Saturday, January 03, 2009

Restaurant Marketing: Happy guests will talk about you. Happy guests will advertise for you. Just what if you put all of your efforts into making your guests happy?

Posted by jcohen in
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Restaurant Marketing: Sean D’Souza has been one of my favorite marketers for years. He wrote this piece many years ago and I always bring it out at this time of the year to share with my clients. His site is: www.psychotactics.com and his famous Santa article is here where you can download the full version. For those in a rush, here’s a summary.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way...
If you go to the heart of Santa’s marketing, the one word you come away with is ‘consistency’. Does it make sense to consistently occupy one niche? You bet it does! Families go out with their kids to McDonald’s. These kids sprout into budget-conscious teenagers that hang out at McDonald’s. They have kids and grand kids and guess where they all end up. At the big yellow ‘M’, that’s where! Santa doesn’t waiver. His customers are kids.

--------------------------------------------------
You Can Spot Him in the Middle of a Crowded Sky
Do you know anyone who comes to visit on a sleigh in the middle of the night? With reindeer and gifts? The reason why Santa stands out so vividly in our memories is because he’s different. Customers have just one slot in their mind. You have to enter that slot at such an obtuse angle that they remember you for life.

--------------------------------------------------
Give and You Shall Receive
How many of you are out there networking like crazy? Trying desperately to fill in your steadily depleting bank reserves? You want, want, want! Take a look at Santa’s style. He’s into giving first. If you probe deep into your mind, you’ll find the people you like best are those who have given you their time, their money or their knowledge. You trust them, and it’s very hard to say no when they ask you for a favour in return.

--------------------------------------------------
He Knows if You’ve Been Bad or Good...
Heck Santa knows his customers. He even knows when you are sleeping, or awake.
Then, there’s you. Look at your biggest customer. What’s her name? When is her birthday? Does she like Indian curries or sushi? In curries can she handle hot or medium? What does she think about you? What doesn’t she like? You’re guessing for sure. You can’t be dead certain because you’ve been so busy looking at dollar signs that you’ve missed the plot completely. The reason why Santa’s marketing works is because he intimately knows your individual needs. If you want a drum kit, you get one. If you want a Barbie, you don’t end up sulking with a xylophone. Santa knows because he’s interested in giving. To give, you have to know exactly what the receiver wants or your gift is not worth the packaging it’s wrapped in.

--------------------------------------------------
Once a Customer, Always a Customer
Santa Doesn’t Lose Customers. Period.
One of the primary reasons why he’s able to achieve this amazing feat is because he thinks of his customer’s customer. His customer is the kid, who in a few years gets a little wiser about Santa and his customer’s customer is the parent who has the amazing power to get their children to be nice not naughty, if only for a short while.

###

Posted by jcohen in
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Sunday, December 21, 2008

To Raleigh’s News Observer: You’re fired!

You cannot afford to lose one customer during these tough times because of shoddy service.

I pay my subscription annually and yet I keep my fingers crossed every weekend on whether or not I’m going to have my paper delivered to my house on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

I did not get my paper yesterday. I did not get my paper today. And no one tells me why. And no one seems to be held accountable.

I call to let you know this in the morning (Sunday) and nothing is done about it.

The people who answer the phone, in the Phillipines, can barely speak English.

I ask for my carrier’s phone number and it’s the wrong phone number.

I ask to have a supervisor call me and no one calls.

This is not customer service. This is customer dis-service.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
Permalink

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Restaurant Marketing: I’m often asked, “What do I talk to my restaurant guests about? What else can I talk about instead of saying that same, lame old thing—is everything okay?”

Restaurant Marketing: Here are 6 great openers that will get a conversation with your guests started and flowing:

1. Clothing: When you spot a guest wearing something attractive or unique, say- “I really like your tie (example). Did you get that in this area?”

2. Sports: When you spot a guest wearing a hat, shirt, or jacket bearing the logo of a sports team, ask- “Are you a Giants fan?” (example)

3. Kids: When you spot a family with young kids/teens, ask- “What school do you go to?” “Do you go to Leesville High?” (example)

4. Babies: When you spot parents with a new born, ask- “How young is your baby?”

5. Electronics: When you spot a table with a camera, a blackberry, gameboy, ask- “How do you like your blackberry?” (example)

6. Restaurant or Product Differentiation Story: When you can’t figure out what to say, just introduce yourself and give the guest a business card and an invitation to come back. Also tell a unique story about the restaurant or the product.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Restaurant Marketing: Take the lead of Southwest Airlines and provide your guests with an unexpected surprise.

Restaurant Marketing: Southwest just surprised and wowed their flying customers with a great gift. They made an announcement in the terminal that if you had a SW Visa credit card in your possession you received a gift—a $25 Southwest gift card for future travel. Just like that!

What a great surprise from the people who do it the best...Southwest.

Have you surprised your guests recently with something they didn’t expect? Have you given them something to talk about? If Southwest can do it (and give away $25) you sure can too. Show your “luv” to your guests and they’ll keep coming back.

Posted by jcohen in
(0) Comments • Permalink