"Before you begin marketing through a VIP Club, you need to take a step back and look at your restaurant. Make sure that you are ready for increased business. Don't attempt to market your restaurant unless you have above average food and service. Good marketing can actually put a restaurant that provides poor food and service out of business faster because more people will have a poor dining experience, and the negative word-of-mouth will cause them to fail faster than if they do not market at all," says Brent Davis, Director of Coaching Services for RestaurantMarketingGroup.org (RMG) a company that specializes in helping restaurants to build sound, trackable marketing systems through its easy-to-use software, "How-To" marketing manuals and personalized coaching.
Gathering the Data:
Once you have taken an internal inventory and feel good about the food and service that you provide, it's time to start using and building your database of existing customers. Remember that in most restaurants 30 percent of the customers are bringing in 70 percent of the business. For the sake of our discussion, let's say that Joe's Family Diner has 10,000 customers a month. That's 322 customers each day. Seventy percent of the diner's monthly customers would be 7,000. If the restaurant's VIP Club marketing creates only one more visit per year per customer at an average check of $25, the volume will increase by $175,000 per year or $14,538 a month and that's with only
one extra visit per existing customer per year. You can see why it's important to go after additional customer visits.
"Don't forget that your existing customers are your neighbors. A VIP Club nables you to market within your neighborhood to existing customers. It's permission based and therefore considerably more effective than if you did a
blanket coupon offer to all of your neighbors. These are folks who know and frequent your restaurant; they took the time to fill out a VIP card and have shared personal information with you," says Davis.
"VIP Clubs are a great way to build customer loyalty. Always give a thank you reward bonus for joining the club. We recommend that the offers go out by email or regular mail within 72 hours after signing up. The offer should be
without any strings attached. I like to suggest that the offer be for a dollar amount. A flat $15.00 or $10.00 amount could be enough depending on your guest check average. You could give a FREE, dinner with a $10 or $15 limit. Give them an offer they can use on anything they want. The offer is now valuable and they feel compelled to use it," says Teresa Horn, RMG Marketing Program Development
Specialist.
To enjoy the greatest return on your VIP Club enrollment campaign, you should train your employees so that they understand everything about the VIP Club. Have a contest and give prizes to the employees who sign up the most
customers. Place VIP Club displays and sign-up cards in very high-traffic, highly visible areas. Use pre-printed "Post-It" pad messages and put them on your menus so that your customers and employees will be reminded to fill them out.
Always emphasize the benefits of VIP Club membership. Enter the names and additional information into the computer software program on a daily basis, using a part time employee.
Horn suggests that your VIP Club sign-up cards include the
following information:
Name:
Address:
Birthdates of each family member, so that they can receive a
birthday surprise.
Anniversary:
Email::
Phone: (Optional)
"Carefully select your expiration date. I usually suggest using a three-week expiration date. If it's not used by then, it is usually lost. You want to create a sense of urgency," says Horn.
Processing the data:
Don't wait until you have built a large database. Start marketing to each VIP Club member the minute you get their data. You will find that this information is your most valuable marketing asset.
Creating a database of your customers and immediately communicating to them on a regular basis will increase the frequency of visits to your restaurant. For almost any reason, or sometimes for no reason at all you should send
the customer a postcard or an email with an incentive to bring them into the restaurant again. Remember, the goal is to bring the customers in at least one EXTRA time per year. By sending them a reminder postcard or email around a
holiday or during a local community event will remind them to visit your restaurant. And if they make several EXTRA visits you have exceeded your goal and dramatically increased the sales and profit of your restaurant.
Create a Birthday Club:
What is the most popular holiday for eating out? According to the National Restaurant Association, it's on your birthday. In fact, 55 percent of all Americans eat out on their birthdays. The best news of all is that people have
birthdays 365 days a year, spread out over 12 months. Birthdays are the perfect time to encourage additional business.
"Use the information gathered in your database to send out birthday cards for each VIP customer as you recognize one of the most important days in their lives. Their celebrations might as well happen at your restaurant. Always include a FREE offer such as a FREE dinner for the birthday guest.
Remember that birthday guests rarely party alone; the average size of a birthday group is five individuals," says Horn.
