Company Blog

Presentation and Punctuation

by Adam Zack — September 18, 2024

Seriously, folks—customers buy with their eyes!

The three most important keys to great sales are:1. Presentation
2. Presentation
3. Presentation
Seriously, folks—customers buy with their eyes! If your food doesn’t look great, it doesn’t matter how good it tastes; it’s like trying to sell a sunset in a bottle—nobody’s buying that. Sure, you can entice them with a taste of your delicious (but regrettably named) Ugly Rice Salad, but with hundreds of fresh food options out there, you can’t expect people to sample every hideous dish that crosses your path.Fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, salads, hot foods—they all need to look mouthwatering. That’s why packaging and signage are a billion-dollar industry; they tell the delicious story of your food. But what about the words on that packaging and signage? Since so much of our commerce revolves around food, grammar becomes everyone’s favorite recipe for disaster.Here are some real signs I’ve spotted in grocery stores:

Banana’s 59¢
Open Sunday’s 11:00-4:00
Jam’s and Jellies
Black Grapeless Grapes $1.48
Pop Tards 2.69
Yumbo Jams 3 lbs/$1
Rot Chicken 7.99

...

by Adam Zack — September 11, 2024

“(Failure) is a top-tier learning tool, and—spoiler alert—your wins far outnumber the losses.”

I’m constantly banging the drum about trying new things. New products, services, relationships, advertising methods—blah, blah, blah. And while I’ll go to my grave believing the grocery industry’s only constant is change, what we don’t talk about enough is how to deal with the inevitable face plants that come with failed change.Back in the day, I worked with this self-proclaimed expert—you know the type. The guy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone in the room because Google exists. No matter what I did, it was always a bad idea in his eyes. If I’d suggested installing a slide from the break room to the parking lot, he’d claim he could make it longer, faster, and more OSHA-compliant. Turns out, he just had a severe case of “I’m actually not that great, so I’ll bring you down with me” syndrome. Classic.Naturally, we butted heads, and not in a fun, competitive way like a spirited game of Monopoly (where, let’s be real, I’d still hate losing). Some battles I won, some I lost. And if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I loathe losing. Someone once asked me why I took every defeat so personally. I mean, come...

by Adam Zack — September 4, 2024

“When you give your best, your employees notice.”

So, I was working on a project last weekend, and let’s be honest—the results were as exciting as room-temperature toast. I told myself, “Well, I did my best,” which really means, “I tried, but my best was probably on a beach somewhere sipping a piña colada.”Actually doing your best requires laser focus—like putting down your phone, ignoring your cat’s attempts to get your attention, and pretending you’re in one of those deep-focus meditation apps. But instead of going full throttle, I settled for “acceptable” and gave myself a high-five for trying. Classic move, right?But seriously, does “doing your best” need to apply to everything? Probably not—some tasks are just “meh” by nature. I mean, who’s bringing their A-game to folding laundry or taking out the trash? But when it comes to work, customers, and people who rely on you, it’s time to level up. People can spot a half-baked effort faster than you can say, “Oops, I forgot to unmute.”In the end, doing your best isn’t just about avoiding self-disappointment. It’s about making an impression. When you give your best, your employees notice. They see your effort, your energy, and your commitment, and they respon...

by Adam Zack — August 28, 2024

“CAN’T ANYTHING BE EASY!!??”

Man, my objective in life is to get where I want to go the quickest and easiest way possible. I want to get to the goal line and say “Man, that was easy! I planned it perfectly. The path of least resistance was so simple to navigate.” Yeah, like that ever happens. In fact, when you do achieve an objective with relative ease, the thought is more like “Damn, I was lucky.” The path of least resistance (POLR) goes with the flow, cuts corners and requires the minimum amount of effort. Many solid “C” report cards, 2nd-to-last place teams and also-rans took that path. Woulda-Shoulda, What-If and Almost are famous stops along Route POLR. The natural tendency for anyone is to take the POLR. Not that it’s always the lazy way to go. Crossing the street, riding the train and tying your shoes all benefit from taking the easy route, but the substantial goals in our lives – winning competitions, innovating and changing the world never seem to follow the POLR. The real road to success is littered with I Trieds, Maybe Next Times and It Was Too Hards. Achievement takes work, and work, well, is work. How many times have I said to myself outloud (and others who have been around to hear me bitch) “CAN’T ANYTHING BE EASY!!??...

by Adam Zack — August 21, 2024

I aspire to be a listener … that leaves my co-conversationalist thinking (or even saying) “Man, you’re a good listener. Talking to you made me better.”

So I’m at this conference and I am talking to this dude who starts telling me about his cruise to
Alaska with his wife and what an awesome time they had. “I went on a cruise to Alaska!” I said
and proceeded to tell him about the time I went, how great the food was (and the drinks were
included!) and how I loved the cities and how beautiful the glaciers were and how I saw whales
and bald eagles. Man, it was a great trip. I could totally relate to that trip! Stop there: He didn’t
ask me if I had been to Alaska. He didn’t inquire which towns I liked best. He didn’t even ask if
I’d been on any vacation lately. But I could relate, right? Well, by relating I:

Stopped listening to him to think about what my response would be.
Made the conversation about me instead of him.
Diminished his story by trying to trump it with mine.

