Friday, November 28, 2008

Emphasize benefits not ingredients:


Alright the Holiday Season is now in full swing, people are spending less, however they are still spending. You as a restaurateur have an opportunity to create customer advocacy with every one that crosses your path. You will have plenty of friends and people who will be your friends visit your establishment over the next five weeks. Maximize that exposure and create a customer for life.


No one cares what ingredients your chef uses, no one cares about the painstaking efforts that went into the perfect design for the your space, no one cares about how you provide your staff with every tool in order to provide exceptional service, no one cares about the infrastructure you have created to provide an unequaled dining experience. All that any of your customers care about is what benefit you are offering them. Brian Tracy defines selling as:


“the process of helping a person to conclude that your product or service is of greater value to him or her than the price you are asking for”

Simple enough, the benefit you are providing your customer must be of greater value than the price you are asking for. I can sense your mind crunching numbers right now, “if I lower my price that increases value” {Wrong, wrong, wrong! I have only one absolute rule “never discount regular prices.” If your prices are too high then change your price on the menu, never discount your price. Discounting is a death spiral. Sorry for the rant now back to post}. The value needs to be greater than the price. Increase the value or more precisely the perception of the value. “Context is Life”, nothing is good or bad except by comparison. Focus on the benefits, the problems you are solving for your guests. Ignore telling people about all the great things you have done for them, tell them how they are going to feel by dining at your establishment. Focus on how the customer feels and you will be happy.


Emphasize benefits not ingredients!