Go out of your way to make the birthday party a special event when a customer redeems his/her certificate. Your restaurant needs to become the "Party Place." Develop definite policies to ensure that it happens¡ªthat the parties are fun and your birthday guest is treated like royalty for
their day. You must create a special party atmosphere. One Northwest seafood chain has a crazy fish hat that the birthday person wears while they take a Polaroid or digital photo of the birthday guest and his/her friends. The photo is then slipped into a cardboard photo holder and becomes a
nice takeaway remembrance of the evening. Of course, the restaurant's name and address is on the card. If you include a "year" sticker, it can become a collectable item.
Celebrate Anniversaries:
Another great marketing campaign can be centered on your VIP customers' anniversaries. Forty-three percent of American couples say they go out to eat to celebrate their wedding anniversaries. If you own a fine dining restaurant,
try to make your guests dining experience special and romantic. Doing "little extras" is what will set your restaurant apart from the competition. Value-added incentives are more important than discounts on anniversaries. You must
make it a "special occasion."
Quick Service Restaurants and Pizza Shops can effectively wish mom and dad a happy anniversary by giving them a great offer for their children's meals that way, Mom doesn't have to cook for the children before she goes out to dine.
This let's the children celebrate the anniversary too.
Advertise Specials or New Menus:
"With a marketing database, you are prepared to communicate with your regular customers. It's a great way to introduce a new menu or a new menu item. Always include some special offer just for VIP members," says Horn.
Many companies have developed a newsletter for VIP members. Others are sending out e-newsletters. This is a great way to say thank you to your frequent customers. It's also a great medium to tell them about new menu items,
new employees, and new recipes. All this helps to make our customers take an interest in your restaurant and keep your restaurant's name in front of your VIP members. Be sure to make the newsletter newsy and fun to read. Always include some sort of incentive for those members to stop by for a
meal. Change your incentive in each newsletter and track the results.
Sponsor Contests:
One restaurateur saw a substantial increase in VIP member visits when she started having a weekly drawing. She sent out a postcard to the VIP members and asked them to bring in the postcards for a FREE offer. When redeemed, the
postcards were entered into a weekly drawing for a free lunch or "Dinner For two". Monthly drawings were also held with prizes such as a digital camera, CD player, clock radio, etc. Grand Prize Drawings held twice a year gave away a
grandfather's clock or a cruise. With every mailer, she reminded her customers of the grand prize drawings.
Additional Celebrations:
Create theme nights to attract your VIP members back to your restaurant. Tie your theme occasions with holidays. For instance, February is National Chocolate Lover's Month. Offer your VIP members a special chocolate dessert promotion for the month of February. One creative Italian restaurant
owner did a VIP promotion for its St. Patrick's Day celebration. He sent out an email invitation saying, "Come party with real Italians on St. Patrick's Day. We'll show you how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style." Any holiday will
do. One restaurant celebrated Agatha Christie's Birthday by offering a surprise entree special.
Remember that the number of dollars that a customer is going to spend is limited. To get more than your share, you are frankly going to have to
take them away from your competition Effective marketing will help you get a larger share of your customer's dollars and includes the tools to track
each and every promotion to determine your customer response and return on investment. With good marketing and tracking you will be able to
keep your restaurant in Top OF Mind awareness with your customers.
"It's not your customer's job to remember you. It's your obligation and your responsibility to make sure the customer doesn't forget you! An effective VIP
Club will do just that," says Horn.
Developing VIP Clubs that Increase Business
Bulk Buying Of Bead And Jewelry Making Supplies Increase Your Profit For A Home Based Business
All you need to start up your own jewelry business are beads and jewelry making supplies. Making your new jewelry business a home based business makes it even more economical. Your bead and jewelry making supplies are very inexpensive, since you already have your hands, and there is no overhead when working out of your home.
Bulk Buying
Your bead and jewelry making supplies can and should be bought wholesale and also in bulk. It is much cheaper for the new business owner to buy their beads and jewelry making supplies in bulk. The bead and jewelry making suppliers give deep discounts when the consumers buy in bulk quantities. It would be wise to select one type of jewelry to make at first. Again, it is cost effective, because your inventory will be limited to a specific type of bead or jewelry component. And being a new jewelry business owner, this gives you the opportunity to practice on the specific item until you perfect it.
