Increase Restaurant Sales Angel Cicerone Increase Restaurant Sales Angel Cicerone

The successful business is one that solves problems. Duh!

A very successful small business owner said to me last week, " A successful business is one that solves problems." It's a beautifully simplistic motto for us to remember daily.

What I am finding however, in the post-quarantine world, is too many business owners are trying to solve their own problems, not their customers'! It's understandable. You're fighting for the future of your business.

But if you are really looking for immediate and long term success, you need to be thinking about how to serve your customer. In subtle - and not so subtle ways- you may be putting your needs before theirs and quite frankly, losing the loyalty of these important early stage return customers.

Here are a few examples I’ve seen in just the past week:

A restaurant owner doubling the price of wine by the glass with the explanation that f he isn’t going through wine as quickly. Duh! Why not offer attractive wine by the bottle options to increase average sale and make the customer feel great about purchasing it?

A clothing retailer desperate to sell existing inventory that consists mostly of prom and wedding guest dresses. Duh! For the most part, people need comfortable daily wear to get them through a routine summer. Keep changing your inventory to meet the changing needs of today’s consumer and when the time comes, they’ll come back for your specialty.

A restaurant trying to cram outdoor seating areas to maximize capacity is wondering why so many potential customers are walking away. Duh! Even if you’re not scared of the virus, there are plenty of people who are still fearful. Do everything you can to make them feel comfortable. If you have to charge a minimum in order to make your numbers, go ahead and do that but don’t be insensitive to customer needs.

A dry cleaner bemoaning there’s no business because people aren’t going to work. Duh! By contrast, another dry cleaner is literally cleaning up by helping customers “clean the quarantine” out of their home goods (sheets, bedspreads, etc.).

Your custome'rs needs today bear almost no resemblance to their needs four months ago! Don’t sell them what you have. Fix a problem. Fill a need. Calm their fears. Solve today’s problems today and you’ll most likely have a loyal customer for life.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

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COVID-19, Retailer Success Angel Cicerone COVID-19, Retailer Success Angel Cicerone

Are you one of the 10 percent?

As states permit businesses to reopen, 90 percent of owners won’t do anything other than unlock their doors, provide mandated safety measures and wait for something to happen.

Don’t be one of them.

Because these are the business owners focused on merely surviving the next few months, getting forgiveness for their PPP loan and trying to sell customers whatever it is they happen to have pre-virus. These are the 90 percent.

But you are different. You are not focused on merely surviving. You are focused on coming out of the other side of this with a healthier, stronger business.  One that’s ready to continue to adapt to a fast-paced and changing environment and services its customers on the highest level.

Now, the big question, what do you need to do to become one of the 10 percent?

First, float
When caught in a rip current, swimmers are advised to stop fighting and just float. This pandemic has been the mother of all currents and fighting it is exhausting. Nobody expects you to completely understand how to navigate the situation but if you want to successfully get past this particular point in time, you need stop fighting for life and take a minute to clear some headspace. You need to let new ideas materialize instead of panicking because you don’t have all the answers.

Learn the lessons
What could have/should you have done differently prior to the pandemic? Identify the weak spots that existed (yes, every business has them) and fix them as part of your move forward plan.  Whether it’s net profitability, staff training, merchandising or marketing – now’s the time to fix it!

(Note – while we don’t have a lot of answers on what life is going to look like over the next months, we know one thing for sure: those businesses without a robust digital presence did not have as strong a chance to succeed. You might need to put this at the top of your list.)

Get the facts
There are two things you need to look at: what’s going on in your industry and what’s going on in your community.  Are there best practices within your industry? Do they jive with what is happening in your neighborhood? Understanding what people want and need right now is the best framework in which to make decisions.

Create a tribe
Engage your team in becoming part of the 10 percent team. A great business is made up of great people and employees need to be buy in to your vision because they are critical to making it happen.

Make it fun
Just because life is difficult, doesn’t mean you can’t shine a ray of light in people’s lives. From your marketing to your attitude, make your business a bright spot.

Give people a reason to leave the house
This has always been one of the “aha” moments in my work with retailers; are you doing something that makes customers want to leave their house vs. ordering online? Today, that’s taken on a whole new, meaning in a world where we, quite literally, have to encourage people dip their toes back into regular consumer behavior. As a retail store or restaurant owner, be sure you are providing good reasons for a visit. Status quo won’t cut it in these days.  

I applaud you for making the commitment to be a part of the 10 percent club. Adapt. Change. Fight.
Make this situation a stepping stone for a great future.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

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