Last night mi familia and I went to a Korean Barbecue joint.

If you’ve never been to one, you are brought piles of meat that you cook right at your table. That’s right, YOU cook your own food at the restaurant. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for the chef.

But I’ll tell you who this is not fun for, your waiter. In our case, that was Billy.

First, it was hot in the ATL yesterday and that coupled with the fact that there is stovetop at every table, made for a warm restaurant.

Second, there is a button at every table that you can push and your waiter will come running with more meat. By the girth of some of the other guests, my guess is that button was pushed often.

For the record, we didn’t use the button option preferring to simply wait a few minutes for Billy to come back after a mound of meat was consumed.

Third, young Billy had to wear a tuxedo shirt, bow tie, and jacket. Not the best apparel for running a relay race with piles of meat.

Billy ran to and fro, from table to table. His shirt was literally drenched in sweat. Not only did he provide impeccable service, he did it with a smile. Naturally, we left Billy a substantial tip.

There are many lessons to be gleaned from my “Billy the Korean Barbecue Boy” tale but here are the most important two.

Lesson numero uno: No matter what the circumstances, you need to perform at a high level. One of the ugliest feelings for a platform salesperson is to have a tiny group of people in a large room. That happened to me earlier this year. But as they say, the show must go on. Regardless of your business, the show must go on even under adverse circumstances.

Lesson numero dos: Today, when you’re in your air-conditioned office or store and something “tragic” happens, like the coffee machine doesn’t work, remember that Billy the Korean Barbecue Boy will be slogging piles of meat and doing it with a smile.

Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!

Dave “I’m Eating Vegetarian For A Few Days” Dee

P.S. Response to this lead generation mindmap has been awesome. If you haven’t gotten your copy, hop over here and grab it now.