Choosing Beads
When choosing your bead and jewelry making supplier, remember to research the company before making a decision. It is always wise to ask a fellow jewelry business owner who they would recommend. If the supplier gets good reviews from fellow artisans, then you generally can depend on that supplier.
It’s also a good idea to decide on one style of bead to use before you pick a supplier. Maybe you should buy from a supplier who specializes in the one specific bead you are interested in. There are hundreds of locations for bead and jewelry making supplies all over the world. A good rule of thumb is that if you are choosing, for instance a Bali pearl, you should buy from a supplier in Bali. But then again, Austrian Swarovski crystals can be purchased in the U.S. for a very fair price. But normally if you are seeking a bead from a specific region in the world, the cost of a middleman is taken out if you buy direct.
There are hundreds of internet sites where you can find bead and jewelry making supplies. The number of bead suppliers alone run in the hundreds. If you are looking for the average wooden, ceramic, plastic or glass bead, the internet can become your best friend. All of the bead and jewelry making suppliers have competitive pricing. But be sure and research the quality of the bead before you make your final selection. If you follow all of the above and you already know how to make jewelry, your home based jewelry business will be simple to start. Good Luck!
Attitudes Training Will Increase Productivity In Your Company And Home Based Business!
That's right! Understanding the power of atttitudes training will increase the productivity of your company and home based business!
At the turn of the century, it used to be that employees learned they could get ahead at work if they checked their brains at the door. To get ahead, employees were encouraged merely to do as the employer dictated and not think while doing.
With the complexities of today’s multi-technological work environment, employees and entrepreneurs can advance their lot by checking their bad attitudes at the door and putting on positive thinking caps.
We’ve gone from worker robotics, to worker neurotics. Workers must now transform themselves from reliance on their IQs to self-reliance on their EQ (emotional quotient). The quickest way to emotional intelligence is to learn to control one’s attitude.
What is attitude? Attitude is disposition, demeanor; it is a manner of doing things. It is the spirit that underlies our behavior. It is the bearing and feeling that we put with our actions and the temperament that defines who we are and what we do. While a good attitude connotes a caring, positive and upbeat approach, a bad attitude is sullied by uncaring, rude and negative behavior. Bad attitudes in an organization can become a cancer that can drive customers and good employees away. As employers continue their efforts to downsize, merge, and streamline costs -- sped up by technology-- employees are caught up in the emotional squeeze.
How do we change the attitudes of employees and frustrated entrepreneurs? A training program on attitudes is a perfect solution. The right training program can help foster a more positive work environment for all employees, increase employee morale, improve performance and productivity and place entrepreneurs in the frame of mind necessary to be successful.
Overcoming the first obstacle – is naming the training program. When you want to change a persons attitudes through training, name the course so they will be excited and inspired to participate. Mandatory attitude training, for example, automatically causes resentment and resistance. Some individuals will say, I don’t have a bad attitude, why are they trying to fix me, or what did I do wrong to have to participate in this program. Like it or not, it is human nature to think the worst about these kinds of programs. Seminar titles like, “How to Stay Motivated all the Time” or “How to Be Better in All that You Do”, work well.
It is helpful to take a measure of key attitudes that you want to change with the training. It is also useful to take the position that this effort is not just employee training for example, but long-term development because you want to change behaviors in the long run. You will want to assess the current state of the organization or your business that leads you to want to change employee or your own attitudes. Ask the questions: What behaviors are occurring that is symptomatic of poor attitudes? It may be that you have observed or experienced behaviors such as short tempers, poor customer treatment, or disrespectful treatment of others, which may lead you to conclude that attitudes training would benefit your organization. A short survey (using a rating scale) of employees for example prior to training, works well with questions that pertain to how they view the present environment and their own behaviors. This same survey can be administered several months after the training has been administered to see what gains have been made.
