I love supporting small business owners, especially new ones in my own city. So I was happy to get a flyer stuffed in my mailbox from a new restaurant owner about a week ago. He proudly announced the opening of his small Greek restaurant, and offered free food to anyone dropping by all day Friday and all day Saturday during his 
Grand Opening.
I kept the flier, and when Friday rolled around Bill and I drove over to the new place, expecting to be offered a tasting of food off a platter. We were completely shocked to discover that the new owner was giving away complete meals – whatever you wanted off his menu, including a free drink. And if you couldn't stay, he'd even package it up to go. When I say complete meal I mean it – here's a picture. Each of us actually got TWO full meals from our plates of food. Mine included Gyros meat and chicken (two large pieces) served over excellent rice, a full salad with dressing, yogurt sauce for the meat, and a soft drink. We offered to pay, thinking that this was more than a fair offering of his free food, but he insisted that it was totally free – even the drink.
As a customer, I was surely pleased to get a complete meal – something I didn't expect at all. But as a marketing expert for small business owners I was completely appalled. Not at the free food – although I can only imagine how many thousands of dollars worth of meals he gave away in TWO full days of “grand opening.” What appalled me was that he had absolutely no follow-up marketing plan in place. He spent thousands of dollars but did nothing to ensure that the “free foodies” would ever come back.
- He didn't collect names and e-mail addresses, so he can't thank people for stopping by, send them a PDF of his menu, and remind them to come again. He has absolutely no idea who walked into his business for two full days of service. A full meal is plenty of give-away for collecting a first name and e-mail address.
- He didn't collect mailing addresses, so he has no way of knowing which segments of the mailing list he bought to use for his original flyer were useful. He could have collected the flyers as “payment” for the free food and had a great vetted list of future customers.
- He didn't give his “free customers” a business card with a website or Facebook page to join.
- He didn't give out “take-out” menus for people to take home with their free food.
- The packaging for the take-out food was plain white – not even the name of his restaurant (which is a Greek name and not easy to recall), much less a phone number or web address on the take-out box, the napkins, the drink cup, or the sack.
- He didn't hand out loyalty cards (who wouldn't be loyal to someone who hands out a loyalty card with the first meal already punched out – and it was free!).
- He didn't offer a “come back again and get 10% off” or “come back again and get a free Baklava with your meal.
In other words, this man cooked food for hundreds of people, hired extra staff to hand it out, and completely failed to use the enormous good will he generated with his free food to initiate any single call to action at all. From a marketing standpoint, his Grand Opening campaign was poorly thought out – completely!
You might argue “some people will remember the free food and come back again” and you're probably right to a point. But people are busy, the name of the restaurant is hard to remember, it's in a busy parking lot where parking is scarce, and good intentions often don't get carried out. If 1 customer in 20 comes back on their own accord I'd be surprised. If he had initiated any of the above calls to action I'd bet he could have come close to a 50% return rate – far better than 5%.
This generous man with his big smile and excellent Greek food (it was delicious both fresh and as leftovers the next day) made me want to tear my hair out. With just an hour or two of consultation from any marketing expert, he could have ensured a good return on his huge investment of time and money. It is true that to succeed in business one must be as good at marketing as what one does. I hope that this new business owner becomes as great a marketer as he is a chef before he goes out of business. All I can say is that he's a much better chef than he is a marketer right now.
Hi Sue,
I think what the restaurant owner did was a lovely idea and unfortunately I would have been just like him. Happily giving the food away with no follow-up in place. I just wouldn’t have thought of all those great ideas you came up with.
This blog was an education. Thanks you so much for enlightening me!
Liax
Hi Lia,
I’m glad that this post was eye-opening for you. Yes, it’s a lovely gesture but it is wasteful without follow-up.
Sue
What is it they say — the fortune is in the follow-up? 🙂
Carmen,
Absolutely!
Sue
Great case study, Sue. I’m sure many people will learn from your pointers. It would be a huge service to him to show him your article so he understands the value of planning for the follow up and to never make the same mistake again. Sue
Hi Sue,
I’ve thought about doing exactly that! If I do, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Sue
Sue,
Wow…makes me sad for him. My dad owned restaurants growing up and I know that he put forth a lot of hard work. I am surprised as to how many gifted people are out there but haven’t enough sense to invest in a coach, mentor or teacher to help them do it right! Hope he finds your article.
Kiyla Fenell
Thanks, Kiyla. I want him to make it, too!
Sue
Excellent case study Sue – I loved all the great advice you had – really excellent! This tip I think is golden! He could have collected the flyers as “payment” for the free food and had a great vetted list of future customers. I also like the loyalty cards idea.
As you say one good thing was the free food (I love personally Greek food and it’s often a pretty healthy choice) – I do hope some of the patrons go back – poor guy!
Trudy
Thanks so much, Trudy. And I’m glad to hear that Greek food is pretty healthy, because we’ll be going back there!
Sue
Follow up is the key to long-term success and I too am shocked at how many business fall flat when it comes to following up! It’s as if they think of a great way to get people to notice them and stop there … I think it’s the focus on always looking for new customers. If you forget to nurture your existing customers and clients to keep them coming back, you’ll always be stuck looking for new clients – ick! It’s so much easier to implement a great follow up plan and capitalize on repeat business!
Jennifer Bourn, Bourn Creative
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, repeat business is truly the key to a sustainable business.
Sue
Bill,
Good point! We’ll go back, though!
Sue
Sue, this man needs you and your savvy skills! If you offer to help him can there be some delicious Greek salads in the offing? Thanks for sharing your marketing smarts.
Mary Ellen,
I thought about that – gyros and Greek salad for marketing expertise. Yum!
Sue
It is one thing to trust providence to move on our behalf for keeping a commitment; like a wonderful grand opening experience. It is quite another to not allow the one commitment to flow to the next … and the next. Of course, I am careful to not write that with judgment. You made me question some of my own activities. And for that, I thank you Sue.
Hi Jeff,
You’re welcome!
Sue
Wow! I’ll be he generated a lot of goodwill (IF the food was yummy!) But, you make SUCH good points on how to take a promotion and turn it into a SUCCESSFUL one! Thanks for the reminders… Here’s to your success! 🙂 Katherine.
Wow, such a simple step – an unfortunately so easy to forget.
Wow! Just goes to show you that marketing doesn’t come second nature to many entrepreneurs and business owners, but needs to be such an essential part of an business strategy–how to leverage what you do so that it pays you a return on your investment. Thanks for the case study, Sue!
Linda,
You’re welcome!
Sue
Your article shows not only did this entrepreneur not have a follow up marketing plan, but that he also probably failed to get any professional marketing advice in the first place. A shame. Your ideas of what he could have done, almost passively through social media and loyalty cards alone to promote future business, were terrific!
Hi Kellee,
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m glad you liked my ideas – I wanted to stay with things that would have been simple and low-cost for him.
Sue
Sue,
I’m constantly surprised by how few businesses incorporate “follow up” plans into their marketing mix. Nice job of educating.
Write on!~
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I know you are aces at helping business owners understand how to leverage the web (among other things).
Sue