ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - November 30, 2007

Hang on! The holiday roller coaster has left the station and it will be a fast and furious ride from here to New Year's Eve.

Margene and I are dodging the whole crazy scene -- at least for two weeks. We head off to Costa Rica tomorrow night for our annual Fall Planning Conference ... a chance to get away from the phones, quiet the mind and reflect on the year soon past and the one that lies ahead. It may be the most profitable time I spend each year and I recommend it highly.

I hope to send the EHC roughly on schedule while we are gone (there is supposed to be Internet access at all our stops). Also, as is my custom, I will post a daily diary of the trip along with my take on what I have learned from my daily experiences. Click here to can follow along.

INSIGHTS R US
Make Hay While The Sun Shines
Your place is likely to be filled with groups of celebrants for the next couple of weeks. Have you adjusted your menu to take advantage of that? Price is not a primary issue when people are celebrating, so why not add a few higher margin appetizers to the mix? Put together some sampler platters of munchies for groups to share. Have some fun with it, charge what the traffic will bear and make hay while the sun shines.

This might also be a good opportunity to lay in some good champagne and promote that to your parties. Take advantage of the "... oh, why not?" spirit of the holidays. Is this being mercenary? Of course, but people will want to let loose and splurge a little and your job is to help them do it. If you make a buck in the process ... well, that's capitalism for you!

If your conscience bothers you about any of this, you are probably in the wrong business ... but you can always make a charitable contribution with some of the windfall!

WHAT’S RIGHT WITH THIS PICTURE?
Crafting Promotions That Work
Now that I have thoroughly trashed the promotion piece from Cyprus, let me offer an example of one -- actually two -- that I think will get better results. I say "think" because the only real way to know for sure is to run a test, see what happens, tweak it as necessary and test again.

I really couldn't figure out what the offer from the restaurant in Cyprus was all about, so for purposes of illustration I opted to create promotional pieces for a month-long offer in February for the imaginary Jasper's Bistro and Wine Bar.

These two satisfy all the evaluation criteria we have discussed over the past several weeks. Right away you will notice that they look similar but read differently. This is because they are aimed at totally different market segments.

I assumed they had identified a group of older patrons (among several other guest segments). I wrote one directed just to the men and another speaking only to the women. The offer is the same but you will see how writing for a more narrow niche would make the reader think, "This is all about me."

Because of the narrow focus, these pieces would have to be sent by mail in a hand-addressed envelope with real stamps and a notation "Personal and Confidential" on the front.

You can also see that neither piece would work for younger couples or families ... although why you would want to pitch a romantic dinner experience to a family is puzzling! For younger couples or singles, you could use the same offer but with different copy and a different photo.

I will discuss the reasons why I did the things I did in more detail with the Gold Group and Peak Performers but I am hoping these examples will give you some ideas and help you promote your own business more effectively.

In looking over the entries in our little marketing contest (remember that?), there were a lot of good observations but no clear frontrunner ... so I have decided to declare everyone who took the time to offer their thoughts a winner. This proves once again that the Universe rewards action!

LESS IS MORE?
The Metamorphosis of the EHC
My original intent with the EHC was to make it short and sweet -- a two-minute read max. Over the years it has grown well past that simple goal, partially because I also viewed it as a resource for my Gold Group members.

As the required to read the EHC has expanded, so has the time required to put it together. While it is still very much a labor of love for me, I question how well it is serving your needs these days, particularly as the volume of e-mail increases.

I'm thinking that for some readers, less may actually be more. If the value of the EHC for you is to provide a quick lift and a fresh idea, then the current format is definitely overload. At the same time, others may find the range of articles and insights to be just the right dose of medicine. (I am the doctor, after all!)

So I am planning to change the EHC format starting January 4th.

I will still offer the weekly EHC at no charge, but I am planning to make the free version much shorter -- about a screen-full -- so you can read it quickly and get back to work. You should be able to get the gist of the message in well under my original two-minute goal.

If you want more, I will also offer a version more the length of this one for a nominal annual subscription of $47. The long version will be included as part of the Gold Group membership and participation in the Peak Performers Coaching Group.

The dual format will let you choose the level of information you can absorb. My hope is that the option of receiving as much -- or as little -- as you want will help the EHC remain a welcome resource that you look forward to reading.

THE NOVEMBER SURVEY
The Price of Loyalty
Last chance for the last survey of the year.

A few years ago, guest loyalty programs were a new idea and one that I strongly endorsed. What I liked is that they reward the behavior that an operator wants to encourage -- repeat business.

Is that still the case? Have loyalty programs lost their advantage now that they are more common? Do they still work? Do they generate more money than they cost?

Our last survey of the year takes another look at loyalty programs -- who has them, how they are structured and how they are working.

As usual, I will send copies of the survey results to everyone who participates. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collections.

Add your thoughts to this month's survey.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
"What did you learn from your staff today?"
I learned that no one wants to be around someone that's stressed or negative. If you want your staff to respect you and work closely with you, create a positive work atmosphere. Also, laziness doesn't inspire. If you want to motivate/ inspire your staff and get them to work hard, lead by example. Practice what you preach -- it's the only thing that works. -- Gabrielle Redelinghuys, Adega Restaurants, Johannesburg, South Africa

Gabrielle has it right. What they see is what you will get. You cannot kick butt, take names and then say "Go love the guests." It is not going to work. You are the role model whether you want that job or not.

If you want your staff to show up on time, you have to show up on time. Do you want them to dress well? Dress well. Do you want them to listen? Listen. Do you want them to be open to new ideas? Be open to new ideas.

It also helps to realize that the way you treat your staff is the way they will treat your guests. When you lose it, the whole place loses it. When you are stressed out, the whole place becomes stressed out.

When the atmosphere in your business is calm and your staff is attentive and relaxed, your patrons want to return more often. That feeling also improves the climate and makes the company a more attractive place to work.

And what is the single most powerful thing you can do to improve the climate? Listen. (Duh!)

Never doubt that the most important (and profitable!) skill you can develop is your ability -- and your willingness -- to truly listen.

What did you learn from YOUR staff today?

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question until they put me in the ground. Just click on the link above and contribute your insights for the common good ... and your own as well!

LIGHTEN UP!
The Noble Experiment Continues
Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten up:

Goal: -50 Last 2 Weeks: 0 Total: -14

I am pleased that I maintained through the Thanksgiving holiday ... although I really saw how wine puts pounds on me! What a shame it can't be a diet food! I won't have a scale in Costa Rica so I won't be able to report until the 21st. I'll be interested to see if I can lose weight in Costa Rica without sacrificing a good time!

A growing number of folks have joined me in this audacious venture. I applaud their courage in "going public." We all seem to get better results when there is someone or something to hold us accountable.

That said, since I will not be reporting until December 21st, I won't ask them to report until then either. That will give time to recover from any Thanksgiving overload. Now if we can all just make it past New Year's without bloating ...

© 2007 Restaurant Doctor