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Having Difficulty Marketing Apps for Restaurants

by Ehanson
8 replies
Even after teaming up with someone else and living in one of the restaurant capitals of the world I'm having a bit of difficulty getting a potentially profitable business up due to hitting a wall with marketing and trying to get my first couple of clients.

I have a talented freelancer building app demos for restaurants who I've teamed up with. I showed the demo to one of my loyal clients who bought a mobile version of their site from me- he was so excited when he saw it he could barely contain himself. He wanted to buy the app for his restaurant right there but needed to talk it over with the co-owner who's away on vacation for "a couple weeks" Frustrating....

He'll probably end up buying it but in the meantime I'm emailing small and medium sized restaurants; sent off about 40 emails and haven't gotten a response from one yet. I checked to see how my partner was doing and he hasn't gotten a sale yet either after walking in to various places.

I feel like our approach is wrong or we're marketing ourselves in the wrong manner... after seeing the excitement from my client upselling himself, I know the concept isn't what's wrong here.

Anyone have advice on how to successfully sell an app to restaurant owners (or small business owners for that matter)
#apps #difficulty #marketing #restaurants
  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    You must build a relationship with each owner. In person meetings and demo will work the best.
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  • Profile picture of the author mariasnow0
    If offline marketing is not working then you have to go for online marketing & for that you first have to create your organizations website & then go for search engine optimization or social media marketing as bunch by buyer are used internet these days.
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    • Profile picture of the author mike_lucas
      Well I sell quite a few apps to restaurant. You are right if you can reach the owner, have a system either via face to face, webinar ( team view) or sales funnel then yes apps are one if not the easiest thing to sell a restaurant owner ( of course depending on your pricing and other factors)

      I know many here will say they dont need it sell them a mobile site but this is what they want.

      40 emails is nothing .Were these just an email blast or have you talked to the owners? did you follow up with a phone call or any follow up? I use a software that track emails business owners many do not even check their emails some for days if not a week or longer if then ... Can you get leads from emails? Yes, we do every week, but it's a numbers game and well 40 is no where near the number that will get you a steady amount of leads.

      How many business did your partner call on or walk in and and talk to ? How many pressentation on the the business he called on? Takes time to fill up the pipe line with qualified intrested leads some move in a day others may take a week or longer. The money is in the follow up with restaurants. I know many will say one call closes but well to each his own we follow up.

      We have a few ways we sell our apps ( emails, telemarketing and 2 sales guys who cold call businesses) They talk to about 120-140 business a week
      they do not work a full 40 hrs FYI they sell about 8-9 apps per week

      it takes a bit of follow up with many of them as they could be slow or busy on your visit and even follow up.

      I prefer telemarketing its gets on on average the most bang for the buck in my opinion but emails are fee and easy to do so we do them , the sales guys like the face to face and they get sells and make money so it all works .

      Find your magic number it is 1 out of 100 for a sale or 1 out of 150 does not really matter find the number then improve on lower the number . do it every day and you will get sales.
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      • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
        Mike, don't you have any difficulties getting these apps approved by apple? It seems to happen lately.

        Thanks.

        Originally Posted by mike_lucas View Post

        Well I sell quite a few apps to restaurant. You are right if you can reach the owner, have a system either via face to face, webinar ( team view) or sales funnel then yes apps are one if not the easiest thing to sell a restaurant owner ( of course depending on your pricing and other factors)

        I know many here will say they dont need it sell them a mobile site but this is what they want.

        40 emails is nothing .Were these just an email blast or have you talked to the owners? did you follow up with a phone call or any follow up? I use a software that track emails business owners many do not even check their emails some for days if not a week or longer if then ... Can you get leads from emails? Yes, we do every week, but it's a numbers game and well 40 is no where near the number that will get you a steady amount of leads.

        How many business did your partner call on or walk in and and talk to ? How many pressentation on the the business he called on? Takes time to fill up the pipe line with qualified intrested leads some move in a day others may take a week or longer. The money is in the follow up with restaurants. I know many will say one call closes but well to each his own we follow up.

        We have a few ways we sell our apps ( emails, telemarketing and 2 sales guys who cold call businesses) They talk to about 120-140 business a week
        they do not work a full 40 hrs FYI they sell about 8-9 apps per week

        it takes a bit of follow up with many of them as they could be slow or busy on your visit and even follow up.

        I prefer telemarketing its gets on on average the most bang for the buck in my opinion but emails are fee and easy to do so we do them , the sales guys like the face to face and they get sells and make money so it all works .

        Find your magic number it is 1 out of 100 for a sale or 1 out of 150 does not really matter find the number then improve on lower the number . do it every day and you will get sales.
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        • Profile picture of the author mike_lucas
          I have not had one not approved yet.(knock on wood) . I am using a program that was talked about a few week back (sky builder) now closed

          It's a basic app, nothing fancy but I am not doing "affiliate" type apps just local businesses.

          I see those types of apps as well hurting the industry to be honest as google will or even has started to tighten the screws but if you provide a decent quality app it will get approved.
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  • Profile picture of the author jakebvs85
    Building PR is great! You need not to rush things though. It will come!
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  • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
    Thanks Mike for your answer. Do you submit both for android and apple?

    WOould you tell me a price range for that? Do you phone close for this?

    thanks mate.
    O.
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  • Profile picture of the author magnumgrp1
    You might want to message restaurant owners directly on LinkedIn. Find them by joining a group whose members fit your target demographic, go into the group, type "owner' into the group's search box, then private message the members who appear in the results.

    hth

    Lucky
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    I'm sick of building funnels. Aren't you? You can buy working funnels making $231/day here for 12 bucks. Have a look.

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