Give Guests Something to Talk About

Everybody says that (positive) word-of-mouth is the best advertising and I suspect that is true. But is it just a lucky accident or might there be more to it? In my experience, the answer is definitely the latter. Let me explain:

When I opened my first restaurant in the mid 1970s, a casually-themed operation of my size in the financial district of San Francisco could expect a sales volume of around $600,000 a year. (Remember that this was at a time when well drinks were a dollar and burgers sold for 3 bucks!) We did over $978,000 our first year and everyone was amazed. More than one competitor commented, "I don't understand it. Everyone in town is talking about your restaurant!" It was not an accident - we consciously set it up to be that way.

Our word-of-mouth success was the result of a carefully-constructed marketing program. While I can't promise comparable results (I'm sure there were a variety of factors at work in our success), here are some ideas that will help you tap this powerful medium for yourself: