Hospitality Doctor
Max Hitchins
‘Slipstreaming’ for $$$$$ - #2
Day (February 14) falls on a Wednesday in 2024. Perhaps make each Monday in February a ‘singles’ night. Perhaps promote it as Valentine’s Day ‘blind date’ night. • Propose a Proposal. Give a very special prize to anyone who proposes marriage in YOUR place during the month of February. Talk to your local jeweller about supplying the prize. • Staff involvement. It is essential to get all of your staff enthusiastically involved in the promotion. Do this with regular team meetings and delegation of special jobs to various staff members. • Social Media: A Valentine’s month is ready made for Social Media. As well as telling your database all about this, you will have ‘ready made’ stories for social media. • Capture names: Make sure you capture the names of all the people who take part in your February promotions. All names go into the ‘barrel’ for the draw for the major prize drawn on February 29 in YOUR place. They also go into your database!
Throughout the year there are multiple opportunities to slipstream on major days. Valentine’s Day is a classic example. But why not turn it into a month-long promotion rather than just a one day event? • Here’s how. Firstly, plan for a ‘really big’ night on February 14 to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Then plan another night on February 29. (Remember 2024 is a leap year - when girls can ask the boys to marry them!) • A big prize for February 29. The key is to plan to give away a super special prize on this night. Talk to a travel agent about them supplying the prize. Alternatively talk to a Five Star Hotel or Resort to involve them in your promotion. Perhaps do both and give away two super special prizes. • Write to your database telling them you are celebrating Valentine’s month. Tell them every time they bring ‘their Valentine’ to YOUR place for dinner, in February, you will have a complimentary bottle of wine or champagne awaiting them. • Talk to your liquor suppliers about involving them in the promotion. Ask for free product or a heavy discount to assist your costings. • Involve surrounding retailers in your February promotion. They may jump at the opportunity of being exposed to your database and offer free gifts for them. • Talk to your local movie theatre and see if you can get some kind of a deal from them for supplying free tickets to give to your diners throughout February. • Create a ‘love menu making sure you chef serves some super special ‘love’ dishes. Don’t forget the aphrodisiac foods such as oysters, chilli peppers, honey, asparagus, bananas and chocolate… all paired with champagne of course!
Here are points to ponder about building your database:
• Did you know it costs five times to seven as much to attract a new customer, than to keep an existing one?
• The first rule of any business should be to retain customers and build a loyal relationship with them.
Finally, in my experience there are three categories of operators in the Hospitality Industry. Those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who wonder “What happened?” Which category are YOU in?
Max Hitchins is know as the Hospitality Doctor. See: HospitalityDoctor.com.au
• Don’t forget ‘the singles’. Holding ‘singles’ nights for those who are looking for love! Valentine’s
53 Tasmanian Hospitality Review December/January Edition
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