So I am having lunch at a Chinese restaurant last week and end up talking to the owner

“DON’T LET YOUR RESTAURANT OWN YOU”

Too many times when consulting with restaurant owners, I hear them say “Boy, I only wish I could take some time off.” This reminds me of an old joke about the government bureaucrat descending on the small-business owner. He says: “We’ve received a report that you have some poor fellow working here 18 hours a day 7 days a week, for nothing but room, board, meals, all the tobacco he can smoke and all the liquor he can drink. Is that true?” “Yes, I’m afraid it is,” admits the owner. “And I’m sad to say, you’re looking at him.” How sad but true that is.

Consequently, my first question for them is “Why did you get into the restaurant business?” The answers include:

• I love food
• Tired of working for others
• Wanted to be my own boss
• Thought I could make a boat load of money
• Love people
• I’m such a good cook that my relatives said I should open a restaurant!

There are others but 92% give me one of the above answers.

Next question: Why don’t you quit?

The answers include:
• All my money is tied up in the business
• All my relatives money is tied up in the business
• Don’t know what I would do for a living (by the way, most of my clients are making a living but that’s it!)
• What would my kids and staff do for a living?

Final question: What are you doing to change your everyday operation to make things better? Or how can you become more independent?

The answers include:
• I need more customers
• I need better cash flow

86% of the answers fall with-in the above 2 categories.

So, this is where I step in and say “What systems are you putting in place to bring in new customers, bring back existing customers and cause existing customers to refer a ton of people?!

You must have all 3 systems and implement those systems regularly to increase revenue and hire the people you need so you can break away from the business.

Only 3 ways to increase business:
• New Customers
• Bring back existing customers
• Obtain referrals from existing customers

Next Blog…All About Systems

“ANY RESTAURANT CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO SELL FOOD BUT THERE’S GENIUS IN CREATING A GUEST FOR LIFE”

My mentor, Dan Kennedy (if you haven’t read any of his 11 No B.S. books, it’s time) yeah that’s an unscrupulous plug for Dan and his books.

Anyway, Dan always points out that most businesses “Try To Get a Customer To Make A Sale” when it should be the other way around, we should “Make The Sale To Gain A Customer”.

The value of a long term customer is worth more than one sale.

With that said, there can be a terrific income to be had from making a sale. But true wealth is most certain and easier by developing “customers for life”.

Plus gaining new guests every month to make-up for lost guests can be very costly and time consuming. The ideal situation is to have systems in place that do both. You need several systems in place to reward good guests such as a frequent dinner program, birthday, anniversary and kids clubs are excellent ways to reward and bring back existing customers.

New guest acquisition can be done by referral system, birthday program and new home owners.

The key to success with systems are the strategies of implementation and consistence. With my Done-For-You birthday promotion and new home owners programs you can accomplish both of those strategies. Go to facebook/birthdaymarketing to learn more.

Have a Great Marketing Day!

Dean Killingbeck is a Master Marketer, understanding a restaurant’s needs and knowing that “Cash Flow is King”. For his FREE REPORT, “How To Get New Guests In These Tough Times Automatically”, go to www.NewCustomersNowMarketing.com

Have a little bruise on your business that you want to hide from your customers? Watch this video first