Marketing Basics

Marketing has always been a concern for business owners. Some are lucky to have a know-how about it. But most are totally clueless as to how to promote their products or servies. Either that or their budget keeps them from comfortably promoting their products.

Marketing tells you how, when, where, at what price and to whom to sell your product. It is different from sales in that marketing is the guide to selling success.

Marketing can be a breeze if you follow these simple pieces of advice:

• Keep it simple.

If you have never done it before, start from simple flyers and streamers. In designing flyers, use two colors and two font styles so as not to make it look confusing. Two-color layouts also are cheaper when it comes to color separation and printing. Keep the layout simple and easy to ready. A reader's eyes usually travel from the upper left-hand to the lower right-hand of a page so put the things you want them to read at once by putting them in this direction.

• Have a USP.

In marketing, there is what is called a USP or unique selling proposition. This is a characteristic of your product that is not entirely unique but something that you want to put the spotlight on. If you are in the food business, are your products organic? Are they for health-conscious people? Are your prices the cheapest? Is it eat-all-you-can? When you create marketing materials,

• Use AIDA.

A- Attention. Choose a attention-getter headline or a contemplating question.

I- Interest. Create interest by stating the benefits, not features, of your products.

D- Desire. Motivate them to want to buy your product by giving them a 'feel' of how it will be when they buy.

A-Action. Always put an action item like Call Now! or 20% less if you sign up on or before April 10!

• Create tieups.

Forge partnership with companies who offer services or products complementary to yours. If you are a caterer, tieup with venues or party suppliers. Have an exchange deal or a referral tieup with them. They refer you to their clients, you do the same for them. This way no one dispenses cash and reaps the benefits of a talking and walking advertisement.

• Network.

Go out and meet as many people as you can. Attend socials. Join organizations pertaining to your business or organizations where your potential clients are.

• Have a plan.

You cannot do marketing just when you feel like it. A marketing plan is vital to your success. If you need help in making marketing plans, contact the writer of this article for more details.

Themed Restaurant: Italian

I live in a small city south of the Philippines. One of the things I miss after having lived in Metro Manila is the huge selection of restaurants. Thus, I have tried a lot and now that I am based here, I miss them!

This will be the first in a series of articles I will do on themed restaurants. Let me clear that I am in not a particular expert in several themes but I will do my best to give you the good information on themed restaurants.

I choose to write about Italian themed restaurants today. I choose Italian because I love pasta and natural tasting, fresh sauces. I particularly like pasta tossed in chopped tomatoes and olive oils.

One thing I have learned about Italian cooking is the use of simple recipes that spell fresh, vibrant, flavorful in every bite. It means using authentic ingredients, if possible, like olive oil, sea salt, coffee, pasta and the like. Of course, this is dependent on your possible sources for these products. I particularly like the use of fresh chopped herbs, tomatoes, pepper and cheeses. Italian cooking is always fresh and rustic so the ingredients have to be right.

If you do plan on having an Italian restaurant, like in any restaurant, a lot has go into recipe research, ingredient sourcing and testing these recipes so that they do taste Italian. The last thing you'd like to hear from your customers is that it does not taste Italian.

I particularly like Italian restaurants that does not all look green and red. Those are, of course, the colors of Italy, but it would be great to spruce them up with some complementing color.

It is important to be correct in spelling your menu titles. Your staff should also learn major greetings they can use in the restaurant. Don't forget to liven up the mood with some Italian music.

In-store Promotions

I talked about practical promotions in my previous post. As I promised, I'll let you in also on in-house promotions for your restaurant.

Given you have already gotten people to come and try your restaurant, there are still several ways you can do to drive their consumption up or to keep them returning. That is, of course, not forgetting to give utmost service and great food.

Let me make an important note not to forget to match your promotions with your target market. If it's a fine dining restaurant, you must be very discreet and very elegant. If it's casual to fast food, you could be a little loose or out-of-the-box.

calling cards as raffle entries
Place a bowl, preferably transparent, in a visible place in the restaurant. Put a signage that will ask guests to drop their calling cards to enter a raffle for a gift certificate or some freebies from the restaurant. These calling cards will come handy when doing promotions (please be mindful of email spamming). Great way to build your customer database.

freebies or discounts for minimum purchase
You probably see these in a lot of fast food chains. I have also seen this used by 5-star hotels to drive sales for a particular drink or food item. This will help you in increasing average guest check or moving and promoting items that are slow-selling or a new product.

coupons for the next visit
One thing to remember when using coupons is to make the offer irresistible and tangible. And not too desperate sounding. Design coupons in a way that they don't look too mass-produced. If you plan to give discounts, give at least 20%. Anything below that would be unappealing.

use your menu
Use the inner front page of your menu for promotions. Highlight your specialties and your menu items with the higher profit margins.

Make your promotions' duration for at least 3 months to really see the effect. Document results and be sure that your staff knows the promotions inside out.

Practical Promotions for Your Restaurant

Promoting your restaurant is necessary. Even if you have good food, great service and all those good things, if people don't know you even exist, your efforts will be futile.