What is the content for effective attitudes training? – Individuals will enjoy training that is applicable to their whole lives, not just the workplace. Training should be interactive and participatory and use practical examples for learning, focuses on the individual and then the organization. Training objectives for participants:
You may not like your job or others around you. You may not even be able to change your position at the present time. But the one thing you can change is your attitude.
You may not be able to control your feelings but you can control your attitude. Attitude management is the ability to control how we act out our emotions.
Some useful elements of an effective attitudes training program include:
Self-assessment and personal inventory- to include personal assessment of how well an employee feels they interact with others inside and outside of the work environment
Developing Personal Effectiveness- to include opportunities for participants to visualize success and their own capacities and abilities, to strengthen inner resources and mental attitude
Assessing Limitations and Strengths – to include taking a realistic look at limitations and strengths and assess opportunities to capitalize on personal strengths. Identify those limitations that may not be rooted in fact but affect individuals capability to fully contribute, create or apply skills.
Understanding the Dynamics of Positive and Negative Attitudes-to include developing an understanding between the relationship between thoughts and actions.
Transition and Change Model – Incorporate a process to help individual employees identify attitudes they want to change and timetable that will let them transition plan.
Lasting change – Can be accomplished if we give individuals adequate time to adopt new attitudes, positive rewards and celebrations for demonstrating positive behaviors. Using the measurement tool to conduct a post assessment of training impact and rewarding participants for positive change will be reinforcing.
True empowerment is the ability to take control and avoid knee jerk emotional responses to hostile work environments or the challenges associated with your home based business. Remaining optimistic and positive are challenges that we all face in these circumstances. Attitude management is the ultimate productivity enhancement. Mastering the ability to maintain a positive outlook will draw others toward you and keep you motivated to achieve more with what you do.
Warm regards,
Dr. Devona Williams
Kenny Anderson
10 Income Streams You Can Add to Your Business (And Increase Your Bottom Line)
In a nutshell, multiple streams of income means your business has more than one way to make money. For instance, you sell products and you sell services. Those are different streams of incomes. But that's just the beginning. Below are 10 ideas of different income sources you can use to increase your business's bottom line:
1. Sell a variety of services. Or you can bundle your services into packages depending on what your typical client is looking for. But be careful about this one. Don't spread yourself too thin. You want to offer a few different services or a choice of packages but you don't want too many options because it's very difficult to market yourself effectively.
2. Sell your own products. These can be information products (books, home study courses, CDs, special reports, etc.) or they can be physical products. You can also group similar products into product lines. Then you can upsell, downsell or cross-sell products to different customers on your list.
3. Sell other people's products (or services). Here's where you become an affiliate. Basically how it works is once you're approved to be an affiliate, you get your own link. Anytime someone uses that link and buys a product, you can a percentage of the sale. That percentage can be anywhere from 10 percent (mostly for services) to more than 50 percent.
Which leads me to my next tip:
4. Put together your own affiliate program. Now you can get other people to market your products and services, and the only time you pay them is when they actually sell something! How cool is that!
5. Create a teleclass, seminar, workshop or other event. This can be a one-time deal or a series of classes. (But if you do this, make sure you record it so you can sell those later.) The nice thing about this tip is it's a good blend. You can reach groups of people at one time while at the same time providing a personal touch.
6. License one of your programs or services. This is a neat idea if it works in your business. (For instance, a coach could license tools or a program to other coaches.) I don't know much about this one, but Suzanne Falter-Barnes sells a program that can teach you how to do it.
7. Create a paid membership site. Not only will you be getting regular income each month, but you'll also building your customer base -- people who are interested in purchasing your products and services. It's much easier to sell to people who are already customers than to find new ones. Plus people like being a part of a community, and becoming a member of something is a good way to do it.
8. Start a continuity program. This is similar to a membership site where you charge a monthly fee for a product or service. Maybe you create a paid newsletter subscription or you offer monthly coaching calls or you interview successful people. Whatever it is, it's something people find valuable enough to pay you a small, but regular, monthly fee.
9. Sell ads on your web site or e-zine or whatever. This one is probably not going to make you rich, but it could turn into a nice little income stream depending on how many people are looking at your e-zine or web site.
