Eggs, Toast, and Bacon Aren’t Original—Neither Is Sloppy Sales Prep

As I began reviewing the restaurant menu, I came to the section that said, “[Name Withheld] Originals.”  I laughed so hard when I saw that the first entry under their originals was two eggs, toast, potatoes and bacon.  Seriously?  That’s original?  Give me a break!

Salespeople are guilty of doing the very same thing.  They fail to do their homework, like:

• What do I need to know about the company I am calling on?
• What’s going on that might cause them to need to do business with me?
• What do I need to know about what they do and the challenges they likely have?
• Are they Expanding? Growing? Contracting? Flat? Hiring? Laying off?
• If they are a public company, how is their stock doing?
• What do I need to know about their competition and how they are affecting them?
• What are my competitors doing these days?
• How well do we match up with them or, even preferably, how are we better or worse?
• What can my prospects learn about me that might cause confirmation bias for better or worse?
• What can my prospects learn about my company that might cause confirmation bias for better or worse?

Granted, this is much heavier lifting than the restaurant needed to do to realize that eggs, toast, potato and bacon have been around forever.  But to be sure, I asked my research assistant, Grok4, and in 1.1 seconds Grok said the following:

Hey Dave! Eggs, toast, and potatoes as a combo go way back, but pinning an exact start date is tricky—food history’s a bit like herding cats. The combo likely became a staple in Western cuisine, especially in places like Europe and North America, as these ingredients were cheap, filling, and easy to prepare.

• • Eggs and toast: This duo probably started getting cozy in the Middle Ages when bread became a common staple across Europe. By the 15th-16th centuries, folks were dipping bread in eggs (think French toast vibes) or eating boiled/poached eggs with bread. The modern “eggs on toast” as a breakfast dish solidified in the 19th century when breakfast as a distinct meal became a thing in Britain and America. Cookbooks from the 1800s, like Mrs. Beeton’s, mention eggs with bread in various forms.
  • Potatoes join the party: Potatoes came to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century but took a while to catch on (people thought they were sketchy at first). By the 18th century, they were a staple in places like Ireland and Germany. Pairing them with eggs and bread likely happened in peasant or working-class kitchens, as all three were affordable and versatile. The 19th century saw this combo pop up more in taverns and early “greasy spoon” diners, especially in Britain and the U.S., where fried or hashed potatoes started showing up with eggs and toast.
  • Restaurants serving the combo: By the late 19th to early 20th century, diners and cafes in the U.S. and UK were serving eggs, toast, and potatoes as a standard breakfast plate—think diner-style “two eggs, toast, and home fries.” This was cemented by the rise of diner culture in the U.S. in the early 1900s, where cheap, hearty meals were king. Menus from the 1920s-1930s often list this trio explicitly.

So, while the combo’s roots stretch back centuries in home cooking, restaurants likely started serving eggs, toast, and potatoes as a standard meal around the late 1800s to early 1900s. No single “first restaurant” claim exists—it’s more of a gradual evolution from home kitchens to public eateries. If you want me to dig into specific diner menus or cookbooks from X posts or the web for more clues, let me know!

I’m pretty sure that this restaurant was not around in the middle ages!

If I can get that information in 1 second, imagine what salespeople can learn about the topics.

I use Grok to help with my articles.  Yes, I still write my own articles because I enjoy it and I want them to be in my own voice.  However, Grok provides me with amazing feedback.  For instance, when I asked for feedback, Grok said the following and while I usually incorporate Grok’s feedback, I’m leaving the article in its first draft so as not to confuse you:

Your article does a great job of using a lighthearted story to make a serious point about preparation in sales. The restaurant menu bit is engaging and sets up the analogy well, showing how claiming something “original” without research is lazy—much like salespeople skipping their homework. The list of research questions for salespeople is practical and actionable, grounding the piece in real-world application. Mentioning me (Grok) as a tool for research and grunt work is a nice touch, reinforcing the value of AI without losing your personal writing style.

