Gas in Southern California is $4.89 a gallon, maybe higher today.
In NYC, gas is $4.29. No doubt in your city, town or village is high too.
According to the AAA, gas prices nationwide are up $1.20 a gallon since one year ago.
Last time this happened. our business was affected. People need to eat, pay the rent, buy clothes and fill up their cars to get to work, school and pick up the kids.
Bowling is not going to be high on their list of discretionary spending. Neither are movies or other recreational/entertainment options they don't HAVE to have.
Let's get going and start our digital campaign of "affordable fun is close to home" start sending emails and post on your Facebook page using this as your campaign theme.
Overlay special offers and be sure to say that "Happy Lanes gives you more miles per gallon of fun".
And then cap it all off by offering the opportunity to win $25 to $100 gas cards. Run that sweepstakes on your face book page, "Win up to $100 in gasoline" just for bowling at Happy Lanes" available during School Easter break.
Promote your family bowling specials (Pizza Pins n Pepsi) and your daytime kids specials (Bowl up to two hours for $X.XX and get a FREE Pepsi, or FREE pizza, or FREE fries).
Don't keep your center in idle.
Get out there and gas up your promotions!
Got a better idea?
Let us know and we'll post it on this blog.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Erasers
Before computers, erasers were put on pencils because eventually someone made a mistake and had to redo it.
In the typewriter era, erasable tapes could be inserted under the key and the misspelled word would be removed.
In the computer era, it's even easier, we press the delete key or the backspace key and "poof" the error is gone.
To even double our chances of not making mistakes, computers have spell check and grammar check. No reason to make a mistake now. Right?
Wrong.
Your employees are not computers, nor are they typewriters or even pencils. They are human beings who will eventually make a mistake...just like you.
What do you do when they make a mistake? Do you freak out and yell at them? Do you take away what they do and give it to someone else or do you encourage them to do better next time?
The answer to these questions lies in the type of workplace environment YOU have established.
As the leader, you have choices:
1. Establish a zero tolerance for mistakes. make a mistake and get hollered at or worse, get fired.
2. Establish a three strikes and you are out policy. Screw up three times and get hollered at or, worse, get fired.
3. Establish an environment where mistakes are encouraged, initiatives are celebrated and staff is free to come to you with new ideas.
Bottom line is: If you're employees are not making mistakes, they are not doing their jobs and they certainly are not helping to build your business.
How do you deal with mistakes?
In the typewriter era, erasable tapes could be inserted under the key and the misspelled word would be removed.
In the computer era, it's even easier, we press the delete key or the backspace key and "poof" the error is gone.
To even double our chances of not making mistakes, computers have spell check and grammar check. No reason to make a mistake now. Right?
Wrong.
Your employees are not computers, nor are they typewriters or even pencils. They are human beings who will eventually make a mistake...just like you.
What do you do when they make a mistake? Do you freak out and yell at them? Do you take away what they do and give it to someone else or do you encourage them to do better next time?
The answer to these questions lies in the type of workplace environment YOU have established.
As the leader, you have choices:
1. Establish a zero tolerance for mistakes. make a mistake and get hollered at or worse, get fired.
2. Establish a three strikes and you are out policy. Screw up three times and get hollered at or, worse, get fired.
3. Establish an environment where mistakes are encouraged, initiatives are celebrated and staff is free to come to you with new ideas.
Bottom line is: If you're employees are not making mistakes, they are not doing their jobs and they certainly are not helping to build your business.
How do you deal with mistakes?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Marketing Tip #182: An Important E mail Secret
Want to increase customer engagement and boost your email ROI?
Consider a “friends and family” viral campaign.
Here’s some information that will increase your email response rate...dramatically!
One of the tried and true email campaigns of yesterday was the "friends and family" email offers.
These "friends-and-family email campaigns" contained very targeted promotions sent to preselected groups of employees, business partners and perhaps best customers.
These offers were highly coveted and were perceived as being “better” than those available to the general public.
The campaigns not only were strong revenue performers, but also became effective acquisition tools due to the perceived value of the included offers.
Today, the friends and family campaign is typically distributed to the entire customer file. This type of campaign capitalizes on a perception of exclusivity; the customer who receives perceives that he is getting a better and more valuable offer than other people.
The perception of friends-and-family offers being “special” continues; going so far as to outperform on all key measurements, vs. otherwise identical promotions without the friends-and-family messaging.
