| It's time for a change! Would you agree? Change | | | | yourself into the payroll as another employee. You |
| can be a difficult thing for most everyone, | | | | may have many roles that you do, but you |
| including restaurant owners, especially during | | | | certainly can not make the money that you were |
| economically challenging times. Yet, if you are not | | | | expecting to make if you are doing a job that |
| seeing the results that you want to be seeing | | | | you shouldn't be doing. You must work ON your |
| from the things you are doing... change is what | | | | business instead of IN your business. Once you |
| you need to do. Just a bit of change can make a | | | | are doing that well, you need to create a |
| lot of difference. A lot of people make excuses | | | | memorable dining experience. This is more than |
| for where they are, but in order to overcome | | | | just experiencing dining. What is a memorable |
| the struggles, you need to climb over the hurdles | | | | dining experience you may ask? Most likely you |
| and take responsibility for your actions. It's | | | | yourself have been on the receiving side of this |
| imperative in order to have success. In order to | | | | once or twice in your life. It's when you get that |
| make changes, you need different actions, | | | | Totally Outrageous Service, that over the top |
| different thoughts, different resources and | | | | every detail taken care of and the connection |
| different tools. You want fresh food in your | | | | with the restaurant and/or their staff. Maybe |
| restaurant... you need fresh ideas too. Make a | | | | they toured your children through the restaurant |
| fresh start! | | | | when you and your spouse were dining, maybe it |
| TAKE ACTION ON THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES. A | | | | was the spot on service, or the way they made |
| great idea without action is just still a an idea. It | | | | you feel when you were leaving and all you |
| can not make money for you. Choose one idea | | | | thought about was "I don't want to go". It comes |
| to start with and start moving forward with the | | | | in many forms and when you have created a |
| action. Don't worry about making a decision; you | | | | memorable dining experience for your guests, you |
| can always make adjustments. But doing nothing | | | | have created raving fans which will drive the |
| is the usually the worst thing you can do. Learn | | | | income that you expect to receive. |
| from your mistakes and make changes. By taking | | | | THE IMPORTANCE OF DIRECT RESPONSE |
| actions on the right activities, you will see success! | | | | MARKETING TO YOUR GUESTS Much of your |
| INVEST IN, CREATE AND USE SYSTEMS TO | | | | time, energy, resources and focus need to be put |
| REPEAT PROCESSES Don't do everything | | | | into becoming a better restaurant marketer by |
| yourself. You can delegate duties and measure | | | | creating systematized, measurable marketing. |
| responses. Make a list of all the things that you | | | | Figure out what you would say to convince |
| spend your time on that recur day-to-day or | | | | someone to dine at your restaurant rather than |
| month-to-month. Pick the ones that use up the | | | | any other option... and put it in print. Having your |
| most amount of your valuable time. Develop a | | | | guests return and refer friends is the way you |
| system and delegate or outsource these things. | | | | can see some of your marketing strategies start |
| Base it on how much you want to earn in a year. | | | | to work. Direct response marketing, the type of |
| If someone else can do it at a lesser cost, use | | | | marketing that makes people take action and |
| that resource. You can't focus on minimum wage | | | | respond, needs to be employed in every |
| activities (slicing, dicing, chopping) and expect to | | | | marketing piece you create. Using the direct |
| make big money on the other end. You should be | | | | response techniques that I use will easily double, |
| managing the system, not being so wrapped up in | | | | triple or even quadruple the average response to |
| the restaurants system that you're a key part of | | | | any marketing or advertisement. You should |
| it. | | | | figure out ways to make sure your messages |
| GUESTS, NOT CUSTOMERS At our restaurants, | | | | evoke a response. Marketing to your restaurant |
| we want people to feel like family or friends | | | | guests creates a relationship that will help you |
| visiting our home and to receive that extreme | | | | succeed... growing that relationship will grow your |
| special warmth of hospitality while there. Stop | | | | success too. |
| looking at folks who dine at your restaurant as a | | | | GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! Become part of a |
| one-time transaction, and instead start building an | | | | mastermind group where you network with |
| ongoing relationship. When guests have a WOW | | | | forward thinkers and share ideas regularly, where |
| experience at your restaurant, they will tell at | | | | you can ask questions, get opinions and move |
| least 5 other people and at least one of them will | | | | forward. Get your staff involved also. When they |
| become a loyal guest. Just that bit of a change | | | | see the increases in sales and their own personal |
| from customer to guest can make a huge | | | | profit, they too will want to become more |
| difference in the way people visiting your | | | | involved because it impacts them as well. |
| restaurant will feel. Your employees will feel the | | | | Constantly look and listen for what your guests |
| difference as well. Developing this on-going | | | | want. Keep in touch with what's happening in the |
| relationship and history keeps your guests wanting | | | | industry locally and in other parts of the country. |
| to come back to your restaurant. | | | | Trade publications and discussion forums can both |
| KNOW YOUR NUMBERS This means for every | | | | be a great source. If you feel stuck in a rut, look |
| important part of your business. Your restaurants | | | | at your surroundings and join a group of others |
| operations numbers, financials and marketing as | | | | who will help you move forward. Virtually all top |
| well as having a way to measure your guests' | | | | achievers know that to really get ahead...you've |
| experience will help you know how your | | | | got to have a coach. Seek out someone that is |
| restaurant rates. Keep a customer database so | | | | advanced in the areas you want to excel and |
| you can market to your existing, loyal guests. | | | | engage them to help you succeed as well. |
| Reward them for their loyalty and have a | | | | PROFIT THINKING can often lead to change. The |
| feedback system in place to see what your | | | | people that are most successful are the ones |
| guests are thinking. Let your marketing numbers | | | | that will change with the times. If you are still |
| speak for themselves. Cost can become | | | | thinking of your restaurant in the same way that |
| irrelevant if it brings in more than you're shelling | | | | you did 5, 10 or 20 years ago, you need to stop |
| out! | | | | limiting yourself, your restaurant and your guests! |
| THE MASTER OF MEMORABLE DINING | | | | There are many ways to think about, in which |
| EXPERIENCES If you are working in the | | | | your guests want to purchase food and |
| operations of your restaurant to be sure | | | | experience a wonderful dining experience. Think |
| everything flows smoothly, then you are placing | | | | big and your profits will meet you there. |