10. Use Adsense. This is when you allow Google to place its pay-per-click ads on your web site or blog. In return, every time someone clicks on one of those ads, Google will pay you a percentage. Pretty nifty program, huh? Anyhow, I do think this is one you have to be a little careful with. Most of the time I don't think people clicking away from your web site is a good thing (especially since they'll be going to one of your competitors). But there are times when this is very appropriate. For instance, maybe you've developed a web site or blog around a hobby. Or maybe you build a web site or blog for the express reason of selling Adsense. Once it's set up, you just ca^sh the checks.
Creativity Exercise -- Find time to create multiple income streams
Probably the hardest part of creating multiple income streams is finding the time, especially when your primary business is service-based. So, now that you know how important it is, how are you going to find the time to start doing it?
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:
* Hire a virtual assistant (VA) or bookkeeper to take care of some tasks you have no business doing anyway.
* Create systems in your business so you can complete business tasks faster and more efficiently.
* Raise your prices so you can take on fewer clients and make more money.
* Dedicate a Saturday or Sunday to working on your business. (Be careful with this one as you could very quickly end up burning yourself out.)
Get a pen and paper and do some brainstorming to see how you can find more time to start creating more income streams.
5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Business Using a Toll-Free Number
Toll-free numbers allow customers to contact your business without them having to pay for their call. Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to call a business with a toll-free number than those who only have a long-distance number, and 90% of Americans say that they use toll-free numbers. By following these five easy steps, you can discover for yourself how a toll-number can help your business grow.
1. Expand your market. Toll-free numbers allow you to use the same number for receiving local toll and state-to-state calls. This gives you the opportunity to market your business nationwide. Even if you don't provide service in certain areas, toll-free numbers have the flexibility to block calls from those areas.
2. Advertise your number. Toll-free numbers lend an air of legitimacy and professionalism to your business. By using a toll-free number, your business may appear larger and more established to the consumer which will make him/her trust you more.
3. Initiate a direct response mechanism for impulse buyers. By allowing your customers an avenue to immediately react to your company's efforts calling for their action, this prompts significant increases in phone orders. It has been found that these buyers generally order more merchandise and higher ticket items nearly every time they call.
4. Qualify your buyers. Toll-free numbers enable your business to use time more efficiently and effectively. With a toll-free number, you know that someone who has called your business is already interested in what you have to offer. You spend less time trying to find interested prospects and let the number find them for you.
5. Analyze your call detail. Toll-free numbers allow you to track calls and access all of a call's details such as the number, time, date and duration of every call. This information cannot be blocked and is an excellent tool for generating leads which can lead to more sales.
9 Ways to Increase Business Profits Quickly and Easily
Many business owners who operate a business want as many clients as possible, both those who have just started their business and those who have owned one for a long time. They are, however, not fully utilizing all of their assets as they could be in order to achieve their desired results.
The objective of increasing business profits isn’t only met by attracting more clients. There are several other reasons why a business doesn't make as much money as it should besides not having enough clients.
Here are a few simple, yet effective business coaching ideas that will help you unlock the hidden profits in business and also some reasons why things aren't operating at full potential as they should:
- Focus more time on the important matters - you may not have enough time available to boost your business, especially if you are the one who is serving clients on a regular basis. In this case, you should consider hiring somebody to help. Running a business takes a lot of work, so let the employees handle the day-to-day issues, while you take care of the important ones such as developing strategies for present and future growth. Set aside an hour each week to brainstorm ideas, implement strategies and nurture key business relationships.
- Carry out competitive intelligence on other businesses, especially the ones that are successful and emulate them. This doesn’t mean copying whatever they do. Take the best parts of your competitor’s business and apply them to your own. It is also very important to keep a close eye on the competition, regardless of the nature of your business. If you are running a restaurant, for example, you should inspect the services, the offers and the prices of the competition. By doing a little research on other businesses, you will be able to reorganize, improve your services, adjust the prices depending on the competition, as well as introduce new offers to your clients. By knowing what your competitors are up to, you will always be one step ahead of them.
- Spend less of your gross profit on overhead and ineffective marketing. Lease unused space in your office or warehouse. Track sales as a result of expense. Employ salespeople on a higher commission scale rather than a high base salary. Test and measure for effective marketing campaigns before dumping a ton of money on any marketing campaign that is doomed to fail from the start.
