Restaurant Marketing Celebrations – Daily Tip for Monday August 23rd.

Posted on 23. Aug, 2010 by Michael Hartzell in Daily Tip

Restaurant Marketing Celebrations

John steps into the lobby of the restaurant. It is very apparent that it is his first visit. You know because of the hesitation in his step and the pause to look at each wall, doorway and counter along the way. Some lobbies are so focused on décor or advertising, they forget to make the flow of entry easy to understand.

Behind John there is his wife and two kids. Each child has a hard grip on their mother’s hands.They are strangers in a strange land with other people coming and going. They all miss their very large family (who you see in the photo.) Next time,
they will invite everyone.

At this point it is a mystery as to why they are visiting this restaurant on this day at this particular time.
Could it be they are part of a “secret shopper program”? There are many who will recruit themselves
into a mystery shopper service company to make extra income. Times are tough and every little bit counts. Could it be she is a blogger who has decided to be a restaurant critic? Anyone can start a business today as a “restaurant critic”, start a blog, and sell advertising or products to add to their income.

It appears on the surface that John, Mary and their two children are simply dining for the evening. Regardless, it is time to turn on the charm and make their experience one to remember.

Creating an experience first starts with: The Birthday. With four people in their party, you might say there is a 1 in four chance that it is a “Birthday Month” for one of them. If you begin to celebrate “Birthday Month” and offer something special for those who have a birthday during the month, you will be going beyond the service of the typical restaurant next door.

Are your ready for how the conversation goes?

“Good evening.”

“It is good to see you.”

Notice, I did not say: “Four?” It is not that important to “cut to the chase with numbers” immediately. It is more important to make them feel like it is THEIR place.

“I would love to know, did anyone have a birthday this month?”
- Smiling, with head nodding is a form of positive re-enforcement to gain an answer. More times than not they will volunteer the right birthday month even if it is not the current month.

You already know where I am headed don’t you? J

- What easy words to say.

- Or a combination of positive words along this line.

“Oh? Last month was Mary’s birthday? I don’t remember seeing you come in to celebrate! Did I miss seeing you?” – Of course more often than not they say: “No, we went somewhere else for Mary’s birthday.”

“Oh? Well, we want to celebrate your birthday too! Let’s do something special for you tonight as a belated gift.”

- When you hear the word gift, do you ever refuse? Maybe at first there is hesitation as disbelief and confusion happen from the unexpected offer. In the end, no one refuses a gift.

Now the rest is easy. You celebrate with them. You treat them the way you would if it was actually their birthday. It is no secret and the team is sure to say within hearing of other guests: “Mary is celebrating her birthday month at table 25.” Candle, cake (make it look amazing) and even a flower in a vase appear. Grab the digital camera. Take a photo of the family together. Take two, digital is cheap. Take three, digital is cheap. Ask for their email address so the link to the photos can be sent immediately and when they get home, the photos will be ready. Include two special invites.

• Make one invite for next month to celebrate: _________. (You choose)

• Make another invite at the same time for Mary’s birthday month where she can get it done again… and she can invite friends and family. *Yes, you will do it again during her birthday month. Every day is a great day to do restaurant marketing.

If you How many times have I “forced” birthday celebrations, don’t know what to do with the anniversary celebrations, graduation celebrations, getting email addresses, here is The Best married celebrations on those who have dined in my Email Management Services restaurants? Too many to remember. Though the many List for Business on the Planet.
who celebrated did not originally come to “celebrate” and many were a little hesitant, there were only smiles and appreciation for the extra effort. It was fun to watch the slight hesitation turn to acceptance and then to enthusiasm. How could they deny gracious enthusiasm, commitment, a gift and energy from the team? Few can. In a way, they were being reminded that the world is a “friendly place” where good things can happen for no apparent reason.

Why? With every celebration, you draw others in. A small bit of enthusiasm is in the air. This can be done with class and sophistication or can be done with downright outrageous behavior. There are a multitude of songs to be played whose theme is Happy Birthday.

I have said it before. I will say it again over and over. Celebrate. This is something you can try to “systemize” but it requires the right leader who has a great team.

Maybe John is a secret shopper with Inside Hospitality. It is possible that Mary (who may have no experience) has a new business to blog and critique restaurants. Make their day. Celebrate. This is more than advice, it is a personal testimonial.

Once you are intent on doing this every day and every week, at the end of a year, you will find guests returning on their birthday month. You will have MANY email addresses. You will have many new friends.

Measures of success:

of positive comments online
of email addresses
of people who requested “me too”
of previous guests returning with friend / family for THEIR celebration
Average ticket of those celebrating vs. those “just visiting”.

Next month they will bring back their friends who are celebrating THEIR birthday month. That person you force a celebration on today will become your ambassador next month. (Trust me, this is what happens.)

I am sitting in the lobby of your restaurant. I see John, Mary and their two kids just walking into your door. Get the candles, cake, balloon, flower, camera and team. It is time to celebrate. (Don’t forget to email
them the photos and invitations!)

At your service,

Mike

P.S.

Think of the celebration as a way to show off a bit. When a guest gets wind of how another is getting a celebration and they are not, they will speak up with “What about me?” You then have opportunity to celebrate with another and get their email address, take and send photos along with invitations for future celebrations. This is more than an idea. It is history and works.

The real barrier is not ideas. Leadership and your team must have the skill and will to consistently
execute day after day. This is not easy but it is FUN!

If you have multiple locations and hope to execute at this level, there is no doubt that having a system to confirm is necessary. Hopefully you will have feedback online. Otherwise, you will hire a company to know that celebrations happen daily. Question: How many restaurant celebrations are happening?

Michael Hartzell – Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, entrepreneur, writer, speaker, restaurant marketing coach. Co-Author of “The Reality of ROI & Social Media Marketing”. Member of the American Marketing Association. Read more at www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

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