My initial reaction to most general sales advice is that it's usually repetitive and obvious. But the longer I work in sales, the more I realize that's kind of the point. We don't forget the clever stuff, we forget the basics.

When I first mentioned MeetWell to my wife, an English teacher, she reminded me of the Maya Angelou line "people don't remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel."

In sales, we focus so intently on the product, the pitch, and the day-to-day grind that we lose sight of the fact that it’s really your overall vibe and tone that make the lasting difference.

Whether it's the mindless chat about the MSG wedding of the week during the one-minute walk to the conference room, the smileys and exclamation points in your scheduling emails, or the inside joke from an outing, that's what really sticks.

Obvious advice, I know. That's why I needed it.

— Robbie

Sometimes you don’t need to overthink client entertainment, and just need a buzzy, over-the-top pretty place to have dinner where the photos of the restaurant do all the work.  

Located in the heart of WeHo, SUSHISAMBA is a remarkably beautiful rooftop spot specializing in a blend of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian fare, and all the hype you can expect from a WeHo hotspot. 

By all accounts from Infatuation, Eater, and Yelp, between the DJ spinning, Samba dancers, and beautiful people, the place has a real vibe.  

Menu: 

Reservations: 

Added value: Primo LA-people watching is often an underrated element of client entertainment. You often find yourself in places that you might not usually frequent on your own dime with some folks that may have a few more Bentleys and beachfront vacation homes than you. But that mutual fish-out-of-water feeling is part of what makes the whole experience memorable.

As a cultural dabbler myself, I’ve got seeing a Sparks game on my LA bucket list. If you've got a client who feels the same way, the only question is which game has the most star power and a good story behind it.

Angel Reese is one of the WNBA's biggest stars and an emerging cultural icon. She leads the league in rebounding and just made her third straight All-Star team. She's also become one of those athletes who I keep seeing pop up outside of sports, from the Met Gala to major brand deals and a recent NYT profile.

She'll be in town to play the Sparks on Thursday, August 20th at Crypto. It should be a fun game, and excellent seats are available for around $100 on Ticketmaster (here). 

Added Value: I have two young daughters. I took them to a Dodgers game earlier this year and my oldest asked me ‘Daddy, do girls play sports?’ 😭. Since then, we’ve been on a mission to support and see more women’s sports in person. Our first venture to see an Angel City game was a roaring success (partly due to popcorn and ice cream) and basketball will be next.

Black Rabbit Rose is a surprisingly fun 55-minute comedy and magic show at a cool cocktail lounge in the heart of Hollywood. 

If you’re familiar with the Houston Brothers brand of classy, eccentric nightlife spots (Good Times at Davey Wayne’s, Level 8, No Vacancy, among others), you’ll have an idea of what to expect. Their social channels are a bit sparse, but our trusty Yelp community also provides a good sense of the vibe.

For midweek entertaining, the show runs every Thursday starting at 8:30pm. They have a restaurant attached to the venue called Black Rabbit Lounge that serves cocktails and relatively cheap Asian-inspired hits (Gyoza, Pad Thai, Orange Chicken, etc). 

For a more elevated meal nearby, Musso and Frank's (Eater) is an LA classic. On the cheaper, more foodie-friendly end, Luv 2 Eat Thai Bistro lands on just about every best-of-LA list (Infatuation) and a short walk away.

Show details: Thursday show $40 ticket (reserve here) starting at 8:30pm

Location: 1719 N Hudson Ave. Hollywood , CA 90028

Added value: I’m a fan of live magic and getting to throw around the word prestidigitation from time-to-time. Some friends and I went to Black Rabbit Rose and had a genuinely good time. The show is both lively enough to keep your attention, and short enough to get you back to the bar, or to your bed/Netflix, in short order depending on your speed.  

Ever been hanging with a client and conversation just runs dry? Whether it’s recent and topical, or general and evergreen, the Oasis is about giving you one idea for helping you in that moment.

Would you push the button?

If you ever find yourself in need of a funny, generic story about the difference between men and women, and our collective inability to handle boredom, this is a good one to bring up. 

In a 2014 study called “Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind”, researchers placed men and women into rooms alone for 6-15 minutes. Participants were given a single button, which they were told would provide a negative stimulus (an electric shock). You might see where this is heading…

Men were nearly 3x more likely to shock themselves than women (almost 70% of male participants shocked themselves) with several men choosing to shock themselves repeatedly, lol. 

My favorite detail was one guy hit the button 190 times, so many that researchers excluded him from the study. What a legend.

So there’s the question for your next client outing. Would you rather electrocute yourself than sit alone with your thoughts?

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