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Did You Save Room for a Business Lesson (Part 2)

1/28/2014

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In my last post I talked about the simple marketing lesson every good restaurant teaches us.  Now here's the final marketing lesson from your meal; the Top-Down Sale.

There are four places where the Top-Down Sale is very common. Think about the last time you purchased one of the following:

• A car. After you told the sales person what you were looking for, did they take you right to the most expensive version of that?

• A home. Did your Realtor start your search at the top, meaning the highest priced homes?

• The Stereo Store. Ouch. These guys are the best (or worst) at this. Ever say you’re looking for a TV and get taken straight to the home theater displays?

The last example is the dinner table at a restaurant.


 Whenever I try a new place to eat, I always ask the server what he or she recommends. I like to know if they’re going to recommend the surf-n-turf, $54 plate. One look at me, and they know right away I can handle such a plate! I’m always surprised when the response is, “I like the pasta plate!” (First of all, I have never ordered pasta, but that’s beside the point). The point is the server missed a great opportunity to sell me the granddaddy plate and, therefore, increase his/her own tip. There is a local restaurant that is great at this. I rarely leave there without some sea creature’s tail next to my steak.

"Did you save room for dessert?"  How many times are you on the fence when it comes to dessert? You may not be sure you *need* the dessert, but you also know this place makes the best cheesecake outside of Manhattan. All it takes is a little nudge from the server and cheesecake it is!

In thinking about your business, are you offering your clients the best you have to offer (the lobster and fillet)? Are you making sure they’re getting the whole of your services (dessert)?  Are you offering them the polite nudge they might need to have the most satisfying experience?

This one, simple, concept of the Top-Down Sale can have a significant effect on your top line: revenue. By simply offering your customers the best possible option, you will see an immediate increase in your sales revenues. Now remember, we’re not out to steal from your customers. Don’t push them to purchase the home theater when all they want is the extra TV for the guest bedroom.

Next time you’re out for dinner, put your entrepreneur cap on and check out the customer service and sales job your server does. There might be a great model to use for your own business!


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Tasy Image courtesy of jackthumm / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.  Thank you, Talented JackThumm!
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Did You Save Room for a Business Lesson?

1/23/2014

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While having dinner with my family, I realized I was in the middle of a very good marketing seminar. The server, one we've gotten to know over time, took us through the customer service and marketing routine I've come to expect from a good restaurant:

1. Welcome us to the business and tell us about the current specials

2. Ask us what we want

3. Deliver to us what we asked for, in a timely manner

4. Check back to see how we like it

5. Make any necessary adjustments (more hot sauce, Stuart?)

6. Take our money and ask us to return again soon

Count me as a happy customer.

Wow. Can it really be that simple? I think we can all take our customers through this process. The central theme here is getting to know the customer, building a relationship with them so that we can deliver the best possible experience.

How are you handling this process with your customers?

I also saw a great sales lesson, too. More on that next time....



Where Should I Go Now?
Main Blog Page
Become A Business Coach like Stuart




Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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Taking the Time to Aim your Marketing Efforts

1/6/2014

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One of my favorite movies, Pulp Fiction, has an accidental marketing lesson in one very dramatic scene.   It addresses a very common problem for small business marketing.  In this very tense scene, two hit-men are in an apartment, guns smoldering from a recent ‘hit’ when an unknown man comes flying out of the bathroom, draws his weapon, closes his eyes, screams at the top of his lungs, and empties his pistol firing towards the bad guys — hitting nothing but the wall behind them. To them, it was a ‘miracle’ that they weren't killed. To me, it was a regrettably common event in small business marketing. Here's how it goes:

An exercise I often take my clients through is to have them bring all of the promotional campaigns they've used over the past year or two to a meeting — flyers, postcards, ads in papers, ads in magazines and so on. After we go through them, we usually have a pile on the floor I call Mt. Marketing Everest. They have tried EVERYTHING and nothing really worked. What they did was come into the market, eyes closed and guns blazing. That doesn't work, especially for the relatively un-branded small business.

The key to successful marketing for the small business is persistence. It is so important to do your homework, design a good promotional mix, and STICK TO IT. As you design this mix, I think you will find it weighted more heavily on the networking and strategic alliance side of things, rather than the traditional advertising side. But, the point is to take the time to take proper aim. Lining up the target isn’t an old west concept, it’s sound marketing.



Where Should I Go Now?
Main Blog Page
Become A Business Coach like Stuart

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    Stuart Preston

    Stuart has run MyBusiness Advisors for over ten years.  Here, he share his experiences for those who also run or wish to run business coaching practices.

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