In a recent study, Experian CheetahMail’s Strategic Services team found that "the most common offers during the 2010 holiday season for friends-and-family emails were 20% and 30% off".
During this same time period, many businesses also sent non-friends-and-family promotions with the exact same offer values.
When these campaigns were compared, the results were clear:
"Friends-and-family emails had 30% higher open rates and 27% higher click through rates, and they generated double the transaction rates and triple the revenue per email than bulk e mailings with the same offer".
How soon can you start a friends and family campaign for your bowling center?
p.s. If you need help on this, give us a jingle @ 212 867 2577 or email us at fredkaplowitz@gmail.
Consider a “friends and family” viral campaign.
Here’s some information that will increase your email response rate...dramatically!
One of the tried and true email campaigns of yesterday was the "friends and family" email offers.
These "friends-and-family email campaigns" contained very targeted promotions sent to preselected groups of employees, business partners and perhaps best customers.
These offers were highly coveted and were perceived as being “better” than those available to the general public.
The campaigns not only were strong revenue performers, but also became effective acquisition tools due to the perceived value of the included offers.
Today, the friends and family campaign is typically distributed to the entire customer file. This type of campaign capitalizes on a perception of exclusivity; the customer who receives perceives that he is getting a better and more valuable offer than other people.
The perception of friends-and-family offers being “special” continues; going so far as to outperform on all key measurements, vs. otherwise identical promotions without the friends-and-family messaging.
In a recent study, Experian CheetahMail’s Strategic Services team found that "the most common offers during the 2010 holiday season for friends-and-family emails were 20% and 30% off".
During this same time period, many businesses also sent non-friends-and-family promotions with the exact same offer values.
When these campaigns were compared, the results were clear:
"Friends-and-family emails had 30% higher open rates and 27% higher click through rates, and they generated double the transaction rates and triple the revenue per email than bulk e mailings with the same offer".
How soon can you start a friends and family campaign for your bowling center?
p.s. If you need help on this, give us a jingle @ 212 867 2577 or email us at fredkaplowitz@gmail.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Hammer and The Nail
It has been said that, in business as in life, some days you are the hammer and some days you are the nail. But if you think that, what do your employees think? Probably the same thing. Or more likely...the nail.
The only problem is you may be using only one tool - the hammer - to fix or build your business. Maybe other tools are needed.
Tools like making short season programs part of your start up season and not just a fill in, programs that more efficiently utilize your data base by building relationships (rather than just selling) in ways that can improve your "open rate or click through rate."
More importantly, what about your employees?
Have you been using the same "tool" on them, only to find out that after the initial meetings, speeches, threats and persuasive dialogue that they retreat back to old behavior?
Maybe its because you haven't found out the secret to employee motivation.
Very simply, the secret is called "matter."
Employees, according to many surveys of workers in many industries, simply want to do work that "matters"; work that gives them a reason to believe that they are contributing to the organization's goals and that they make a difference.
When was the last time you complemented your employees or recognized their work for its contribution to your business?
Sure, everyone wants more money, but deep down, employees want to do work that matters.
Now you can go back to being the hammer or sometimes the nail or you can look for some new tools
What new tools do you need to put in your tool kit?
The only problem is you may be using only one tool - the hammer - to fix or build your business. Maybe other tools are needed.
Tools like making short season programs part of your start up season and not just a fill in, programs that more efficiently utilize your data base by building relationships (rather than just selling) in ways that can improve your "open rate or click through rate."
More importantly, what about your employees?
Have you been using the same "tool" on them, only to find out that after the initial meetings, speeches, threats and persuasive dialogue that they retreat back to old behavior?
Maybe its because you haven't found out the secret to employee motivation.
Very simply, the secret is called "matter."
Employees, according to many surveys of workers in many industries, simply want to do work that "matters"; work that gives them a reason to believe that they are contributing to the organization's goals and that they make a difference.
When was the last time you complemented your employees or recognized their work for its contribution to your business?
Sure, everyone wants more money, but deep down, employees want to do work that matters.
