Visitors to Greensboro, North Carolina are often impressed by the city’s wide range of restaurant choices – from the elegant to the casual.

One of my favorite places is New York Deli, a locally owned casual dining establishment that features some of the finest sandwiches and cheesecake desserts in the area. In fact, hardly a week goes by that my wife and I don’t stop by for Sunday breakfast or a business lunch.

Recently, the food critic for the Go Triad, the city’s free weekly entertainment newspaper, set out in search of the best “Reuben” sandwich in town. Some of Greensboro’s most well-known eating establishments earned favorable reviews; however, the New York Deli earned top honors among the contenders. Just how important are these critic’s reviews? Several local residents tell me they’ve been known to make or break a restaurant in Greensboro.

While enjoying breakfast at the New York Deli this past Sunday I congratulated the owners and staff on this noteworthy achievement and asked if there was any clear increase in business as a result of the review. Without hesitating, they told me the customer response was immediate and dramatic. New patrons seeking the “best Reuben in town” were visiting the restaurant in droves.

As salespeople, we realize our customers expect us to say good things about our products and services. After all, we have something to gain by the transaction. However, when a third-party with nothing to benefit from our business has great things to say about us, that carries even greater weight in the eyes of the prospect.

Who are some third-parties who might have something positive to say about you? Present and former customers who have no other dealings with your current prospects are one possible source. Also, are there newspaper, magazine or trade journal articles in the marketplace that have good things to say about you? Find them and you may discover gold.

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