- Instead of competing on price, develop an ultimate strategic advantage™. Emphasize the qualities that make your business stand out and create a whole new positioning in the industry. Find out what really matters to your clients by surveying them and give it to them.
- Talk with clients and find out if they are delighted or not. Ask for suggestions. Dissatisfied customers will not return, while a delighted client will refer others.
- Nurture existing clients. Instead of focusing on acquiring new customers, concentrate on nurturing and maintaining the clients that you already have! Make sure they are pleased with the services you provide for them and pay attention to their needs, desires and complaints. It is very important to establish and maintain good relations with your clients, as they are the ones who keep your business running.
Many business coaching companies encourage selling more to existing clients because it improves a business bottom line by increasing the lifetime value of a client. It also brings new clients, attracted by positive experiences from your delighted clients. Referrals lower your acquisition cost through word-of-mouth marketing and this also adds to business profits.
- Up sell other products/services. Selling extras is known to be a great method of increasing profits. For example, grocery stores strategically place many magazines and snacks near the checkout. People browse and buy these while waiting in line raising the average dollar sale with these extras. McDonald’s is well-known for its up sell before a sale is completed by simply asking a simple question to add on more products (complete meal, fries, sundae, or apple pie).
- Increase your advertising - advertising is expensive but if things work well, the money will definitely return to you. You can also try to make the best use you can out of free advertising. Get the most out of promotions and limited offers, especially around holidays.
- Seek out business coaching advice. Having a comprehensive set of business strategies can help you further, by providing you with new efficient methods of increasing the profits of your business. To operate a business effectively long-term, most businesses will have to deploy several strategies in order to diversify their sources of leads and maximize their profitability through smart marketing, team building, and business process management.
5 Tips To Increase Website Traffic For Your Mlm Business
An aggressive linking strategy can deliver repeated website traffic for your MLM business.
Getting your site on as many major internet "intersections" as possible, when you target the correct markets, will deliver ongoing website traffic to your MLM business. The repeated exposure will help:
1. Increase the Google page rank of your site
2. Increase the website traffic received when users do organic searches
3. Increase your exposure and visibility as an expert in your niche
Most important now is the relevance of your links. It is all about quality, not quantity. Link swapping, which was once very popular and widespread, has become almost obsolete.
An ideal link has these properties:
1. It originates from the home page of a high ranking web site related to the topic of your site
2. The proper keywords are contained in the anchor text of the link
3. There are only a few outgoing links on the the page your inbound link is coming from
Assuming your links adhere to these rules, here are a few more requirements to increase the effectiveness of your links in driving website traffic to your MLM business:
1. The more high ranking relevant sites that link to yours, the better
2. The more closely the content of those sites relates to the content of yours, the better
Here are five key steps for your link-building strategy:
1. Submit your site to the Web Directories.
For example, visit these 3 sites and submit your website:
http://www.dmoz.org/add.html
http://www.stpt.com/directory/addsite.htm
http://www.elib.org/how_add.php
There are thousands of sites just like the 3 listed above that allow you to add your site to their directory for FREE. Do a Google search for "add your link" This will definitely help increase website traffic for your MLM business.
2. Give away free content
Another effective method for increasing website traffic for your MLM business is to write quality original articles that other people can post on their blogs, newsletters and websites.
Your articles should always contain a resource box with a link to your website. If you are marketing an affiliate program, never use the affiliate url in your resource box. Instead, purchase a good domain nameand redirect it to your affiliate url.
3. Request links from other site owners with relevant sites Although this method is not as effective as it once was, it will still result in increased website traffic to your MLM business.
4. Provide testimonials to other website owners When your testimonials are published, it adds more credibility to your links.
5. Purchase ezine and newspaper ads This can be a quick way to expose a targeted audience to your link and get a fast influx of website traffic for your MLM business.
The person whose site has the most quality, relevant links wins the internet marketing game. Your goal is not just to increase website traffic but to also increase sign ups and sales. So make sure to use all of the methods for marketing your business online to achieve reliable and lasting results.