Some restaurant owners are afraid of promoting their restaurants thinking it will take a lot of money to do that. There are indeed very sophisticated means to get the word out about your place, but luckily there are also ways that will not rip you off a substantial amount of money. That you will get it for free would be a great thing. It is possible though.

Before dishing out any tips on practical marketing there are two things you have to think about: Your target market and your budget.

If you don't know exactly who you want to cater to, your restaurant just might be in shambles right now. Identifying who you want to eat in the restaurant is one of the questions you have to answer even before you buy a single fork or test a single recipe. If you serve fine dining and promote your products in low-class radio stations, you are just wasting money.

Your budget because promotions don't come for free. I have encountered owners who don't care about the amount for as long as it's not horrendously expensive. Honestly, I have learned how to put that in figures. But in reality, it has to be composed of digits.

The reason I asked about your target market is to match your avenues of promotions to where they will most likely be encountered or seen by your potential customers. Example, if you have family dining restaurant for middle class and up, it would be best to make promotions in upscale subdivisions, spas, private schools, jazz or easy listening stations, boutiques you can partner with, high-end malls. Where your clients might usually be.

Now for the tips:

• Exchange deals

Strike a deal with an establishment who has the same target market as yours. Agree to display each other's promotional materials for free. Make sure both your materials are in good locations. Now you say but this is free, isn't it? No, it's not because you still have to be spending for those flyers and banners. An agreement will be best just so you know the duration of the promotion and other details.

• Free tasting

Just a standee in a popular location or a great food tasting event can really, really put the spotlight on your restaurant. Specially if you are the only one in town doing it. Invite potential clients, media and local personalities. One thing though, make it more like a cocktail party so guests get the idea that it's a tasting event and not an eat-all-you-can.

• Press release

Make a good article on your place, what's to look forward to, your location and specialties. Send this to your preferred newspaper in the format they need it, whether by email or mail.This should come free but of course, pray hard the editor chooses it. Therefore, it will be great if your article becomes newsworthy or print-worthy.

• Network! Socialize!
  

I strongly suggest being a member of organizations that will be beneficial to you. Sponsor events for organizations that your target market is most likely to be a member of.

Other things you can do, once you have convinced the people to come try your restaurant, are in-store promotions. More of that in the next article!

What Makes a Great Restaurant Experience?

It's one question restaurant owners what the answer badly to. If guests have a great dining experience, they would tend to come back and eat in the restaurant again and again.

I am going to write this article from the point of view of somebody who frequents restaurants, not as a foodservice consultant or marketing adviser. This is one person most owners fail to consult: the consumers themselves.

When I go to a restaurant, I expect a good time. I expect good food, prompt service. Other things would be clean surroundings, clean tableware, clean toilets, okay temperature, courteous waiters, temperature.

I would like that somebody is there to welcome us and sit us when we get in. It would seem like you're not welcome if nobody is there when you arrive right?

I like waiters who smile and are friendly, who know the proper greeting without overdoing it, who seem to be happy with being a waiter, who know what questions to ask.

I like restaurants with subtle music, clean smell and matching decors.

I don't like that food takes more than 20 minutes to be served. I appreciate restaurants where waiters stand on the side to anticipate guest's needs but not too near that they hear your conversation.

How the food tastes is definitely the star of the show. Guests expect no less than good food when dining out. Guests don't want too spicy, overcooked, undercooked (unless it's supposed to be served raw), too little serving for the price. Guests want everything just right. I personally like simple yet enticing presentation. I don't like plated dishes that seemed to have just been plopped into the plate and served. I like to have the proper condiments and flatware with my food.

I like restaurants that offer something the other restaurants don't have or something they could serve better.

Lastly, I like restaurants where the people working there truly like what they are doing. It will show, you see.

I like resstaurants that make you feel good after eating there.

Major Mistakes in Menu Writing and Design

One of the first things you will encounter in a restaurant aside from the waiter will be the menu. So it is important that it presents a good, if not outstanding, first impression. A menu's well-being speaks so much about the status of the restaurant.

So let me tell you a couple of things you should avoid when putting together your menu.

• Too many menu items.

A big number is not always a good thing. It does not always impress guests that you have a looooong list. Too many menu items can be a cause for: (1) too many items to stock, (2) overlook request for some menu items, (3) confusion, (4) non-saleability of menu items at the rear end of the menu.

• Uncoated or uncovered menu paper

When your menu is just plain paper, tendency is it will crumple easily and soil easily too. They could get ruined right away when somebody accidentally spills gravy or coffee on them. They will tend to look worn fast which will not give a good impression. They would think that this restaurant might be lousy since they have a soggy menu. It will also eat expense for menu production if you have to replace your menu often.

• Small fonts and design flaws

A menu should be readable by using big fonts around 14 or 15 pts. The font type should also be neat and easily readable. Using opposite colors for your paper and the font itself. do not use light-colored fonts on light-colored paper. Graphics should complement your design. Your menu book should withstand daily, and even harsh, handling and flipping of pages. So the binding should be strong enough.