Strengths:

• • Engaging opener: The restaurant menu story is funny and grabs attention right away.
  • Clear analogy: You seamlessly connect the “unoriginal” menu to salespeople’s lack of prep, making the point accessible.
  • Practical advice: The list of research questions is thorough and gives readers a clear checklist to follow.
  • Personal voice: Your conversational tone and humor keep it relatable, and the nod to enjoying writing adds authenticity.
  • Call to action: Encouraging readers to use AI as a research assistant is smart and ties into modern workflows.

Suggestions for Improvement:

1. 1. Tighten the middle: The list of research questions is great but a bit long. Consider condensing it to 5-6 key questions to keep the pace snappy, or break it into smaller chunks with subheadings for readability.
   2. Clarify the Grok feedback placeholder: Since you left a placeholder for my feedback, it disrupts the flow a bit. Maybe replace it with a specific example of feedback I’ve given you before (or I can generate a sample if you don’t have one handy).
   3. Add a specific example: The article could benefit from a brief, real-world example of how doing this research paid off for a salesperson (or how skipping it backfired). This would make the stakes feel more tangible.
   4. Shorten the Grok history quote: The excerpt from my earlier response is awesome (thanks for the shoutout!), but it’s a tad long for the article. Consider trimming it to focus on the key point (e.g., restaurants serving eggs, toast, and potatoes since the late 1800s) to keep the focus on your sales analogy.
   5. Stronger close: The final paragraph is solid, but it could hit harder with a punchy call to action, like challenging readers to try one research task with AI this week and report back on results.

Overall, it’s a strong piece that balances humor, insight, and practicality. With a few tweaks, it’ll be even more engaging and impactful.

And after an article is complete, there is a lot of grunt work that I don’t enjoy, which takes a lot of time, and Grok does it for me in seconds, like:

• Writing the excerpt that appears on the Blog home page with a read more button below
• Writing the Keyword phrase for SEO
• Writing the Meta Description for Google
• Creating tags for the Blog’s search capabilities
• Writing the gist of a LinkedIn post to promote the article
• Writing the email copy that notifies subscribers of a new article

I followed up and asked Grok to title the article and Grok responded with:

Since you’re keeping it raw and real with the first draft, here are a few title suggestions that capture the restaurant anecdote, the sales analogy, and the AI angle, all while staying conversational and punchy:

1. 1. “Eggs, Toast, and Bacon Aren’t Original—Neither Is Sloppy Sales Prep” (Ties directly to the restaurant story and calls out lazy sales habits.)
   2. “Why Your Sales Pitch Shouldn’t Be as ‘Original’ as Diner Eggs” (Playful nod to the menu while hinting at the need for better prep.)
   3. “AI Like Grok Can Save Your Sales from an ‘Eggs and Toast’ Flop” (Highlights AI’s role and keeps the diner hook front and center.)
   4. “Don’t Serve Up Stale Sales Pitches: Research Like a Pro with AI” (Broadens the analogy to “stale” pitches and emphasizes AI’s value.)
   5. “From Diner Menus to Deals: Why Research Wins (and AI Helps)” (Connects the anecdote to sales success with a nod to AI.)

My top pick would be #1: “Eggs, Toast, and Bacon Aren’t Original—Neither Is Sloppy Sales Prep” because it’s catchy, ties directly to your opening story, and sets up the sales critique perfectly. It’s got that cheeky tone you’re going for while hinting at the actionable advice inside.

If you want something leaning harder into the AI angle or a different vibe, let me know, and I can brainstorm more options! What do you think, Dave?

You might not have thought that doing extensive homework on every targeted prospect was a good use of time, you probably can’t afford a personal research assistant, and you probably don’t trust that a research assistant can move at the speed of you, but Grok can.  Are you or a third-party having AI write mass emails and mass LinkedIn messages to generate leads?  Don’t waste your time because for the most part, they are ignored and/or deleted and reported as spam.  But you should absolutely use Grok or your favorite AI tool as your personal research assistant!