Why?
To build up your reputation and trust with within the hospitality community so they recommend guests to visit your restaurant over the competition.
Estimated Time to Execute:
Recommended weekly interaction and follow up. Executing tastings or private events will take additional time.
What:
- Word of mouth and referrals can be one of the most important ways to capture new or travelling guests. It is vital to have relationships with those businesses that can send people to your restaurant
- Types of businesses include:
- Hotels
- Specifically front desk staff, concierge, manager
- Tourism/welcome centers
- Convention centers
- Office building concierge
- Event spaces (catering)
- Wedding planners (banquet space, catering)
- Kids party places (Build-a-Bear, gym, etc)
- Hotels
Tools Needed:
- Business cards
- Referral coupon cards
- “Goodie” bag or food to leave
- Tasting invite (if applicable)
- Menus
- Catering menus (if applicable)
Research Needed Prior to Execution:
- Know what businesses are in your community that may send
referrals. You can do a search on Google Maps by name or type of place.
- Type in the name of your restaurant for a starting point on Google Maps.
- Click “Nearby” with the blue circle next to Save.
- Then, type is the type of business you are looking for and Enter to search.
- Each blue
price on the map is a different hotel or you can scroll down the list on the
right. Create a list for yourself of which ones you will visit. (Excel sheet
for tracking is separate document attached).
- Do this search multiple times for each type of business you’d like to try and connect with.
Execution:
- After you have your list of which businesses will be your target, it’s time to visit them. Give yourself ~10 minutes per business with driving time. Some may go quick, others may invite you to chat for awhile.
- Walk up to the person at the front, be genuine and confident, speak slowly, and explain who you are and what you’re there for.
- Example scenario. Visiting a Holiday Inn a mile down the
road for the first time.
- Walk to the
front desk. Approach if they are not busy, wait until they are finished talking
to their guest if not.
- “Hi, I’m Kathryn. I’m the Marketing Manager from Vincent’s Italian on Ernest Barrett Parkway about a mile down, right by Home Depot. How are you today?
- Front desk staff: “Great, thanks.”
- “Are you familiar with Vincent’s? Have you ever been in to eat?”
- “I’ve seen it, never been in.”
- “Oh, great. Well, I brought over a few slices of cake for you and your co-workers to try today. We’re known for our authentic Italian and have a variety of items for lunch of dinner to choose from. Here’s our menu.”
- “Oh wow, thanks! I’ll have to take a look at this.”
- “Do guests ever ask you where to eat when they’re staying?”
- “Oh yeah, all the time.”
- “We’d love to be an option. I brought by some coupons if you’d give them to guests looking for a restaurant to visit. There’s a spot on the back to put your name as the referral, if we get 10 back, I’ll bring you over a gift card as a thank you. Same with the other front desk staff. We really appreciate when our neighbors can recommend us to their guests.”
- “I’ll definitely let them know. That cake looks delicious.”
- “It is, believe me! What was your name again?
- “I’m Jenny, I work here on weekdays.”
- “So nice to meet you, Jenny. Could I grab your business card? Is the manager in? I’d love to introduce myself to him or her as well.”
- Walk to the
front desk. Approach if they are not busy, wait until they are finished talking
to their guest if not.
- Example scenario #2: Marriott you’ve been to before and used
to see some referral cards,but haven’t in awhile.
- Walk in, it is
a concierge you don’t recognize at the desk.
- Hi, my name is Kathryn, I’m the Marketing Manager at Vincent’s Italian on Ernest Barrett Parkway. We’ve worked with the other concierge, John, before on some referrals to our restaurant. Are you new to the hotel?
- Yes, we’ve recently had a manager change and there’s some new staff. I’m Brian.
- Hi Brian, nice to meet you. Have you seen the referral cards we’ve brought in for your guests?
- No, I haven’t.
- Here’s some for you. It’s a $5 off coupon for them and if you write your name and I get five back, I’ll bring over a gift card as a thank you. We’d love if you could give them out ot guests looking for a restaurant nearby. Have you been in to Vincent’s before?
- No, I’m not familiar.
- I’d like to invite you and some of the new staff over for a complimentary lunch to try out our food and see what we’re all about. Could I get your business card so we can set something up?
- Walk in, it is
a concierge you don’t recognize at the desk.
- Don’t be discouraged!
- It’s all about finding the people who ARE interested and
excited and continuing to follow up with them.
- Once you get a few referrals back, even if it’s less than the number you told them, bring over a gift card and maybe a few goodies as a thank you. Once they know you’re good to your word, they’ll keep it up.
- Be sure to continuously bring over referral cards. It gives you facetime with those helping you out, and they may run out quickly if it’s a busy time of year.
- Don’t be afraid to be persistent! And be generous! Bring over some food, invite them to lunch on you, host a special tasting dinner for multiple industry people on the same night.
- People will refer you when they know the product they are referring (trying the food) and feel loyal (consistent generosity and appreciation).
- If it’s been a few months,follow up! There is turnover and you may not know when new opportunity is waiting for you.
- Make weekly visits to current and potential new referrers part of your weekly schedule. Even a phone call to check in on how many cards they have left can be quick and a good reminder.