The more you plan, the more you earn... And the more you're prepared, the sharper you are with negotiations for large bookings and groups.
Shake up your Action Plan to include:
- Prepare and upgrade your booking system: online reservation systems are now expected by most of your customers. If you're not there yet, maybe this could get you across the line - competition between vendors means better deals - have you inquired lately? This also means fewer phonecalls - always a good thing! If you take bookings for large events (eg in clubs), use one of these easy group booking options.
- Spark up the Christmas menus: add extras and special options so customers are receiving much better value, even if you've raised some prices. Start promoting Christmas bookings and options on the regular menu as well.
- No other Discounts in December: keep the focus on the Christmas packages, which of course have a big focus on value (and hopefully some price rises). Make sure other coupons and deals don't undermine this peak revenue time.
- Prepare a Christmas web page: Christmas menus, photos, staff in santa hats - it's not too corny. Find your old Christmas photos and put them onto Flickr.com or an album - see 50 Ways to Use Photos for Business Building & Promotion. Here's the Flickr page for the recent F&B Management Summit - see how a large spread of photos can make a big impression.
- Decorate your Facebook Page - add stars or snow to your main image (top left of your Page), and make it bigger - it can be up to 3 times as long as wide. Posts on your page will randomly feed through to your to your Facebook Fans. Add Christmas Events and dates to Facebook Events.
- Create special deals for less popular times: these could be Sunday to Wednesday, or late November. Times when you drop the room fees or add beverage package extras - make the offer very clear and really valuable. An empty room gives zero revenue.
- Manage revenue on popular dates: key Fridays and Saturdays in December, or whenever you know is most in demand. Set a minimum spend for rooms or spaces, and stay firm. Do staff who take bookings understand the guidelines?
- Make it easier for customers to pay deposits: ideally, they can pay with a few clicks online. It's easy to set up a business Paypal button on your booking page - it's known and trusted, and has a high response rate. See 7 Ways to Help Customers Spend More With You.
- Promote & Sell Gift Vouchers and Hampers - ideal gifts for people who don't need more clothes or 'things' in their life. See How to Organize a Successful Gift Certificate Program and Gift Hamper Promotion and Profit Planning.
- Find space for different types of events: can the balcony be roped off for a drinks party? Or a tent set up in the car park? Where else can a stand-up event be held?
- Make your place the most festive in town: not just one string of lights but 20. Choose one colour (preferably red) and go crazy with the red shiny balls or streamers -- pile them in bowls and glass vases. Think like a retailer, not a homemaker!
- Contact last year's event organisers: give them first option on dates - they already know your style and price range. You may have emailed them already, so now it's time for a phone call!
- Prepare for some serious list building: run a competition to obtain name, email, mobile number and basic preferences - do they want to hear about new wines, new bands, new food or football nights? Use Constant Contact to manage the list.
Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs. The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. Profitable Hospitality also runs regular management training workshops in the areas of kitchen profit & efficiency, restaurant marketing and functions management. A free monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest industry management issues. www.profitablehospitality.com.
