Site-Wide Activity Forums Tea Conversations Have you converted friends to tea? Share you story

10 replies, 9 voices Last updated by Robert Godden 11 years, 8 months ago
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    • #8101

      Jackie
      Keymaster
      @jackie

      I know @happygaiwan has converted friends to tea (he runs Brandon Tea Club in Canada) – and I know @lahikmajoe has made it a mission to convert the entire world to tea. That is, it was his mission before he became a hotshot newspaper editor : P 

      Anyway, have you converted friends to tea? If so, how? Share the good stories, and the bad ones, like the times when you failed.

      J.

    • #8102

      Anonymous
      Inactive
      @

      *I like to think I’ve half-converted some people in the ol’ Tea Club, or at least showed them what these humble leaves can really do. @Kaylotta can attest (in her latest blog post, even) that I’ve opened her up a little bit to different teas.

      My friend Harvey, normally a blue-collar whiskey, home brew beer, and coffee guy, has started drinking tea recently. Perhaps I’ll work on him some more…

    • #8105

      Xavier
      Participant
      @xavier

      I share a cup with friends/colleagues from time to time but I didn’t convert them.

    • #8107

      lazyliteratus
      Participant
      @lazyliteratus

      My efforts, actually, have been mostly unsuccessful. Those that I had turned on to particular teas already were casual tea drinkers. My own brother – whom I live with – is still partial to Lipton, and I’ve only been able to ween him away from it a smidge with the introduction to Silver Needle.

      Guess I have to work on my pitch.

    • #8108

      liberteas
      Participant
      @liberteas

      I’ve been rather unsuccessful with converting others as well.  My husband drinks soda and the occasional cup of coffee… that’s it.  My daughters occasionally drink tea, but they are hardly what I’d call “tea drinkers,” as my oldest has maybe two or three cups of tea a week, and my youngest has maybe one cup of tea every three months or so!  haha

      Sorry I couldn’t be of more help there!

    • #8109

      jopj
      Participant
      @jopj

      *so maybe it’s a slow beginning, although it is extremely significant to me my daughter is now an herbal tea drinker and hubby is on that road also. next stop camellia sinensis

    • #8112

      Anonymous
      Inactive
      @

      Haha I’ve got a reputation for being a tea head so a lot of my mates dismiss me offering tea out of hand. Mind you, if they run out of bags they’re not above stealing the good stuff, so maybe some of it’s rubbing off!

    • #8113

      Jackie
      Keymaster
      @jackie

      This was interesting to me because from @lahikmajoe I get the impression that he’s often successful at converting people, whereas I am not. I can think of two people in recent memory who started drinking a little more tea because of me, but that’s not exactly a lot is it? On the whole when people tell me they really don’t like the stuff, I shrug smiling, and say “more for me.” Why I do that? Because it someone tells me it all tastes like water, I don’t think they’ll change their mind just because I insist. If I’m lucky they’ll take a sip, but that’s pretty much as far as they get. I think I’d be more successful at converting a tea bag drinker to loose leaf tea, because that’s just a no brainer, right?! 

    • #8117

      Xavier
      Participant
      @xavier

      @jackie perhaps you are too direct?

    • #8128

      lahikmajoe
      Participant
      @lahikmajoe

      You know, I should really save this for a blogpost, but since I’ve been mentioned by name, I’ll go ahead and share my experience.

      I have had success. It’s been one of the best parts of this teablogging lark. Although I’m not keeping a tally, there’ve been tens of people who’ve become tea drinkers…partly as a result of what I did, but not entirely.

      Simply put, each story was unique.

      Barbara said she didn’t drink tea, and I insisted that she would when I got through with her. It worked, but I have no illusions that such a direct approach would work with everyone.

      One advantage I have with this is that I see a lot of people in my daily life. I offer tea to my clients when it’s appropriate, and I make a real show of the Gaiwan when I think they’ll appreciate it.

      Had a client this morning who was really honoured at the very thought of me lugging my tea gear to her office. Little did she know I was luring yet one more person over to the leaf-side.

      Blogpost on that experience coming soon.

    • #8129

      Robert Godden
      Participant
      @thedevotea

      Yes.

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