Eddie Osterland

My Power Entertaining formula for acquiring clients focuses on the fact that nothing happens outside of new prospect conversations.

BOOK EDDIE

Originally from New Jersey, Eddie first tapped into his natural salesman abilities while attending graduate school in Honolulu, Hawaii. With no food or beverage industry experience he landed a waiter position on the top floor of the Ilikai luxury hotel. While working as a waiter at night, and attending graduate school during the day, Eddie found the time to become a airplane pilot so as to better enjoy traveling throughout Hawaii’s beautiful islands. Occasionally, he traveled in the company of his pet monkey!

One evening, he was asked to substitute for the restaurant’s sommelier. Upon realizing how enjoyable and lucrative being a sommelier was, Eddie eventually decided to go to France where he earned his degree in Professional Tasting (D.U.A.D-Diplôme Universitaire D’Aptitude A la Dégustation Des Vins) at the University of Bordeaux.

While living in France he worked as the head Sommelier at the Hôtel de la Poste, Beaune France. Eventually he went to London where he became the first American to pass the Master Sommelier Diploma in London in 1973.

Realizing that to be successful in the food and beverage industry he needed to live where his expertise was in demand, and, ready for more adventure, Eddie moved to New York City in 1982. While living and working in New York, Eddie served as the director of trade education for the International Wine Center. He traveled to 25 cities a year teaching client retention strategies on behalf of organizations such as the National Restaurant Association, the Italian Trade Center, and American Express.

After living in New York City for five years, Eddie decided to move to San Diego, California, and pursue speaking events where he can contribute his unique expertise of food and wine combined with sales psychology to create memorable events for clients and others. He has coached leaders from Citibank, General Mills, IBM and Proctor & Gamble on how to create memorable client dinners and experiences. He also taught during multiple corporate entertaining events at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Eddie resides in San Diego, California with his wife. He enjoys creating unique and lively evenings of entertainment for friends and family, and enjoys spending time with his daughter. He speaks at corporate events around the country, showing his audience how fine wine and food can be enjoyed without pretension and how to create a dining experience that will help you acquire clients. He is the author of the book Power Entertaining: Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships, Hosting Unforgettable Events, and Closing Big Deals from America’s 1st Master Sommelier. He continues to maintain his instrument pilot rating.

EXPERT ON
Entertainment
Business growth
Networking
Success
Persuasion/influencing
Sales

PROGRAM INFORMATION

HOW TO DEVELOP NEW BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS”

All business has at its foundation is a relationship between trusted individuals.   In order to grow your business you need new clients.  One of the best ways to achieve this is to take prospects out for lunch or dinner.  This can be done in hotels and restaurants or from your home.

In order for this to be successful you must learn how to do this differently than everyone else so that people want to associate with you.  Forming new relationships is the basis of all new business growth.

Understanding the challenging economic times, Eddie offers some very insightful strategies on how to stand out from everyone else.

Take away value:

  • Use Power Entertaining as a powerful business development and client relations strategy.
  • Learn new client acquisition strategies using Food and Wine – The International Currency for connection to attract High Net Worth Clients!
  • Strengthen and build long-term business relationships based on the time-honored principles of courtesy, generosity, and old-world hospitality.
  • Transform boring business meetings and sales functions into memorable social events that people will want to attend again and again.
  • Close Big Deals using Food and Wine with ease, knowledge and confidence.  You’ll develop an insider’s knowledge on how to really use a restaurant. . Show them you know the ropes and they will treat you and your clients differently.
  • Restaurant Wine Savvy-Learn how to communicate with hotel, food & beverage directors, catering managers and sommeliers when on the road Discover new client appreciation strategies along with useful annual premiums that will keep you on their minds all year long.
  • Develop confidence in your ability to taste wine like a Master Sommelier. Few business people possess this skill. Use this and it will change the way people think about you and your company.
  • Understand the principles of food & wine pairing so that you can create an experience that people will always remember you for.
  • Learn how to Close More Big Deals using Power Entertaining tips.

“POWER ENTERTAINING” EDDIE’S SIGNATURE DINNER OR LUNCH EVENT

Who better than the man who wrote the book… “Power Entertaining: Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships, Hosting Unforgettable Events, and Closing Big Deals from America’s 1st Master Sommelier.”