• Unclear titles and No Descriptions

The assumption of anyone who writes a menu should be that not everyone who will eat in the restaurant knows your menu or the local dialect. It is best to have a short title and a simple description underneath the title. The description should have some of the main ingredients or the taste and the manner of cooking.

• Using lousy pictures
  

If you will use pictures, make sure that they are your original photos, nicely taken and can be worth putting in food magazines. Otherwise, don't use any at all.

Listening to your Customers

When you own or would like to put up a restaurant, you have an idea of how you want it look, what food to serve, color scheme and those things. By all means, you have the right to follow your heart because you are the owner.

Right or wrong?

I would say it depends on what the owner wants. If what the owner wants, is what future customers would like, that's the direction to follow. It is what your customer likes.

But what if what the owner likes is not what the customer wants? I would still say it is what your customer likes. Then the owner would say, "But it's how I like it!". Hmmm... maybe the owner has a lot of money and doesn't care whether the business profits or not. Or the restaurant is just an outlet for the realization of a dream. In those cases, then que sera sera.

If you mean for your restaurant to make money for you, then listening to your customers is your only choice. It is a business not a hobby or therapy.

This is the problem when some restaurant owner wants their business to turnaround from a slump but refuse to do what might click with their customers. Most of the time, it involves a major change of heart. What they have in mind did not work so what evidence are they still looking for?

As has been advised by a million business consultants, a survey or a market research will greatly help a business owner. Unfortunately, some self-avowed restaurateur just put it up and start on some concept, buy things and later on, see their money down the drain.

If you are yet to put up a restaurant, please spare a meager amount of your capital for research or a simple survey of the immediate 5 kilometer radius of your proposed location about the restaurant.

If you have a restaurant already and want to improve your profit, a guest comment card or satisfaction survey would be great. Assigning a staff to go around tables and ask how the guests find the food or their visit will unveil a wealth of information. Add to that, that these activities would not cost you a lot of money. Sometimes, guests will volunteer the information. Take note of that. Better yet, make a system to log these comments. Assign a logbook or notebook or a form which can be filled out either by your staff or the guests for their comments. It is noteworthy, of course, to say that comments should be filtered and reviewed.

When a guest sees that her or his comment was actually implemented, he or she would feel special or complimented. Example, if you modified the volume of the music after complaining that it's too loud or a dish she likes that has been added to the menu. Guests feel better in a restaurant that listens to what they say.

Kitchen Crew Safety and Hygiene

In practically every restaurant kitchen that I get to see, I would notice a couple of unfavorable practices. These practices, if left uncorrected, would be detrimental to the property and the people working there.

I have seen cooks not wearing closed toe shoes or even wearing short pants. In most kitchens, slippery floors and disorganized kitchen setup are common.

For a more detailed discussion, I will only talk about kitchen crew's safety and hygience in this article. More on the general kitchen safety and hygiene in coming articles.

BASIC CLOTHING
Kitchen crew from dishwashers to dispatchers to the people who actually cook should be wearing the following:

• Chef's hat/toque/hairnet
• Sleeved shirt
• Apron
• Closed toe shoes
• Long pants

A washcloth would be best together with getup. Jewelry and body piercing should be prohibited including the use of cellphones and other consumer electronic devices during hours of work.

HYGIENE
The most basic would be for kitchen staff to come to work clean and smelling clean. Basic things like a bath, toothbrush and fresh, clean, pressed clothes. I always advise cooks not to wear perfume to work as it gets in the way of tasting and smelling food clearly.

Aside from a staff's personal hygiene, the cleanliness of the kitchen should also be taken into consideration. The kitchen floor needs to be clean and dry at all times. Slippery floors are a magnet for accidents. When a cook is carrying hot food to another location and slips, it might result ot injuries and burns. And of course, food cost down the drain. Trash bins should also be covered and emptied out at least once a day to discourage pests into the kitchen.

Kitchen cabinets should be screeened and cleaned at least every other week. Freezers and refrigerators should be defrosted every week. It is also important to note that different compartments should be assigned to vegetables, fish and seafoods, poultry, beef, pork and other frozen items.

Every kitchen should have a handwash area at the entrance so that every person who comes into the kitchen sees it and is reminded to disinfect hands before doing anything in the kitchen.

KITCHEN SAFETY
Staff should have areas where they can sit and do paperworks and not near burners or on kitchen work tables. Knives should be sharpened as dull knives bring more accident and needs more effort from the user's part. When a knife is dull, more pressure is needed for it to cut through something. Knives should be stored with the blade down or away from the person.

Kitchen equipment should be assigned an area according to their purpose. More importantly, everybody should know how they are organized. It would be very inconvenient to show where a certain equipment is placed in the peak of operations.

Fire extinguishers should also be in accessible areas. All the people who work in the kitchen should be oriented properly on fire prevention and what to do during a fire. A medicine first aid kit should be put together with first aid remedies and burn ointments.