Restaurant Marketing | Auto Repair Shop Marketing Blog by Dean Killingbeck

When I sit in my office and look at the stacks of things I have to do that day, the tasks remind me of the white balls a juggler uses. Some days I wonder how many balls I can juggle in one hand while the other hand is tied behind my back.

Looking at all those white balls (some days they all look the same) and trying to discern which ball is more important than the other can be like pushing a RAM pickup truck uphill with the brakes on. I’m sure all of you have those types same feelings one time or another and as entrepreneurs we really shouldn’t be surprised when it happens.

However, sometimes we are forced to take a couple of steps backwards before proceeding forward and losing ground. If it happens once in a while, that’s okay as long as we don’t let it happen every day! If it does happen often then we must then figure out how to overcome those problems which really should be called opportunities.

Last Friday (just before I’m leaving for the weekend) Sharon, one of my long-time employees, decided that due to her husband’s death she needed some personal time and is severing her employment. All weekend long I stewed about losing her, knowing I would have to hire someone new, and then train them in our New Customer Now way.

However, I remembered one of Dan Kennedy’s sayings that “Everyone is replaceable including myself.” Consequently, I took my step forward and we placed an ad on CraigsList Monday night and have already received 2 responses (however only one followed our instructions). More about that next week.

At a recent Dan Kennedy Info Summit, I personally met Cal Ripken Jr., The Iron Man of Baseball. Can you imagine trudging to work 2632 consecutive days without being sick or plain tired of doing the same thing over and over. That’s exactly what Cal did for 7+ years without missing a single game or time at bat. Whether he had sore muscles, beat up thumbs, or just fatigue, he kept playing. My goodness, even if you’re not a baseball fan (which I am not) the significance of that accomplishment would be equivalent to climbing Mount Everest without stopping to catch your breathe.

Cal spoke on what kept him going even when he had a hitting slump and felt he should be taken out of the line-up. First of all, can you imagine a high price player today asking to be taken out of the game? His coach said absolutely not, you bring more to the game than hitting! You are the heart and soul of our team, just keep giving advice and helping develop our young players. How would you love to be called the heart and soul of your business? NICE COMPLIMENT!!!

Cal talked about how winning wasn’t everything to him but how you play the game. He mentioned how he had a young catcher and young pitcher who wasn’t striking anyone out. So, he started telling the catcher what signs to give the pitcher. Cal played second base so the catcher could see him. Well to make a long story short, by mid-season Cal and the catcher had worked out a series of signals and Cal was calling all the pitches for every pitcher for this young catcher.

Going out of his way to help others made him not only a great baseball player but a great man. As business men and women, I believe sometimes we lose focus on helping others achieve their goals and only think about ours. I can GUARANTEE when we take the focus off us and on our own customers, good things happen. We truly become winners.

I feel fortunate just to have had a quick chance to stand beside a man of integrity such as Cal Ripken Jr. I’ve now placed him on my list of the 10 most people I would like to have dinner with.

Have a Great Marketing Day!

Dean Killingbeck new book for independent restaurant owners FULL! A Complete Online & Offline Roadmap to Marketing Your Independent Restaurant is now available here.

I was sitting in an old mahogany pew with red cushions at my church a couple of Sundays ago and our minister made the above statement. Now he wasn’t making the reference about business, but I still wrote it down knowing that this was a philosophical statement.

Now looking at that statement you may say “that’s not very profound… who or what doesn’t change all the time?” However, upon further review, everyone should realize how inadaptable and unchanging most of our business models and personal lives are.

Right now I’m again starting my battle to lower my blood pressure and cholesterol without taking the drugs my doctor wants to prescribe. It’s hard to change from eating meat, sugar, salt and all the other tasty treats I’ve learned to love over my lifetime. But without change, the alternative of a short but happy life could become a reality.

Consequently, I’ve changed my eating habits: oatmeal every morning, vitamins, less meat, more fish, and no bread. Wow! That truly isn’t much fun, but who said everything has to be fun. Everything I’ve always done has taken adaptability and change. From learning to study at college, to becoming a better husband, father, and businessman. Without change I would have failed miserable at all of them. As it is, 2 out of 3 isn’t bad…

The preconceived outcome, objective, or notion!

All of us have preconceived ideas or strategies as business owners which cause us to close our minds to change. How many times have you heard (or maybe even said) “Well that’s just the way we do it!”

Just last week I stumbled across an idea that will save my employees a minimum of 4 hours labor, which means I save approximately $120 every month! I know that doesn’t seem like much, but over a year that’s $1440, multiplied by 10 years… boy that adds up to some real cash! But here’s the reason we changed… “I was looking for it”. That’s right! I’m constantly questioning how I can make my life and my staffs’ lives easier and simpler. I actually plan time into my schedule to look at business opportunities (new businesses not related to my existing ones) and also go over the details of my existing business relating to how I can make my staff and myself more productive. I’ve made quite a few changes over the last several years… some good, some great, and some not so well! However, if you don’t change… you’re dead.

The question I ask you is, “What in your business haven’t you looked at lately that should (and needs to) be changed?” A follow-up system for new customers? Brand-new products? Fire a staff person? Hire a staff person? New supplier?

PS. The only thing that doesn’t change is a rock… but it’s still susceptible to erosion!

Have A Great Marketing Day!

Dean Killingbeck’s first book on restaurant marketing just got publishes and the big lesson he learned out of this adventure.