“Eat No Mor Chikn!” All too often people seem to adhere to a strict set of rules when it comes to Dinner events. Boring Rubber chicken and Filet Mignon dinners are what we’ve all seen. Food and beverage is often the weakest component to any meeting. It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s time to do it differently.

Your business and sales functions will transform into memorable social events unlike any your clients have ever seen, that people will want to attend again and again.

Gone are those boring business dinners where tables of 8 or 10 sit, eat and leave, having never once looked at or conversed with the stranger sitting next to them. This is a highly entertaining event…with an explosive start-up, followed by humorous anecdotes and true stories. Eddie uses pairs of amazing wines combined with a custom designed dinner he’s created with your chef. Soon the room is filled with excitement as your guests begin to interact while Eddie shares with them with his “Power Entertaining Tips” and guides them into their next wine and food pairing.

Your guests learn Eddie’s new operating system:

• How to use Power Entertaining as a powerful business development and client relations strategy. It’s not just about “boozing and schmoozing!”
• How to Close Big Deals using Food and Wine with ease, knowledge and confidence.
• Become a “Center of Influence.” Learn to brand yourself and your company with others by creating memorable and enjoyable social events that people will long remember and always associate with you.
• Use Food and Wine as “The International currency for connection to attract High Net Worth Clients.”

PASSPORT TO WINES OF THE WORLD RECEPTION & NETWORKING EVENT

This event is an alternative to any client’s opening night cocktail/networking reception.

As guests enter the venue, they are issued Passports by America’s 1st Master Sommelier, Eddie Osterland (currently only 147 in the U.S.). The Passports direct them to various stations throughout the room that feature delicious wines and appetizer combinations from the most famous wine producing regions of the world.  As people move from station to station, Eddie is there for their one-on-one questions and answers.

Benefits: This event is a novel way to “kick-off” any meeting.

  • It creates movement as the guests sample wines and appetizers at the various stations in the reception room.
  • It offers a great opportunity for networking and building rapport amongst attendees. Often people feel uncomfortable at these receptions, feeling that they have to make idle “chit-chat”. The wines are strategically chosen to enhance the hors d’oeuvres, offering guests something to talk about.
  • Participants learn what kinds of wines work better with foods. (They are not just Chardonnay, Cabernet or Merlot.)
  • People never bring pens and paper to events, and therefore never remember what specific vintages or precise food & wine pairing they experience.  The Passport they are issued describes all of the foods and wines of the evening.
  • The Passport adds value to the event because the guests leave with some new ideas on how to serve unique foods and wines, as well as their “Passport” souvenir of your event with all of the wines listed for their use later, along with your company logo to remind them you were their host!

PASSPORT TO WINES OF THE WORLD RECEPTION & NETWORKING EVENT

This event is an alternative to any client’s opening night cocktail/networking reception.

As guests enter the venue, they are issued Passports by America’s 1st Master Sommelier, Eddie Osterland (currently only 147 in the U.S.). The Passports direct them to various stations throughout the room that feature delicious wines and appetizer combinations from the most famous wine producing regions of the world.  As people move from station to station, Eddie is there for their one-on-one questions and answers.

Benefits: This event is a novel way to “kick-off” any meeting.

  • It creates movement as the guests sample wines and appetizers at the various stations in the reception room.
  • It offers a great opportunity for networking and building rapport amongst attendees. Often people feel uncomfortable at these receptions, feeling that they have to make idle “chit-chat”. The wines are strategically chosen to enhance the hors d’oeuvres, offering guests something to talk about.
  • Participants learn what kinds of wines work better with foods. (They are not just Chardonnay, Cabernet or Merlot.)
  • People never bring pens and paper to events, and therefore never remember what specific vintages or precise food & wine pairing they experience.  The Passport they are issued describes all of the foods and wines of the evening.
  • The Passport adds value to the event because the guests leave with some new ideas on how to serve unique foods and wines, as well as their “Passport” souvenir of your event with all of the wines listed for their use later, along with your company logo to remind them you were their host!