Restaurant Marketing | Auto Repair Shop Marketing Blog by Dean Killingbeck

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.

Many of us around the world watched in awe and with nail biting anticipation as the first Chilean miner was raised from the depths of the earth. Can you imagine how it felt being trapped for three month’s? Maybe it felt like Dante’s Inferno? Many questions abounded like jack rabbits in Australia (anyone that’s been to Australia will know what I mean) just before they started bringing them up: Would the hole collapse?, Would the capsule get stuck? What kind of health would the miners be in? Plus at least a hundred others I’m sure. I myself was overwhelmed by how humble, how energetic and, most of all, how thankful each and every miner was to obtain freedom and be united with their loved ones. If you didn’t shed at least one or two tears, especially as the little boy hugged his father, you have no compassion for others (harsh words coming from a recovering farmer but that’s the fact jack)

Also, as Americans we can stand-up and be proud. We sent over the drilling equipment used in the rescue, UPS freighted the equipment over to Chile, the man who ran the drilling equipment was from the US, even NASA got in on this huge humanitarian effort by aiding the Chilean’s with the construction design of the capsule to pull the miners through the half mile hole in the ground. I’m sure not one person reading this blog could ever conceive of being stuck that far underground with no quick way out. I don’t know about you but it raises the hair on the back of my neck just thinking about being buried alive……BRRRR!!! there’s those chills.

Without trudging on one of the most feel good stories this year, let’s look at the Marketing that was taking place during this 70 day ordeal:

1. The Chilean President staked his re-election on getting those miners safely out. He won big!!!

2. The news media made nightly news stories that we all tuned in to hear or read about the progress of the drilling.

3. NASA gave advice on the design of the capsule to bring the miners out. With their budget being cut, the publicity of saving these miners didn’t hurt their cause of saving their $1.4 billion budget.

4. The uniting of people all over the world and especially the Chilean’s, with all of us rooting for them. They even sang their national anthem when everyone came out–very moving.

5. Oakley gave each miner a $450 pair of sunglasses. I’m sure we’ll soon see a few commercials with the 33 miners wearing Oakley’s!

That, in fact, brings me to my point. How many current events happening every day do we miss and don’t recognize them as huge marketing opportunities? Let me tell you, special events with great stories or a cause can help propel our business from being mediocre to exceptional just by helping others. Best of all, it makes us feel really good.

Example:
This month we have clients that are doing a special promotion all around Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is near and dear to us, like me, who have had a loved one pass away from that horrible disease of breast cancer or a related cancer (ovarian in my wife’s case). Consequently, they have decided to hold a fundraiser by sending out a postcard announcing that anyone who brings the postcard in, the business will donate money to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Society. Two things happen when businesses help out others: One, their customers feel good about coming in and spending because they know a donation is being made with that money. Second, and the really cool part , it makes my clients feel like they’re sitting on top of the world by helping others … Guaranteed!

This promotion is working so well they are considering “Toys for Tots” for the month of December.

Moral of the story: use current events and actually seek out opportunities to help others while marketing your business. Everyone wins: customers, non-profits, your business and in the most recent case the Chileans rescued from the depths of hell.

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