I am always trying to be a better listener (at least that’s what I tell myself.) Really I am, I swear
momma! And the lesson that relating is not always a good thing really showed me how I st...

by Adam Zack — August 14, 2024

You learn tone the hard way as a kid, when your mom said, “Don’t use that tone with me, mister!”

Non-verbal communication trumps the actual words every time. Every single time. Your tone may not exactly convey what you are trying to say, but it says everything to who you are talking to. Someone asks for your help, and you say “Sure, what can I help you with?” Sounds great on paper, right? Roll your eyes and sigh when you say it sounds like you are definitely not in for helping. “Your hair looks great today” sounds like a lovely compliment but say it with an emphasis on Your and a slight smirk on your face and you are just being sarcastic and untruthful. Do it the opposite way: “You’ve put on a couple pounds, haven’t you?” when said with a smile and a sincere handshake is sure to make the other person think “Wait…is he being serious?” You learn tone the hard way as a kid, when your mom said, “Don’t use that tone with me, mister!” and you tried to play semantics and replied “What?? I said excuse me.” when you said “Excuuuuusee meeeee” with the sarcasm of a 11-year-old. It’s especially complicated in today’s world where texting and social media are so prevalent in communication. Does ALL CAPS mean I am getting yelle...

by Adam Zack — August 7, 2024

We are actually in the people business.

My wife is always on the lookout for blog topics for me. Last week she told me about this one she came across.Sell emotions, not services McDonald’s doesn’t see hamburgers, they sell happinessFerrari doesn’t see cars, they sell statusAmazon doesn’t sell goods, they sell convenience Disney doesn’t sell rides, they sell memoriesNike doesn’t sell shoes, they sell motivationApple doesn’t sell computers, they sell trends And then she said, “You don’t sell groceries, you sell community.” And she was right on. The Vision Statement for our Jensen’s San Diego store is: “Working together to nourish our community, our families and each other.” I realized a long time ago that customers can go anywhere for groceries, but that can’t go anywhere for that feeling of community, friendship and caring that we work hard to curate. I’ve done some community public speaking in the past and I always explain that while we sell food, we are actually in the people business. Our employees, our ...

by Adam Zack — July 31, 2024

Famous people need groceries too.

Famous people go grocery shopping, too. Well, probably not the SUPER famous. I’m pretty sure you won’t see Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on the aisle looking for paper towels. Tom Cruise most likely has someone to shop for him and Barack and Michelle Obama probably use Instacart. Being in this business for so long, I have encountered many celebrities over the years. I was a grocery bagger when I saw Henry Winkler loading his groceries into his car. The Fonz saw me gawking and gave me an autographed photo. Robin Williams once held the door of a taxi for me, my brothers and dad in San Francisco (although I think we were just drunk and took his cab.) Barry Manilow was a regular shopper in Palm Springs, as was Suzanne Somers (who really had a thing for organic produce.) I once bagged groceries for Dick Clark, who was a very nice man. Bob Hope and Gerald Ford were regulars, and I’ve been in Barbara Sinatra’s house. There’s many more I can’t recall right now. But never did I think I would become friends with someone famous. Friends, as in I have his number and he has mine and we talk regularly. So who is this famous person? Well, if you’re under 40 you probably won’t know who Dennis Conner is. If you know...

by Adam Zack — July 24, 2024

I actually think some people ARE indispensable.

A very long time ago the key management personnel of my family’s small grocery chain planned a revolt. They schemed and organized, whispered and planned and spread terrible untrue rumors. Then came the ultimatum to my dad: “Sell us two of the stores or we walk! We’re out of here and you will die a miserable death.” So they thought. Mind you this was the general manager, a store manager, the grocery buyer, the accounting manager and the bakery production manager. Gulp. My dad gave me a call and said he needed me to move to the Palm Springs area and come to work for the company. I was living in San Diego, 24 years old, heading into summer and with a steady girlfriend for the first time in my life, so of course I thought of myself first. Move to the desert where it soon would be 110 degrees? No way. But I thought that for just for a minute. Blood is much thicker than seawater. I went to work for him and all the managers quit (except for one – the bakery production manager, thank you baby Jesus). We went to work figuring out what they all actually did and how they did it. It was scary and some things were hard, but you know what? Over 35 years later the company has grown, prospered and provide...

by Adam Zack — July 17, 2024

Non-verbal communication often says way more about you, or someone else, than what is actually said.

“Eye contact during a conversation is vital. It shows attentiveness and interest in what is being said. Eye contact is similar to a conversation; it goes back and forth between those individuals who are engaged in a discussion, dialogue, or chat.”– Jody Schulz, University of Michigan studyMany years ago I was introduced to the owner of a very prolific wine store. I had always heard that this guy was a full-on ass, but I was skeptical that it could be 100% true, as I had great respect for his store and his fantastic employees. As I was introduced I extended my hand to shake his and he barely grasped mine while at the same time looking away, effectively dismissing me as 100% unimportant and forgettable. Turns out he really was an ass, but it made an impression on me that I continue to remember to this day: Non-verbal communication often says way more about you, or someone else, than what is actually said.I was reminded of it again when I had a meeting with DW and some new potential customers. “Did you notice that that guy never made eye contact?’ said DW. Eye contact demonstrates interest and sincerit...

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