One of the All4H team regularly visits their local Wine Bar in a small market town and was recently somewhat astounded by their missing a trick.  On chatting to the Bar Manager on a quiet midweek shift, he mentioned in conversation that the Wine Bar had a special offer of '2 courses for £10', which had been running for a couple of weeks  - great offer, great food!

 

The question is ... why didn't even a regular customer know about the offer, never mind potential customers???

 

 

Here are our top 5 simple tips for keeping your customers 'in the know' ...

 

1. Posters

Place posters strategically around the venue, without cluttering.  The ideal places are heavy traffic areas or those places where people stand and wait so the ideal location would be around the bar area (behind the bar, on the serving hatch, above the bar, on columns etc).  Another great place is in the toilets - ladies, especially, will read posters on the back of doors, above the hand driers, near the mirror etc!

 

2. Blackboards

Ensure you have someone with neat, legible handwriting and be careful with the use of colour (black & white looks far more professional) See SM12.01 Use of In-House Literature.  If you don't have any blackboards, make use of spare spaces around your venue - blackboard paint can be bought from any DIY shop and can be painted onto surfaces (eg: back of serving hatch) to create an instant blackboard for use with either chalk or blackboard pens.

 

3. Tent Cards

Whether you decide to go for professional printed tent cards or create your own, ensure that every table has a tent card on it to promote events, special occasions or offers.  Replace worn or tatty looking tent cards regularly.

 

4. Till Receipts

Your till receipts are an ideal spot to advertise forthcoming offers or to induce customers to return.  Most tills have the facility for adding text and a simple 'bring this receipt on your next visit to get 10% off your next meal' can make all the difference.

 

5. Quiz Sheets

If you hold a quiz, do you have just a blank 1-30 answer sheet?  If so, you're missing a massive advertising opportunity!  Why not advertise your events and offers around the edges of the quiz sheet?

 

 

See our Increasing Business section for more help on how to gain new customers and make the most out of those you already have ...