Anyone who has tried to collect fruit or veggie waste from a restaurant or market for worm composting knows that it can be a difficult task to convince business owner. This is a common snag for many looking to be environmentally responsible who have successfully grown a larger herd of worms. It’s fairly easy to quickly outgrow the waste an average family produces. This leaves one either selling/donating worms or looking for other food sources. So how can you convince that restaurant, market or other business owner with waste to give it to you?
When Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People he made a couple of suggestions we can use.
1. Call people by their first name and remember details about them.
2. Use a gift or token- the mind is programmed to reciprocate such actions.
If possible find out the owners name before trying to ask for a favor, then when you do meet him try to remember things he or she tells you and write notes later-This way the next time you see them you can greet them “Hi Tom, how are the kids?” instead of “Good day sir thanks for the food waste.” Making a human connection is crucial.
A market owner might appreciate a coffee or some baked goods when you show up, but it would be ridiculous to offer this to a restaurant owner- try to do some research and find out some small thing they might like.
Come prepared with business cards and I really like the idea of a sign for the business to put up. A sign that makes the business look like a hero or that they’re doing good deeds.
Create a few sign designs and let your supplier choose this is a vanity gift that the business owners will want their customers to see.
Without asking details of the businesses finances you can also mention that having you pick up their scraps for free will save them money on dumpster emptying.
Arrange a set pickup time and day(s) and ALWAYS be reliable and consistent.
With some persistence and practice it should be possible to develop some good business relationships using these few tactics and a smile goes a long way too.