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Part 5: I Built It – How Do I Keep Them Coming Back?

This is Part 5 in a series.  We will look at the traditional sales cycle as it relates to restaurant marketing and examine a full-scale plan to fill all the points on the cycle.  In this part we talk more about Deliver and Evaluate. We will also try to bring it all together.

In this series we are looking at the traditional sales cycle and how it relates to restaurant marketing.  My premise here is:

Many believe that restaurants don’t follow the traditional sales cycle, and the same rules don’t apply in food service; I disagree.

The key is to tailor what you do to the customers you target.  So far we’ve explored identifying that market (Part 1), getting the word out about your business (Part 2), and matching your services to the needs and wants of your targeted customer base (Part 3).  Closing the sale with effective calls to action was Part 4.  Onward we go!

Deliver and Evaluate

As different marketing projects go through the process, they have to be analyzed and reviewed.  Did you meet the goals you were trying to achieve?  What was good, what was bad?

Take this information and review it on an ongoing basis.  Keep what works, discard what doesn’t – then start the cycle again with a new project.  As we’ve discussed, you need to have projects in various stages of development to avoid lags in your business.

Evaluation goes beyond straight sales numbers, as well.  Review the program with your key employees.  What comments did they get from customers?  Get feedback from all angles.  It is possible that a “failed” program could work with more time or some tweaks.  Marketing isn’t necessarily black and white.  You can’t generally point to the one factor that made a customer come in today.  Programs don’t fail so much as not provide enough return to make them worthwhile.

The Restaurant Marketing Catch-22

Part of deliver and evaluate is taking care of the customers in house – they remain your best advertisement, so deliver the kind of experience they expect and deserve.  Just like you can’t ignore restaurant marketing to keep the daily operations going, you can’t ignore operations to focus on marketing.  Delegate where appropriate, but hold those people accountable.

Rewards programs

One item I haven’t touched on is a key element in keeping them coming back – loyalty programs.  The National Restaurant Association looked at the value of loyalty programs, and the results were impressive.  If you aren’t already doing some sort of loyalty program, you need to at least consider it.  If you are an upscale establishment, you aren’t going to do a punch card.  But you can get something fancier if you want to go that path; better yet look at a system to avoid making them carry a(nother) card.  Tie to a national system like Upromise, for example.  Or it can be as simple as recognizing customers and buying them dessert, well, just because.

Bringing it all together

So here we are; I’ve written a lot of words in this series.  You’ve read them, for which I am eternally grateful.  What does it all mean?  There is no one way to skin this cat, but it can be done.

The key points:

• The sales cycle is continuous, and it’s critical to have multiple projects at multiple points in the chain.
• Determine who you want to target (and why).
• What does your target market want/need?  Business lunches or date nights?  Networking or fast casual?
• Tailor your programs to the market and needs you have identified.
• Develop a great call to action.
• Discounting can be a necessary element, but should not be the sole driver for all your programs.
• Wash, rinse, repeat (with tweaks as appropriate).

You have a lot of work to do each day.  With that workload it is easy to forget about restaurant marketing, or put it off until “I have more time to focus on it.”  The point is, if things go well, you will never have “more time” because you will be busy making money.

Find people you can trust, but stay in the loop and hold them accountable.  Whether they are internal staff or outside consultants, you are the key that holds this all together.  Let them do what they do best; keep the focus where you want it and help to drive the success.

Go get ‘em!

-Karl
@karlkoelle

With 10+ years in restaurants and 12 years in communications, I have learned a lot about how to successfully market a restaurant - yet I still learn something new every day and whenever I talk to a client.  Looking for help with your restaurant or small business, whether marketing or management?  Let me know, I am always happy to help.