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Working Backwards from the Client's Goal

by ShayB
4 replies
When I sit down with a client for the initial meeting, I always find out how they would define "success" for any campaign I create.

This makes it easier for both of us to determine whether or not what I am doing is working for them, but it also helps me understand exactly what their expectations are. I am often surprised at how little it would take to make them happy.

It also makes it very easy to develop a strategy.

In sitting down with one of my clients (he has a restaurant), I asked him what he would like to see me do to help his business. He said that if I could fill his restaurant to capacity one or two nights a month - nights that are traditionally slow nights - then he would be thrilled.

"Filled to capacity" - in this case - means 67 people.

So, I got to work.
  • I contacted several local businesses and churches, offering them a place to hold meetings.
  • I did the same for local groups.
  • Also worked social media and worked with his mailing list.

I booked a Ladies' meeting once a month and a local board games group once a month.

Needless to say, the client is happy.

I like doing it this way because the expectations are very clear, and working backwards from the goal makes it very easy to develop a plan of action.
#backwards #offlilne consulting #offline #offline case studies #working
  • Profile picture of the author Justin Chaschowy
    Excellent consulting work there and good ideas to generate crowds. You could also apply kids eat free events on those days, and large group discounts in general. Maybe offer specials that are discounted on those "high-volume" days. And I would build their website focused on just those special days and all the great value those days provide, so once people see the site after searching "city restaurants" they can't help but come in because of all the cool stuff you're offering on those days.

    By the way could you go into more detail about how you found those groups and clubs you marketed to?
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by Justin Chaschowy View Post

      Excellent consulting work there and good ideas to generate crowds. You could also apply kids eat free events on those days, and large group discounts in general. Maybe offer specials that are discounted on those "high-volume" days. And I would build their website focused on just those special days and all the great value those days provide, so once people see the site after searching "city restaurants" they can't help but come in because of all the cool stuff you're offering on those days.

      By the way could you go into more detail about how you found those groups and clubs you marketed to?
      Thank you for the suggestions!

      I found the ladies' group by talking to the area churches. Most of the churches around here have ladies' groups, men's ministries, youth groups (great for pizza places!), etc.

      You can find local groups by checking the group sites:
      • SocialGo.com
      • Groupspaces.com
      • Bigtent.com
      • Meetup.com
      • Ning.com

      You can also do Google searches for local groups by topics (business groups are excellent candidates - I'm working to set meetings up with several local ones).

      This works very well with small restaurants, especially if the owner is willing to let a group have the place to itself if there are enough people attending.
      Signature
      "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    I like the creativity that you had when developing a strategy to help your client out. I would implement an email marketing campaign where customers can sign up to receive coupons and other special offers via email. This is a low-cost way to get existing customers to come back for more - especially if the food is good.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by danielkanuck View Post

      I like the creativity that you had when developing a strategy to help your client out. I would implement an email marketing campaign where customers can sign up to receive coupons and other special offers via email. This is a low-cost way to get existing customers to come back for more - especially if the food is good.
      I am working on that, as well. He actually does have a large database of customer email addresses - but no autoresponder and he hasn't done ANYTHING with the database. :rolleyes:
      Signature
      "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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