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Asking questions and learning about your guests gives you the power to engage with them on a personal level.
After all, the success of your restaurants is a result of the relationships you build.
Mark Schaefer weaves decades of research and revealing expert views into an entertaining guide to building momentous success in the real world.
Following the old rules of digital engagement is not enough...not nearly enough. Even being "great" is insufficient in the face of overwhelming competition redefining the limits of excellence every day. From the best-selling author of Known and Marketing Rebellion comes a practical guidebook built for the modern world.
Cumulative Advantage demonstrates how the world is stacked against us in big ways and small and provides new ideas to help us build the unstoppable momentum needed to rise above competitive barricades in business, in our careers, and in our lives. Filled with motivating ideas and fascinating case studies, Cumulative Advantage is an indispensable and practical source of inspiration for every person with a dream that’s ready to take flight.
But don't take our word for it; read the book. Cumulative Advantage by Mark Schaefer
Yes, so you have a record of them, if something comes up, you can contact them, and after their meal, your reservation system probably sends them a follow-up.
It's even more important to have that information from people who aren't ready to make a reservation.
They come to your website and look around.
They are interested but not ready to commit.
Have them join your network, and now you can directly communicate with them.
Sales are up, staffing is tight, and you are doing whatever it takes to keep the restaurant running.
But don't get caught in the trap of thinking your restaurant is busy enough, so you don't need to worry about marketing.
That's not looking at the big picture.
It is the best time to turn up the marketing and build your network during the season of record sales.
Capture contact information and build a relationship with all your guests outside your restaurant.
Not only will the network support you when things slow down, but if you decide to expand with another location, another concept, or even another type of product, you will have a base of people to connect with.
Value is a perception-based quantification in the guest's mind. It's not something that can be easily measured.
Just because your food cost is the same on every item you serve; doesn't mean the perceived value is the same.
Fine dining restaurants can charge more for simple ingredients based on the atmosphere and the service.
So when you are thinking about the value, you deliver don't just whip out the calculator and add up your cost of goods. Understand the perception of your restaurant. Sometimes you will be able to charge more, and sometimes you are overcharging.
But what if you change your process. Use disruption marketing to build a list of contacts that give you permission to market to.
Most restaurants pay for advertising to make a transaction, but f you use paid advertising to build a contact list, now you can market to those people all the amazing things your restaurant has to offer.
But don't take our word for it; read the book. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
With 91% of people tying your restaurant based on a friend or family recommendation, you need to keep your superfans engaged outside your four walls.
Your sales should focus on building a network of superfans so they can reach the people that your marketing will never get in front of.
1. Start
2. Keep going and be consistent.
3. Accept that not everyone will like you, but when you find those that do, build a relationship with them.
This is the meaning of genuine hospitality. We take care of guests! We make sure their needs are met, they are comfortable, and that they are enjoying their time with us.
Your restaurant isn't transactional. It's an experience. Take pride in serving your guest, not just processing an order.
Many restaurants say marketing doesn't work. They try one thing, then they try another, and nothing seems to deliver any results.
But that's the problem. When you keep doing one thing, stopping, then switching to another, any of the traction you may have created from the first thing is now lost.
Instead, look at them as building blocks. Do one thing, create a process for it, manage the process, then add the next thing.
The inclusive return of putting the blocks together will always be more than the return of the single individual blocks.
Word of mouth marketing is great as long as you are always creating moments of magic.
What happens when you create a moment of misery?
First, never disagree with a guest's perception of an experience that was less than perfect.
Second, do whatever it takes to turn that moment of misery into a moment of magic.
These guests usually become your biggest superfans.
But don't take our word for it; read the book.
Amaze Every Customer Every Time by Shep Hyken
Every Monday we send you a mashup of marketing thoughts, tips, and resources.
It's a quick way to start off the week with tips on how to keep your sales funnel flowing.
Even the local pub with the "Cheers" atmosphere needs to be attracting new guests.
The fact is that regulars can become irregular through no fault of what you do.
Their financial situation changes, their personal situation changes, or they may move to a different neighbourhood.
The point s that, yes, you need to constantly be taking care of the guest and providing them with an experience that makes them coming back for more.
But don't just rely on word of mouth to bring in new guests. Create a Sales strategy that concentrates on accelerating the word of mouth process and is consistently bringing new guests to your restaurant.
Value isn't just about the dollars someone spends. It's also about the time they give you. Most restaurants get wrapped up in the costs of a product and making a return.
But what about the investment of time someone is making.
You can lower the perceived value of your product if a guest doesn't feel the time they invested was worth the experience they received.
Check out this book by Allan Dib, The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd
