Day 13 – The Puzzle

What makes you and me different when compared to our competitors?

My competition are MASSIVE ventured backed marketing firms and heritage media companies.

Your biggest competitors are the chains with massive budgets.

So what makes us different?  WE DO!  Our difference is US.

Those companies are faceless and their voice is that of advertisements and business catch phrases.  

This is why I feel so strongly about you and I being visible in our marketing.  Blogs, podcasts and social media video are ALL FREE and an amazing way to associate a personality with a business.  

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from restaurant owners about their comfort in doing business with America’s Best Restaurants and Repeat Returns due to the fac that they know who’s behind it, see me online every day and know I’m a phone call away. 

And that’s on a national level, imagine the power you could have in your backyard…it’s a GOLD MINE and it’s how you build a legendary business. 

Does anyone get on social media to hear Papa John’s talk about how great their pizza is?

Of course not! Consumers want to be ENTERTAINED online!

Do the fans of your restaurant need to see a picture of your food every time they get on Instagram, Facebook, etc? The answer is NO. Use the platform the right way- Talk about your community, staff, and your unique story!

Subscribe to the Restaurant Marketing Secrets podcast to learn more about using social media the right way. Link in bio.

#restaurantmarketing #papajohns #shorts

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Day 12 – The Puzzle

Your BODY is the next piece of the puzzle. 

Mind, Body & Spirit is a saying I live by.  Every day I need to do more to improve my mind, body and spirit.  And if there’s one of those 3 I see WAY TOO many people in the restaurant business neglect, it’s their body.  

I hear the excuses all the time “I’m too busy to workout” or “I’m around food all day, it’s so tough.”

I get it, we’re ALL BUSY and we all have those temptations every day.  And while you may have think you have it worse being around the Mountain Dew gun and fried foods, you’re also around trained chefs that can make PERFECTLY balanced meals for you everyday. 

Your body is what will unlock your ability to run faster and harder than you ever thought you could.  

What got me thinking about this was the transformation I made the past 14 ago was the past 4 days.  On Thursday night I went for a 30 minute walk while in Vegas.  On Friday night I had a tough CrossFit workout that included Ring Muscle-Ups and burpees box jumps.  On Saturday I got up and did some weight lifting with some friends from 7am-8am, did the 8am CrossFit class, did a 10am Kick Boxing class and then walked 1.5 miles with my wife (and this lady walks FAST).  And finally on Sunday I ran my 4.6 mile hill and stairs run I do every week.  

I’ll be honest, on the way down the hill for my 2nd lap I was HURTING!  I was not feeling it, but then I remembered a quote I had heard recently talking about how proud you feel after you accomplish something tough, and I sucked it up and finished the run.

Saturday alone was crazy.  I can tell you that 15 years ago the weights and MAYBE the walk would have happened, but no way CrossFit or the Kick Boxing better yet stacked on top of those items.  

This is why I can fly coast to coast in two days, speak all day at conferences, run my business and still find time for my family.  I’m priortized my body, and I’m begging you to do the same.

It’s not tough and you don’t need anything special.  Go outside and WALK.  Do some squat sits on a chair, do some situps and curl a case of coke. You don’t need a fancy gym or trainer.  You just need to move every day, a little more than the day before.  

If you’re just starting out with this, here’s a VERY easy yet highly effective workout.

1st – EVERY week you’re going to increase this by 1 minute on the walk and 1 rep on the movements

– Walk for 10 minutes

– 10 air or chair squats

– 10 pushups

– 10 lunges

– 10 situps

DO THIS EVERY DAY!  

And like I said, add to it. So in week 2 it’s an 11 minute walk and 11 reps of each.  Within a year you’ll have an hour walk and 60 or so movements to do on each and I can PROMISE YOU this one change will change your life.  

Day 11 – The Puzzle

Now that we have started building your restaurant’s customer database for your best customers, it’s time to talk about the OTHERS!

But first, let’s talk about WHY.

There are 3 ways to grow your sales

1st – Get your best customers (AKA Frequent or Loyal ) to visit more often or spend more when they do visit (like buying an appetizer or dessert)

2nd – To find NEW customers

3rd – To bring back lost customers.

The importance of knowing exactly who your customers are is massively important.  In the blog 2 days ago I talked about creating messaging in your emails that talks to the customers based on WHO they are.

I commonly teach restaurants about not sending the same thing to every customer, they need a unique journey in your marketing.  

Now it’s time to develop a plan for customers who’ve never been to your restaurant, NEW customers and what I like to call the “sometimes” customers, you know the ones you haven’t seen in a while.

This is where an amazing offer comes into play, you have to have a HOOK to get the to raise their hand.

Let me tell you a great story about a recent case study we did with a client.

We have a client who owns a restaurant point of sale company and 4 restaurants.  We ran a customer acquisition campaign for him to showcase what our Acquisition Engine and Retention Rocket programs can do.  These 4 restaurants have been using Repeat Returns for many years and it works great for them.  But like all restaurants, there are LOST customers inside their database.  

At the conclusion of the test he noticed something major.  There are A LOT of customers who were already in his database but had not visited the restaurant, WHO we found through our Facebook Retention Rocket campaigns.  These are social media campaigns designed to get people to comment. Then once they comment we drive them to Facebook Messenger to engage them to gather their information.  He was amazed the number of LOST customers we found through this tactic, and especially the ones that walked into the restaurant within a week.  

Gaining the info from your FREQUENT customers is much easier than others, you get most of that information through your POS or your restaurants online ordering system.  

But new and lost customers aren’t coming going to be found that easily.  

For starters, new customers haven’t been given a good enough reason to raise their hand.   And lost customers, well, ARE LOST!  How awesome is it that Facebook campaign asking locals to tell us who’s going to win the “BIG GAME” that Sunday got customers who’d stopped coming to his restaurant two years ago, to not only comment, but come back for a meal.  

It’s what makes me smile, it’s GOLD!

But here’s another part of the equation.  By getting them to tell you how often the come to your restaurant, or the fact they never have, you now can have a different conversation with each one of those customers. 

New customers need to know your hours, directions and to get indoctrinated to your menu.  Lost customers need a hug and high five.  And when you know who they are, you can easily craft these messages in order to customize their experience with your marketing. 


To capture your customer’s attention and data, you’ve got to step up with an irresistible offer!

Forget about boring them with tedious forms for lame deals. Show them you mean business by presenting a BADASS offer upfront. If you truly understand the value of customer data and aim to boost visit frequency, make sure your offer grabs them from the get-go!

For steps 2-4 check out the Restaurant Marketing Secrets podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgacK2iZiY
–
#RestaurantOwner #RestaurantMarketing #shorts

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If you want to succeed in business and grow as a person DO NOT surround yourself with enablers!

Last week I was in Miami for Grand Cardone’s 10x conference and my dumbass broke my nose swimming in the pool… Now I could have let this ruin my entire week and cried about it to everyone around me, but that’s not what happened.

I surround myself with people who push me to be the best version of myself and would never stand for me taking the easy way out.

My advice to you: Surround yourself with BADASSES and check out the Restaurant Marketing Secrets podcast linked below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_oN5X9ZAw
–
#BusinessGrowthMindset #InspiredSuccess #shorts

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Day 10 – The Puzzle

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“Where’s Austin”

 

Long story short, he’s at the TOP! 

 

But first, let’s talk about where this all started.

 

The date was April 15th, 2021 and I was in need of some help moving into our new offices and starting the remodel process.

 

I did what I always do in those instances, I made a post on Facebook asking for help.

 

A friend Casey tagged a guy from the gym named Austin.   Little did I know the important piece Austin would become in our company.

 

For two weeks Austin helped out in the office.  Moving desks, helping me demolish stuff and honestly, pretty much anything I asked of him. He was a beast, and when I say moving desks, maybe I should explain. The office came fully furnished and there were around 60 HEAVY wood desks, many of them L-Shaped.  There were many instances in which he moved the same desks, many times since I couldn’t make my mind up 🙂

 

Then about a month later he responded to another post I made looking for an assistant.  The decision was pretty easy, so Austin was now a full time employee. 

That was also the same month we set out on the road with the America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow.  The ABR Roadshow and America’s Best Restaurants was an idea I’d been working on for 4 years, and this time we were UPPING our game.  Instead of Matt Plapp filming on a cell phone, we were doing it RIGHT

I’d tasked our marketing director, David Schlotter, with helping me develop the show and put together our crew.  Unbeknownst to us, Austin was familiar with cameras and loved the idea of being a videographer.  So within a month I lost my assistant and America’s Best Restaurants gained it’s first full time employee (now that division has 28 just 3 years later).

So with that Austin was off and running, in fact he would end up being on the road for 2-3 weeks per month for 2 years filming at independent restaurants nationwide.  He was never sick, never missed a shoot and never complained.  He was what they call A COMPANY MAN!

During that time we created the saying “where’s Austin”.  It was a saying with multiple meanings.  It seemed like every time we were around Austin, in the office and on the road, he’d disappear.  And then later it morphed into “where’s Austin”, as in what city is he in now.  

So with that, to have some fun, we made shirts that said “where’s Austin”.  

Last week as I saw the shirt laying on my dresser I thought about his journey with me and the company.  And then I looked at the shirt and thought “he’s at the top baby!”   A guy who started off moving desks, is now helping run a multi million dollar media empire.  The saying “ride or die” was meant for him.  It gets me emotional to type this.  It’s so cool to see a guy start where he did and be where he is today.  But it’s even more humbling to know that he did that for me. 

On Wednesday April 10th I emailed myself to write the post titled “where’s Austin”, and then this happened.  

Today, at 2am I’m awake for some reason and my phone alert for our office alarm goes off.  I do the math, it’s 5am back home.  Who they hell is in the office that early I think, hoping it’s one of my peeps getting an early start 🙂

When I look at the cameras I see Austin, running through the building.  I’m thinking, shit, what’s wrong.  What’s he doing.  So I text him and find out that he’s in a hurry to catch a plane, no details.  

So of course I pry, and ask what’s up.  I’m thinking something happened on the road with one of our crews, but that wasn’t the case.  It turns out one of our vans was having maintenance done during the off week and Austin wanted to make sure it was ready for the crew Monday morning.  In fact he’s picking the van up and driving it MANY hours to get them closer to the first restaurant Monday.

WOW, are you kidding me. How did I get this fucking lucky!!!  How did I find this guy.  Damn I’m lucky.  

I always say the universe knows.  It knew that in my inbox was an email to write this blog about Austin, and it had to show me just how awesome he really was, as if I didn’t already know!

Thank you Austin, I’m glad we found you in 2021 and I’m even happier to know WHERE YOU ARE 🙂 

And my friends, that’s todays PUZZLE PIECE

 

Extend Your Mother’s Day Marketing Beyond Brunch: Drive Engagement and Spread Love! #restaurant

Extend the love beyond just a single day this year! Create virality in your restaurant’s marketing surrounding the incredible women who shape our lives with an entire month dedicated to celebrating Mother’s Day.

Marketing Mother’s Day goes beyond brunch specials, create posts that drive engagement in the comment section! Share a post of you and your mom with a memory and ask your audience to do the same! Instead of posting about your food fill your social media with meaningful conversation.
–
#RestaurantMarketing #EngagementStrategy #shorts

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Day 9 – The Puzzle

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The digital delivery of YOUR OFFER to your restaurants FREQUENT customers after they OPT INTO your program, how should it happen.

Now, depending on what restaurant marketing platform you’re using, this maybe handled for you.  But let’s walk through what we’ve seen work with regards to emailing and texting restaurant offers.  

1st – Always send a welcome text and email.  When they opt-in wherever they do, you should say “check your email and text to confirm you got entered correctly. This should happen ASAP in your system.

2nd – This message should be CUSTOM.  Remember, at this point we are focused on your best customers only, so your messaging your reflect that.  No need for directions to the restaurant, etc.  These are your best customers, TELL THEM THAT with the right messaging.

3rd – The first text should be simple and include an image.  You’re not going to want to use an image every time though, they cost more.  I’d use them every 3-4 texts and only when needed.  This text should have that welcome image, maybe your logo or an amazing food picture and say “Welcome to the family, check your email for program details and your first offer” and then ALWAYS sign off with your name and the restaurants name.

4th – The first email needs to spell out the offer they got and what’s to come.

5th – Your reminder sequence.

This will vary based on how they use the program.  But I like alternating reminders between text and email every 7-10 days, so that in a month they will hear from your 3 times for this VIP offer, but not weekly from one platform.

