You tell them, “I don’t know what you need yet—because our work together is customized.” And then you proceed to ask them all of the smart questions you’ve developed in advance. That discovery process becomes the first package.
My Wilderness Concierge is a bit like that. It’s the only thing on the menu for people who have never worked with me before. And I don’t know exactly what we’re going to make next until we start talking. Maybe we’ll make fried chicken. Maybe we’ll make the best chocolate brownies and homemade ice cream you’ve ever had. Maybe we’ll make it all gradually, one month at a time.
I wonder what this kind of package might look like for your business—and whether anyone can get me a reservation at French Laundry.
What you can do now: Buy the Ad Hoc cookbook (not an affiliate link) and make the fried chicken. Then think about whether your Services could use a profitable make-under.
Expeditions in progress:
Dig up more good stuff:
14 Comments
Kelly this makes so much sense! I have to rethink my whole home page now. What are my right people coming to me for and what can they trust me to deliver?
The only thing I can’t forgive you for is making me hungry when I have 2 hours before I can go home and eat!
Yay! Someone else goes to Chef Keller for business wisdom! My favorite: you need to go into service with mise en place in your business, just as you do in your kitchen.
Loved this timely post. I was just thinking about simplifying things myself today…
C
Cairene´s last blog ..Clearing My Circles of Influence
Wow, Kelly, this makes so much sense. And it explains why I hate certain things about my website–like the “second” cover-all-bases portfolio page I insisted on sticking in that includes probably 100 writing samples.
You’re right: Who goes into a restaurant and orders cream puffs, roast beef, French fries, pan-fried broccoli and an ice cream sundae?
Not “the right people” you want as clients.
BTW, Wilderness Concierge is brilliant!
Kelly —
I’ve loved the whole concept of your wilderness concierge package ever since I first read about it. In fact, I’ve been kinda fixated on it. Or obsessed. Or some other creepy stalkerish kind of thing.
I think it’s genius. I spend time thinking WWKPD…..
Thanks for the inspiration.
Kelly,
You – and Thomas Keller – are genius. I have ideas percolating.
Also, I *will* order that cookbook. And now I really want to eat at Ad Hoc. And I might even make fried chicken someday. (If I do, the pup will adore you forever.)
However, I would like to predict that Thomas Keller will find this post, and he will be so surprised and delighted that you will get a reservation at the French Laundry.
Pearl, you know, I like how your home page lets people instantly recognize themselves and then drill down for more. The only suggestion I’d make is to consider displaying a gigantic piece of fried chicken for the call to action. This way they can find themselves but they can also eat fried chicken. Test it!
Cairene! Now I know what to make for dinner if you are ever in San Francisco. Or–wait–would we be going out, to, say, French Laundry or Ad Hoc? (CHEF KELLER! Are you reading this? Do you see how we all love you and want to eat all your food? How about that reservation!)
Lorraine, it took me forever to remove those Services from my website. They’re so irresistible, because you’re always afraid someone will click away because they don’t see the THING they need. There’s also the other argument for SEO. But then, I think Sparky Firepants has written the authoritative post on that here: http://sparkyfirepants.com/2010/03/09/this-post-has-no-seo-blah/
Lori, really? Wow! My first stalker! I’m delighted! Please, make yourself at home. Would you like some fried chicken? I stalk stalkers. And thank you for the compliments.
Elizabeth, if you order the cookbook, you can upload the pictures of YOUR fried chicken, and we can have a monster-fried-chicken-dog-squirrel face-off! Not to get you too excited or anything. [CHEF KELLER! I THINK ELIZABETH'S SUGGESTION HERE IS MOST EXCELLENT.]
Hi Kelly-
I can’t believe you make fried chicken! How delicious- am always afraid of hot grease, not that I cook that much anymore anyways now that Andy has taken over.
I loved loved the article and message. Sigh… so sick of trying to figure out what to put on all of those pages and how to package, price, etc.
I do fear sometimes that my particular clients the kinds of trust issues that require the specifics and pricing out front.
Jealous of Cairene’s nice use of french phrase in her comment. With 7 yrs of french in school, am coming up blank!!
xox
Lisa
http://www.IntuitiveBody.com
Breaking The Spell of Overeating:Results You Crave
Lisa Claudia Briggs´s last blog ..The Myth of Waiting For The Right Time (to end overeating)
Oh, I like this very much. Probably because it validates my own less-is-more approach, but also because I’m sure my site could use some fried chicken.
Lisa Firke´s last blog ..Dear Don’s Next Job
OMG Kelly, I think I love you. Why did I let this post sit in my feed reader unread for so many days?!?!
This is EXACTLY what my services page needs. (Dammit.)
You are a genius.
JoVE´s last blog ..Why do you even need a grant?
Pure genius. Not only because I love fried chicken too (is there someone who doesn’t? I mean…), but because this was the most persuasive version of my own system that I have ever heard.
No kidding. It inspires me. Remember being in school, having a harried English teacher trying desperately to convince us all that writing a great how-to piece would benefit us? Someday? In the nebulous, great, unimaginable future of our Adult Lives?
Well. This is what they meant.
Thank you. How wonderful. And you should trademark “Wilderness Concierge” before all us humble writers steal it from you.
Lindsey Donner´s last blog ..Three Mistakes You Should Avoid Making
Oh, how I wish I believed this. I mean, I do believe it, but it’s so easy to forget.
Less is so often more.
Eric Normand´s last blog ..Now
Lisa CB, I don’t know if we’ll ever be done trying to figure out exactly what our clients want, but it is kind of fun to keep experimenting and seeing what works. At least, it CAN be fun, when things start to work…
Lisa F, Did you get the bucket I sent your way? I gave you a couple of wings.
JoVE, Wow! I’m so glad this was helpful! Let me know if you want feedback at any point. Maybe I could profile you in a post-inspired makeover.
Lindsey, thank you! It is a great honor to get such high praise from another writer, especially a really good one.
Eric, truer words were never spoken. Except when it comes to fried chicken.
That’s brilliant. I’ve toyed with this idea as well, offering one service, or one product for a given period of time.
So many choices narrowed down to one brilliant choice. I think I just read an article in the NY Times recently how too many options makes us stupid. Especially ones we don’t even need. Smart, single choice of our best work. Meant to deliver and pack value.
I’m going to think it over. With a leg of fried chicken.
Hi Susan, it’s SO hard to make that “one brilliant choice,” and in my experience, the brilliant choice is only brilliant for as long as it takes to figure out how to improve it. I’ve been tweaking and reinventing all year long. If that’s any consolation. Sometimes it’s easiest just to stick things up and see what happens. Fried chicken helps, too.