It was the usual conference rush for lunch. As the morning sessions broke, 500 people headed for the outdoor patio where the hotel had set up multiple serve-yourself lunch lines. The tables were groaning with salads, meats, and other delicacies and they were no match for surge. There were easily 30 people in each line, two lines per table, and the variety of foods on each table meant that progress through the lines was slow. It seemed like every person stopped to pick at the food on each platter for 10 seconds before filling their plates.

I had no time for that. I had a couple of calls to make and I needed to prepare for my presentation which immediately followed lunch. I swivel-headed, looking for any opening or acceleration in the lunch lines. None to be found.

I did a U-turn to head back inside. Just as I reached the door, I noticed a bright reflection to my left. I paused and looked. The dessert table! With my focus on the main lunch lines, I had completely missed it.

I cut across two lines to reach it. There was nobody there. And on the table before me were four untouched bourbon chocolate pecan pies. Oh, my goodness, one slice of any one of those pies would be 25% of my daily calorie intake and four times the recommended sugar. Perfect before a presentation. Yum!

Putting my briefcase down, I grabbed a serving wedge; I dug out the first piece of pie and slipped it on my plate. Once safely in my presentation room, I pulled a plastic fork from my briefcase (always come prepared) and savored every slippery bite of the pecan pie. By the time the presentation started, my head was buzzing with the sugar.

Sometimes, our clients’ progress through their long lines of deliberation, negotiation, and contracting can take for EVER as attorneys pick at each paragraph! Progress is slow. So, it can be useful to identify a small offering, even off to the side a little bit, like the pecan pie, that our clients can purchase and implement quickly to build momentum and carry them forward until the big deal is ready.