Now you can go back to being the hammer or sometimes the nail or you can look for some new tools
What new tools do you need to put in your tool kit?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
You Are In Sales
Wood Foss, a proprietor in Westerly RI, owns Alley Katz, a wonderful 20 lane center that does some great numbers and has really, really great sports bar called Cleats. In addition to the great service, the burgers, specials and other concoctions are terrific. I can't wait for my visit to see them; the burgers are that good! :-)
In any case, Wood is a fervent reader of Chris Brogan's blog and he passed this information on to me. I thought you might like it
"I’m convinced that everyone in every organization is now part of the sales force. I also think you’re part of customer service, but there are no customers without sales. Sales comes first. No matter if you’re the "bagger" at the grocery store to the CFO, your job is sales and then customer service, and if you don’t think it is, your company’s health is probably just as questionable as the rest of the businesses out there.
Think Sales
Sales people don’t push a product; they listen for people’s needs. The really good sales professionals I’ve met sell other people’s products just as readily as they sell the one they’re paid to sell. Get in that habit, the habit of being helpful. Find people’s needs as a matter of fact. Find them even when you’re not really on duty. Listen to people. Listen to what they’re really saying versus what is coming out of their lips. This will pay you forever.
Think Customer Service
The #1 trait of excellent customer service is empathy married to action. Sometimes, empathy is all you can deliver. I’m sitting in an airport writing this at 5AM because our plane was rerouted due to an emergency on board. It’s no one’s fault. But none of the passengers really want to be here. Everyone has dealt with us with empathy first and foremost, and that’s what matters. They’ve spoken from our side of the fence. They’ve been personal with all their interactions.
Empathy plus action is what makes great customer service. You can practice this as often as possible, too. You can do it at home. Get on the other person’s side of the table as often as possible. Look for potential ways to help. And remember, listening and making someone feel heard is every bit as important an action as any other (note to men: we tend to leap to action instead of helping a woman feel heard – that’s from studies I’ve read and John Gray’s work)".
My best to all, Wood
In any case, Wood is a fervent reader of Chris Brogan's blog and he passed this information on to me. I thought you might like it
"I’m convinced that everyone in every organization is now part of the sales force. I also think you’re part of customer service, but there are no customers without sales. Sales comes first. No matter if you’re the "bagger" at the grocery store to the CFO, your job is sales and then customer service, and if you don’t think it is, your company’s health is probably just as questionable as the rest of the businesses out there.
Think Sales
Sales people don’t push a product; they listen for people’s needs. The really good sales professionals I’ve met sell other people’s products just as readily as they sell the one they’re paid to sell. Get in that habit, the habit of being helpful. Find people’s needs as a matter of fact. Find them even when you’re not really on duty. Listen to people. Listen to what they’re really saying versus what is coming out of their lips. This will pay you forever.
Think Customer Service
The #1 trait of excellent customer service is empathy married to action. Sometimes, empathy is all you can deliver. I’m sitting in an airport writing this at 5AM because our plane was rerouted due to an emergency on board. It’s no one’s fault. But none of the passengers really want to be here. Everyone has dealt with us with empathy first and foremost, and that’s what matters. They’ve spoken from our side of the fence. They’ve been personal with all their interactions.
Empathy plus action is what makes great customer service. You can practice this as often as possible, too. You can do it at home. Get on the other person’s side of the table as often as possible. Look for potential ways to help. And remember, listening and making someone feel heard is every bit as important an action as any other (note to men: we tend to leap to action instead of helping a woman feel heard – that’s from studies I’ve read and John Gray’s work)".
My best to all, Wood
Monday, March 28, 2011
Why Facebook and Google are Doomed!
Ever try to call Google or Facebook and get a real person to answer your call? Won't happen. It's not their business model. In fact, it is the antithesis of their business model.
I tried calling Google several times, maybe even 20 times, only to be referred to a website or an email; never heard from them again.
And then it hit me. These very companies whose aim it is to connect people, facts and fiction and to communicate with the world are doing one S*#@*y job of connecting with me or letting me connect with them. I want a real person to whom I can speak. Why is that so hard for them to do?
In addition to it not being in their DNA, they simply can't afford to be able to answer questions from millions and millions of users globally. What would you do if everybody was your market. And I do mean everybody!!
With 35 billion emails being sent, everyday, via the Internet and with these two companies having the lion's share of this market, how could they possible answer all the calls. It's near impossible...or is it?
And then I knew that the end is near for Google.
Larry Page, who has taken over the CEO position again, is now stating that his job is to get the 24,000 Google employees to make decisions quicker and act more like a "start up." He has set down rules such as: "All proposals have to be pitched in 60 seconds or less." "Supervisors were to cut their project list in half and then half again." And so on...
