Eric Bam is a speaker, writer, and is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Perfect Crust Pizza Liners & IncredibleBags.com. Eric has decades of experience in the industry, including over 20 years as a food distributor, and loves restaurant people! Eric brought the BAM to this episode.

Here’s our featured takeaway and some other notes from this great edition of Give an Ovation!

Featured Takeaway: Use Social Media To Connect With People Before Talking About Your Business

“I think the power in social media is to do three things: Talk about your family first, because we connect over that. Talk about your community second, because we connect over that. Talk about your business and what you do last…If I connect with you on the first two, I’m more than likely to listen to the last one.

Some people cringe and say, ‘Three times a day?’ Social media is a moving parade, man.”

Who is someone in the restaurant industry that deserves an Ovation?

Alan White of Sofia’s Pizzeria. “Here’s a guy that just pours into his people. He has monthly staff meetings where he’s bringing in an accountant to talk about how they should do their taxes. What?? Here’s a guy that’s talking about continuous learning. Here’s a guy that’s talking about how you can do better. I get goosebumps listening to him talk.”

Some other talking points to listen for:

-Pushing a vision instead of a product

-The future of the restaurant industry – smaller footprints, tighter menus, ghost kitchens, bigger delivery areas

-Eric’s thoughts on Ovation

-Why Eric sends voice texts