Below is an interesting take on low tech marketing for a restaurant which is very simple to execute and cheap to try.
The basic idea is to use business cards that the waiters personalize for each guest at the time they serve them which works as an invitation to return.
I think it has a lot of merit and virtually any restaurant can use it, even if they don’t have a waitstaff the manager can simply circulate through the dining room from time to time and hand out cards.
The power of the idea is that you are personally inviting the customers to come back again and offering them the opportunity for something special if they do. It also lets you track who is the best at inviting people back and you can target people who are not your regulars and hopefully turn them into regulars. It may also encourage people to bring friends and coleagues to a place where they have an “in”.
I am sure you can also think of other ways to tweak this idea to make it work for you and/or work even better at pulling in more new people. Considering a couple thousand business cards costs less than $50 at a place like vistaprint.com it would be crazy not to try something so simple and immediate.
Restaurant marketing with low tech is very effective. With tools as simple as “a card, a pen and a friend”, you can have a very high rate of return.
The downside for personalized marketing is that it takes time.
Compare two marketing options:
20,000 fliers distributed with a 1% redemption = 200 responses.
2,000 personalized cards with a 15% redemption =300 responses.
How this will pay off in sales dollars will depend on the average transaction amount and if there are discounts included.
Over and over, every day and every week.
An advantage of a restaurant is “the team”. In other words, there are not simply “staff” or “workers” but in reality a marketing team who can come together and execute guerrilla marketing to out-maneuver the big companies again and again.
If you do not understand or believe this concept of “team marketing”, I would challenge you to think again about your leadership style, your team selection, your training and your real objective.
The restaurant owner or restaurant manager who is a great leader selects the right people to build a cooperative, energetic team; then the low tech option is easy, simple and fun.
“Friend of” is an old concept. Facebook did not invent it and becoming friends is more than just a click.
Business cards are powerful if used correctly. The reason business cards are quickly tossed is because there is no apparent value to keeping them.
The pen… yes. It remains a tool to communicate personally.
“Friend of “____” written on the back of a business card along with a personal invitation has a potential guest accepting an invitation vs. responding to marketing. If the date and signature are added, it appears to be a bit more “official”.
Here is what goes along with the card: “I would like to invite you to lunch and ask for me. If I am not at the restaurant when you visit, be sure to show them this card to let them know you are my friend so they can take care of you special.”
The invitation is key to the interaction.
If the goal is to improve sales by 5,000 each month. If the average transaction is $25, then about 200 more transactions will get it done. If the team is experienced, enthusiastic, and love their restaurant; then a 10% response rate can be expected.
Empowering the team by having more reasons to visit will increase the response. Birthdays, wedding rehearsals, anniversaries, team celebrations, meetings, etc. are reasons to vist a restaurant.
Tracking the “friends” who visit and the name of the staff person who made the invite (possibly offering a reward) is a must since all marketing is measured.
How does a restaurant double sales? Sales double in 10% increments.
Doubling sales in a restaurant is not dependent on any one tactic but consider:
10 invitations by 20 staff members each day is 6,000 invitations a month. How many will respond? There are celebrations and events happening each month.
To execute is work, it takes planning, communication, training and a culture which daily asks: “How can we invite, serve and engage?” Otherwise, a restaurant and team is just another place with function food.
Quoted Article Source Link: Marketing Ideas
