Is Your Restaurant Ready for More Customers (Part 2)?

Preparing to Drive Business (Part 2)

Remember in Part 1 of Preparing to Drive Business we ended with the 3 Goals of a Marketing Message:

1. Get the prospect to notice your marketing communication
2. Get the prospect to actually read (view or listen to) your marketing communication, and
3. Get the prospect to act on your marketing communication

Let’s look at this in an example. Imagine you have a restaurant in an area of town that is undergoing a transition – that is, many of the homes or other structures are being torn down to make way for new residences, town homes, and high rises. People new to the area are moving in and you decide you want to introduce them to you restaurant and get them to come try it.

You know who you are trying to communicate with (new residents), what you want to communicate (you have a restaurant worth visiting), and what you are tying to accomplish (get them to visit). You decide that a direct mail piece to all new home owners is the best medium to use.

You could use a post card and hope they read your postcard among all of the other postcards they received that day from all the other businesses vying for their attention. Instead, you decide on something a little different.

You mail a small envelope with a buffalo nickel in each one. The envelope is an irregular size, so it gets noticed and the weight and movement of the buffalo nickel inside gets additional attention, so the prospect decides to open it (goal number 1 accomplished).

Inside you have compelling copy to the effect that this nickel is a welcome to the neighborhood gift from your neighbor – the restaurant – and although it might not seem like much, if you come by [on specified days between specified times] you can redeem this nickel for [offer]. Just our way of saying welcome to the neighborhood! (goal number 2 accomplished).

Over the next several weeks or months, people visit your restaurant and redeem their nickels (goal number 3 accomplished). With the outstanding dining experience you deliver, you convert a large number of these prospects to loyal, long term customers and enjoy the fruits of a well designed, well executed marketing program.

Of course you could have just mailed out some post cards and see what happened. This is a somewhat silly example, but its message is important. Please remember it.

(End of Part 2 – Preparing to Drive Business)

If you need extra financing to increase marketing or to prepare your restaurant to receive more customers, consider a restaurant loan from ARF. ARF had been making restaurant loans for almost a decade. Whether you need short term restaurant financing or a line of credit, complete ARF’s short, online application and explore our restaurant financing options.

© 2008 Advance Restaurant Finance, all rights reserved