Trouble is with all his edicts he missed CEO 101.
First rule of CEO 101 has always been to get out and speak to the customers. Find out what they want. And no where was this mentioned in his "Page Manifesto." Sure Google and Facebook have lots of stats and can tell YOU what YOU want, but who is out talking to people and getting some qualitative data instead of all quantitative information.
No where. All of Mr. Page's focus appears to be on the internal structuring of his company, without ever mentioning the customer. Yikes!
Now this may be an exaggeration and I don't suspect Google or Facebook to go out of business anywhere soon, but if you take this example to our bowling center levels, how hard would it be for us to lose customers if we didn't listen to them and find out all we could so we could give them what they wanted.
Pretty easy, I think.
I tried calling Google several times, maybe even 20 times, only to be referred to a website or an email; never heard from them again.
And then it hit me. These very companies whose aim it is to connect people, facts and fiction and to communicate with the world are doing one S*#@*y job of connecting with me or letting me connect with them. I want a real person to whom I can speak. Why is that so hard for them to do?
In addition to it not being in their DNA, they simply can't afford to be able to answer questions from millions and millions of users globally. What would you do if everybody was your market. And I do mean everybody!!
With 35 billion emails being sent, everyday, via the Internet and with these two companies having the lion's share of this market, how could they possible answer all the calls. It's near impossible...or is it?
And then I knew that the end is near for Google.
Larry Page, who has taken over the CEO position again, is now stating that his job is to get the 24,000 Google employees to make decisions quicker and act more like a "start up." He has set down rules such as: "All proposals have to be pitched in 60 seconds or less." "Supervisors were to cut their project list in half and then half again." And so on...
Trouble is with all his edicts he missed CEO 101.
First rule of CEO 101 has always been to get out and speak to the customers. Find out what they want. And no where was this mentioned in his "Page Manifesto." Sure Google and Facebook have lots of stats and can tell YOU what YOU want, but who is out talking to people and getting some qualitative data instead of all quantitative information.
No where. All of Mr. Page's focus appears to be on the internal structuring of his company, without ever mentioning the customer. Yikes!
Now this may be an exaggeration and I don't suspect Google or Facebook to go out of business anywhere soon, but if you take this example to our bowling center levels, how hard would it be for us to lose customers if we didn't listen to them and find out all we could so we could give them what they wanted.
Pretty easy, I think.
Friday, March 25, 2011
10 Immutable Laws of Customer Relationships
The following is based on a conversation with the enthusiastic, enlightening and entertaining sales trainer Jerry Acuff, author of The Relationship Edge in Business
"Selling at the highest level means building strong customer relationships which create ongoing sales opportunities.
There are ten fundamental laws that determine whether a customer will want to have a long-term relationship with you.
Here they are:
LAW #1: Your customer wants to feel important.
LAW #2: Your customer craves being appreciated.
LAW #3: Your customer is NOT interested in you.
LAW #4: Your customer seeks success and happiness.
LAW #5: Your customer wants you to listen and understand.
LAW #6: Your customer must feel valued before buying.
LAW #7: Your customer buys emotionally but defends logically.
LAW #8: Your customer’s average attention span is short.
LAW #9: Your customer wants you to show true interest.
LAW #10: Your customer wants to teach you something.
If you behave with these laws constantly in mind, your customers will work with you, buy from you, and give you great referrals. On the other hand, if you ignore any of these laws, you’re toast. Your customers will move on to somebody who knows how to treat them right."
"Selling at the highest level means building strong customer relationships which create ongoing sales opportunities.
There are ten fundamental laws that determine whether a customer will want to have a long-term relationship with you.
Here they are:
LAW #1: Your customer wants to feel important.
LAW #2: Your customer craves being appreciated.
LAW #3: Your customer is NOT interested in you.
LAW #4: Your customer seeks success and happiness.
LAW #5: Your customer wants you to listen and understand.
LAW #6: Your customer must feel valued before buying.
LAW #7: Your customer buys emotionally but defends logically.
LAW #8: Your customer’s average attention span is short.
LAW #9: Your customer wants you to show true interest.
LAW #10: Your customer wants to teach you something.
If you behave with these laws constantly in mind, your customers will work with you, buy from you, and give you great referrals. On the other hand, if you ignore any of these laws, you’re toast. Your customers will move on to somebody who knows how to treat them right."
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