Restaurant Masterminds

150 Years in Business……..CLOSED

So, are you ready for the changes? A recent poll I read (on the internet of course), said that over 65% of Americans now turn to the internet for their answer to questions like, “where should we go out to dinner?”…following the story was the fact that many Americans not only look where to eat, but now they hunt down restaurants menu’s and photos to “decide” if that is where they want to eat. Even more now, the importance of your restaurants website, menu and facility will play a bigger role in the life of marketing your restaurant. Get on board with technology….if you don’t know the latest craze in technology….just ask a kid….sadly many of them know more than we do….but in reality, the answers are all at your fingertips…you’re reading this from your computer right??

At our last meeting in Albuquerque we talked about Constant Contact….this fantastic program has ease right at your fingertips! Even I use it and I haven’t been called a nerd since I removed my tape from my glasses and found that longer pants kept my ankles warm!

Don’t be the next 150 years in business or even 5 years in business….gone…..I’m asking you to stay in the loop of change….better yet, I’m telling you all to: NERD UP!!

Marketing your restaurant doesn’t end with email/mail or coupons….by just “looking” at your restaurant whether live or via the internet is the biggest marketing piece you have.

Ben Martinez – Restaurant Masterminds Marketing Guru

We’ve all done it. Headed into Costco or other large warehouse
businesses and found ourselves dining on the recent end of aisle
samples. There are times when people plan their Saturday or Sunday
afternoons for the trip to the store to taste minute samples of food.
While some think this is a cattle feeding ceremony as people snap up
samples of hunks of pita pockets, it turns out this is one of the most
brilliant marketing ideas put on by the food industry.

Adopting this same theme in your restaurant is a fantastic marketing
tool. No, I’m not asking you to have a sample table, but a tray of
samples of your house wine or appetizer is a great way for folks to
taste something from your menu that they may not have tried. It not only
markets your food, but the guest is pleased to have the attention and
have something offered to them for free. It also helps break up wait
time while guests are either waiting to be seated or awaiting their
food. Part of marketing is the customer service between the walls, and
by sampling some of your dishes or wines is a fantastic way to create a
welcoming atmosphere and promotes generosity.

So, to accomplish the in-house marketing experience, create a quick,
easy to sample (no utensils needed, or small sample spoon) and place on
a tray. Have one of your best “up sell” servers ready to roll. Offer
each guest a sample of “this weeks most popular menu item” and market
the item right there at your table. If a customer refuses the sample, it
is the perfect time to take a moment of small talk and ask them what
they would like sampled, and give them a glimmer of hope that you’ll be
sampling it in the near future. It turns the power over to your customer
and gives them that “feel good”, one of the best marketing emotions around!
 
Cheers,

I love watching the changes as our economy teeters on the edge. Everyone has been forced to raise their game. Remember the word service, until about six months ago it was non-existent. You walk into a store or restaurant and no one would greet you, for a split second you couldn’t decide to stay or walk out. Times have changed, the good news is someone has turned the light back on and people are starting to get it.

I recently visited Home Depot to purchase a couple of items for a project I was working on, when I entered the store three employees greeted me. I was shocked, usually when I go to Home Depot I can’t get the time of day from anyone. Imagine my chagrin when I was stopped and asked if I needed help by at least three more employees as I was shopping. People were genuinely interested if I was finding everything I needed, or if I needed assistance with anything. What a great turnaround, kudos to Home Depot for getting it. I remember when the store first opened, the service was fantastic, and Home Depot eclipsed HQ, remember Home Quarters the first big box store for home improvement. Now Lowe’s is breathing down Home Depot’s neck and instead of cutting back service they are increasing it. Cutbacks can be costly in the long run, you always have to measure the long term impact. It’s nice to see companies reverting back to what built their business in the first place, customer service, dependability and commitment.

I just read today that US Air is going to reinstate free beverage service, fancy that, some bean counter figured out that maybe the cuts went too deep. Maybe the airlines might have to do something to earn their money. Service matters, status quo doesn’t work anymore. Before this economy is turned around, alot of changes are going to be implemented. Any time you have a bad economy, opportunity exists. Consumers beware, you are in the driver’s seat again and I bet it feels great. Don’t settle for average service, someone desperately wants your business and is willing to work for it.

I love a challenge and have challenged my employees to raise their game and show our customers how much we care about them. Raise your game and watch your business grow, even in a down economy.