You also want to be using Facebook and Instagram targeting for this.  You need to have a way to setup ads for the members of this program. You can do this for as little as $1 per day.  

 

BUT HOW?  Well, if you collect their information on a specific platform you should be able to include a tracking code on that page to reach them back on Facebook and IG.

What I want you to remember is that you don’t want to stalk these people EVERY WEEK on text and email.  You want to work into the mix of your normal marketing reminders for any very high value promotions they may have.  

But I’ll also say, YOU should trust this part of your marketing 100% to a marketing firm or platform that understands how to do this and has technology built in that does all of this heavy lifting.  

P.S. – I thought this puzzle piece was one of my best, except I miscalculated the top bar and missed the corner 🙁

 

Day 8 – The Puzzle

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There are 3 places to gain customer data with your badass offer.

1st & most important = In Store

2nd & almost as important = Your website

3rd & easiest, but least important = Social Media

 

In the 4th quarter of 2022 I decided to go work at one of our clients, Rapid Fired Pizza in Florence Kentucky.  WHY?  Because I wanted to understand a few things at a much deeper level.  One of those items was the fact that NO ONE ever opt into their program at the cash register, when buying.

How is it possible that the most important customer in your business, the one standing right in front of you handing you money, was the hardest to get to opt into the marketing programs. 

As I stood their folding pizza boxes next to the register I was confronted with the ugly truth…THE EMPLOYEES were bad at asking, if they asked at all.  Was this training, was this lack of “shits given” or were they just not good sales people.  The latter couldn’t be true, we’re not selling anything, it’s the opposite.  We’re GIVING THEM free stuff.

Then I saw this interaction

Employee –  “Hey, scan the QR code”

Customer – “Why”

Employee – “You get something”

Customer – “What”

Employee – “I’m not sure”

Customer – “No thanks, I’m good”

 

I’m not exaggerating, it was one of the toughest things I’ve ever watched.  As a professional sales person, marketing and business owner I was ashamed at what had just transpired.  

We had given the owner training instructions many months before on how to have the conversation. We had a digital guide and training on what they could say, what the offers were, test sequences for the employees to go through and catchy slogans to use.  

HOW did all of this fall on deaf ears, or did they just not get the training.

It was at this point in which I hopped in “do you mind if I cash out the next customer?”

Here was my interaction with the customer:

Me – “Yo, you didn’t get a dessert pizza, have you had the cinnapie before?”

Customer  (looks up at the menu in disbelief) – “No, I haven’t, looks delish”

Me – “It’s insane, you’ll love it.  And I want to make sure you get one next time, you cool if I give you a free one for your next visit?”

Customer (looking dumfounded) – “Uhh, yeah, I’d love that”

Me – “Cool, do me a favor.  Take out your phone. Scan this code.  It will open in Messenger.  Yep there it is, answer those 5 questions really quick.  FYI, we don’t spam you, we use your email and cell to send you a free perk like this from time to time.  Great, that’s all there is to it, you’ll get that free dessert pizza in a few hours along with a few other amazing offers”

Customer (SMILING ear to ear) – “ DUDE, thanks man. This is awesome.  I can’t wait.

The employee was blown away.  He was astounded.  They get what?  That’s what the QR code does?  WOW!

And with that one customer interaction, their in-store VIP Program opt-ins went through the roof.

The mistakes were apparent. The owner had failed to understand at a VERY DEEP level himself how the program worked.  He failed to OWN it and that trickled down hill to his managers and then to the employees.  There wasn’t any accountability and there wasn’t anyone monitoring the stats to see how often people joined.  

And I don’t want to hear how “this is hard.”  Your employees never wore masks before the pandemic.  Your employees wash their hands before they touch food. There’s ZERO reason this can’t get the same level of buy in, it just comes down to YOU doing your job as the leader of the restaurant.  

The good news is the digital opt-ins are much easier

1st – Your website, have a pop-up that’s in your face and to the point

2nd – Social media, have weekly catchy posts touting the program’s perks and ask people to click or comment to join. Plus, you should have paid ads running every day as well.  Look up my podcast Restaurant Marketing Secrets episode 568 to find out more about that. 

See you tomorrow…