Welcome to another episode of bar owner tv. Today I want to talk about a very simple strategy that will instantly get your new customers to come back more often. Before I get into the details I want you to think in your mind right now of why you continue to go to the same restaurants in your area over and over.
What are the reasons besides good food? Is it the atmosphere? Is it the consistency and you know what you are going to get each time you walk in the doors? Is it because you know one of the staff members? Is it because you know the owner?
A few years back I was out to eat at a very nice Italian restaurant in my area and I know the owner real well. I didn’t decide to go there just because I knew him but because the food was great. My opinion the best Italian food in the area. While my wife and I were eating the owner came up and asked how everything was, talked a little about business, and that was it. Few minutes later our waitress approached us and said the owner would like to buy our next drink.
I never expect anything for free and I was pretty surprised. Usually when I go out to dinner nobody is buying me drinks but when I go to other bars, people are always buying drinks for others. So this was totally unexpected.
Just that one round of drinks has brought my wife and I back more than usual because I want to give business to those who appreciate my business.
Here’s Another quick story. Every year I go out to palm springs to golf with my godfather, and there’s another place I always want to go Castelli’s. Another great Italian restaurant and if you are ever in palm springs, make sure you go there!… The reason I love going to Castellis and the same reason my godfather loves going there is because the owner treats you like family. Not just us, but every damn person that walks into his doors. Every time I’ve been there over the last 4 years he’s been at the front of the restaurant introducing himself. What I like to call creating trust and credibility.
So what does all this mean?? What I realized from my own experiences is that what has brought me back to do business with other restaurants was not just the food, but from the relationship that was created with the owner. When the owner or even manager treats you with respect and thanks you for coming in to doing business with them, it hits the trust and credibility triggers in your head.
And as I’ve said many times before, people do business with people who they like and trust. So here’s what I suggest you do every time you are at your bar. As soon as you see a group of people or just one customer walk in your door and the server or bartender takes their first order, go up to them and introduce yourself and say something like this…
“Hi I’m Nick the owner. I just wanted to come over here and introduce myself because I’ve never seen you in here before and I wanted to thank you for taking the time to come in.”
That’s not hard to do is it? And how do you think this is going to make them feel?
Then depending on what you feel is right, offer them a drink or maybe give them 20% off their tab and have your waitress say to them “Nick wanted to make sure you guys had a good time and he said to take 20% off your tab”
I’m not at my bar nearly as much as I used to be so I can’t do this all the time, so now I have my managers do this. My goal is for every new person I get into the doors, I want to leave an impression on them that makes them feel like they are important and connected with myself or the managers.
Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to do this yourself to 50 people over the next 2 weeks and in a notebook write down what happens. What was there reaction. How much money did they spend. Have you seen them again. Did you give them an incentive?
Then after you have done that with 50 people, look through your notebook and see if you think you really made a connection with those people. Some people are so damn ignorant and you will have a few who don’t give a shit, but you will see that the majority of them will be thrilled by your gesture. Keep doing this and you will double your base of loyal regulars.
If you want to get more ideas, marketing strategies, and insider secrets to increase your sales and profits, look into my bar profit secretes membership program. There is no other resource in our industry that provides valuable content that can easily put thousands of extra dollars in your registers. Click the link at the end of this video for more information.