I know as restaurant owners you are BUSY. Some days if feels like you just run from one fire to another with your extinguisher. But, with that said you still need to make time to market your restaurant and one of the most popular ways today is by social networking. Twitter, Facebook, Linkin and several others. These sites can be addictive and fun but they can also generate new customers and increase sales. You can join our group on Facebook and follow our twits on Twitter at RMasterminds.

RM members watch for this months expert interview from Dr. Sally Witt which is all about social networking and how it can help you. Also, at our next Mastermind event in Baltimore April 20 & 21 we are going to have Leigh Kramer from Helicopter Marketing speak to us on how to get started on these sites and how to make money from them. For more information on the event go to www.restaurantmasterminds.com/baltimore.

Here’s a picture from our meeting in Albuquerque learning how to Maximize our Profits from Matt Vannini of RSI.

Nothing worse than opening the door to your restaurant and step into a puddle…while you’re standing there trying to figure out what the heck is going on you see from under the wall a nice flowing water scape….Well, as I gathered up my wits about me, I started back to the kitchen where I saw the water was draining….a pipe in the wall was broken. I got our maintenance man (my brother) on the job and began working on it…..as if the flood doors weren’t already open, in walks the Health Inspector. Is this some kind of April fool’s joke? I couldn’t believe it. Of course the first thing she said was, “shut the doors, no running water, shut the doors”….luckily, the morning shift was light and we finished serving our guests and had them on there way.

I was assured by my maintenance man that once he was done “sweating” the pipe, I would have no problem
opening right back up….we were about an hour away from the early lunch crowd. My maintenance man turned to the health inspector and me and said, “that ought to do it!”  WOO HOO….was I relieved!  We turned the water back on and enjoyed the sweet sounds of gushing water as it poured through the ceiling…..for the sake of keeping this blog rated “G”, I cannot tell you the words of “joy” that spewed from my mouth following our unexpected ceiling waterfall. That was it, the inspector turned and said, “keep the doors shut, call me when you are done and I’ll come right back”…..I pictured him leaving and heading to another city 45 minutes away and I’d be stuck waiting with empty seats.

I placed staff at both entrances and had them explain to our guests that we had “no running water, but here is a coupon for a free appetizer” to enjoy when they returned to dine with us. Luckily, my maintenance man,
  who I now worship, had it repaired in less than 90 minutes (after a few cuts in the ceiling),  the inspector was 5 minutes away and came right back and opened up the doors….just in time for a huge lunch crowd.

So, although it was a terrible time to take a leak, I’m happy to say that by having systems in place, a close hardware store, an excellent maintenance man, we were unaffected by the water issue, surprise health inspector and only had to turn away a few guests before re-opening.

Are you ready to take a leak and handle it?

Ben Martinez

Dimensional Mailers

If you want your Direct Mail piece to get open use Dimensional Mailers.

When you track your direct mail pieces if you are not getting the response you want, you may want to think about the packaging you send your direct mail in. Are you sending letters in plain white envelopes with just the recipient’s name and address printed on the front? A boring package could be your problem.

If you have a great offer, but no one is opening your mailer to get to that offer, try putting your postcard, brochure or whatever mailing piece in a box. Actually, it does not have to be in a box, it can be in anything that is not flat. Tubes and boxes are generally the most common dimensional mailer and both are regulated for postage by the United States Postal Service. These mailers will cost you more to ship, but you are more likely to get a higher response rate so it is worth the extra cost. Check out the U.S. Postal Services Web site to find out what shapes are okay to send. www.usps.com

Unfortunately, the Postal Service can limit your shape choice. For instance, you cannot mail a round postcard. You can find out more by visiting the aforementioned Web site.
The good thing is that with boxes, you can print just about any design you want on them, which will help you attract more attention to it. People are more likely to open dimensional mailers because it is like Christmas or a birthday – they feel like they are opening a present!

Dimensional mailers tend to get sent directly to the owner and are hardly ever seen as junk mail because they look important in their box or tube. These mailers also help you to stand out among your competitors. Some restaurant marketers have reported response rates of 25 to 50% from dimensional mail, so it is worth a try.

You can also tie your dimensional mailer to other marketing materials, like your business cards. Ask your business card printing company if they can create a dimensional business card. Many can create 3-D business cards, so just check online with several printing companies to see what they can do.
So, what should you put in your box or tube? You can send a direct marketing piece or info regarding a promotion you may be running, or you can send something that makes noise or plays music. You could record a message for your recipient to play once they open the box and see the recorder (you can get one-time recorders pretty cheap).

One of members made a DVD about a beach party promotion they were having and mailed that out to their top 500 customers.  Another member mailed out toy binoculars in a box and told her customers she had been looking for them to come and join a continuity program.
The biggest downside with dimensional mailers is that they cost so much to mail. This is why you should only send them to a small target market.  You can use your top loyalty customers who spend the most with your restaurant.

Here is a list of Mistakes when direct mailing to avoid:

Mistake #1. The biggest mistake.
Sending to the wrong mailing list. Postage is the most import part of a direct mail campaign.  Make sure you are using you’re top list.

Mistake #2. Not testing enough.
Analyze sales details constantly. Never do an “A” mailing without a “B” mailing. Check for response rates for each. Using a different offer or a different headline.

Mistake #3. Not personalizing your mailing.
Your sales letter should carry as much personalization as it can. A customer’s name is the most important word to the prospect. Use it often; at the beginning and through the body of the letter.

Mistake #4. Spend all your time on the brochure instead of the letter.
Most people will read the sales letter first. If you can’t sell your customer in the first paragraph, it doesn’t matter what else you include.  Always be selling them the benefits because the main thing they care about is WIIFM.

Mistake #5. Go crazy on adjectives.
Adjectives actually slow your copy down. State the facts and the benefits right off the bat.

Mistake # 6. Save the best for last.
Do not leave the most compelling reason for coming to your restaurant until the end of the letter. The same thing happens with TV commercials. The logo is only mentioned at the end. You are not Nike. You have to make your point at the beginning. Some time-testing openings for sales letters include:
•    asking an intriguing question
•    addressing most pressing problem or concern of the prospect
•    arousing curiosity;
•    leading off with a fascinating fact or incredible statistic
Start the offer up-front, especially if it involves money; saving it, getting something for an incredibly low price, or making a free offer.

Mistake #7: Ignore the magic words.
They are “free’ and “you” This mistake of not using the magic words can dramatically decrease the response to your mailing.  Remember it’s all about them.

Mistake #8. Forget about the envelope.
Remember your envelope is your first contact. Use strong teaser copy and/or an odd shaped envelope. They attract attention and will get open.

Mistake #9. Not being consistent.
Keep the packaging, the wording, the color scheme and everything else consistent with your restaurants brand image. Use your logo and brand colors on the package.

Mistake #10. Not knowing where it’s coming from.
Include your return address. With everyone on high alert for packages that could be bombs, your package may end up getting blown up if not properly labeled!

A FREE breakfast for everyone in America? Are you kidding me? How many Denny’s managers now have the marketing reps picture on a dart board? What the hell were they thinking? Just how did the board meeting go at executive headquarters when the marketing/ad rep guy stood up and said, “how about a free grand slam breakfast for everyone in America”….The CFO, accountants and controllers all passed out with dollar signs floating above their heads….regional managers pictured lines wrapping around the building and down the street, all while BEGGING store managers and cooks to please work…oh man, I would of loved to have been in that room. Again, what are they thinking?

Well, brilliance. FREAKING BRILLIANT! Every news station, every radio station, every newspaper, huge ads, and water cooler talk in every office, right there your brand is now on the lips of more than half the American population….not to mention the actual day of the event. This is not only going to be talked about today and tomorrow, but the economic stimulation from this promotion has got to benefit the supplier! How about those who have not eaten at Denny’s, their first time they end up loving the breakfast, you have a repeat customer! Will they collect their information and continue to market to them? Will the table tents attract someone who never knew they served incredible dinners? This is only the tip of the iceberg in the incredible backdoor marketing that is happening!

My question is to you….what are YOU creating that will make your brand hit the lips of hundreds, thousands, or heck, if you can come up with it…millions of people! Don’t limit yourself to the coupon mailers, get out there and find the niche, get out there and create a crazy offer, it’s not about what you have to lose, it’s about what you have YET to gain. Although they are offering AMERICA free breakfast, they really are not capable of doing so, but the invitation is worth millions alone.

I’ll bet any money the marketing reps at IHOP are throwing away text books.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I encourage YOUR brand to be on the lips of everyone in your immediate community, city or country!!!!

From the desk of Restaurant Masterminds marketing guru,

Ben Martinez