RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#32: Y-E-L-P is a Four Letter Word! What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say YELP? If you’re like a lot of other industry professionals you can’t help but use other four letter words to articulate your disdain. But regardless of how we feel about it, the site has become an important piece to a business’ digital presence and so it’s worth taking some time to talk about the Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to this polarizing website. This week, we’re talking all about YELP. Specifically I'm laying out 10 steps you can do right away to get your Yelp House in order. They are:  Set up an account and Claim your page Check out your competitors Build out your profile Respond to reviews Repurpose those reviews Utilize some of Yelp's key features Track your analytics Show your Yelp pride Advertise on Yelp Whether or not to ask for reviews CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#31: Thriving in the Attention Economy The market is saturated, we’re inundated with images and ads everywhere we look, people spend all day on their phones, and WE have the unenviable task of crafting the kind of experience that can only happen in real life. I’ve said it many times before, but the real currency these days is ATTENTION. So how then do you not only survive, but thrive, in this new Attention Economy? That's what this week is all about. We talk about the problems and pitfalls we all deal with and then I break it all down into 4 manageable areas. THE MARKETING SEMINAR: Click Here CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk  

#30: INTERVIEW - Nathan Mergen, Chef/Owner of 107 State This week is a departure from our regular format, so I hope you'll come along for the ride. I recently had the chance to interview Nathan Mergen, the Chef/Owner of 107 State (Madison, WI), and so I thought it might be helpful to hear about the successes and struggles of such a young restaurant. My hope is to start sharing more of these interviews over the coming months as a way of applying some of the academic lessons from the show. I hope you get a lot out of this one, and remember - if you want to be featured on the show, send me a message and we can chat.  

#29: The Keys to Management and Marketing This is the third and final episode in a 3-episode arc where we've been talking all about Leadership, Staffing, and Training. Why? Because people run your restaurant; people are responsible for much of what happens on a daily basis in your restaurant. And so it makes sense that we would talk about how to find, train, motivate, and cultivate great employees. In the episode we talk a lot about Danny Meyer and his "Salt Shaker Theory", which he outlines in his book SETTING THE TABLE. I then give you a handful of ways you can begin integrating Danny's theory into the day-to day of running your own restaurant. As you get toward the end of the episode there's a pivot I want you to see... a perspective shift that, if applied properly, will fundamentally change your relationship with your staff and your guests. Simply put, I believe it can transform your business. CONTINUING EDUCATION: SETTING THE TABLE by Danny Meyer  

#28: How To Build a Great Staff This is the second in a 3-episode arc where we're talking all about Leadership, Staffing, and Training. Why? Because people run your restaurant; people are responsible for much of what happens during a meal. And so it makes sense that we would talk about the people in your organization. As we talked about last week, it all starts with strong leadership. That means you... setting a vision for the company and inspiring others to go where you want to go. Next up is your staff. How do you attract great employees? How do you find them? And how do you develop them into great employees. That's what this week's episode is all about. And we're going to break it down into four areas: How do you find great staff? How do you train your staff to be even better? How do you retain the very best employees? How do you turn those people in your secret weapon? ASSIGNMENT Start with #1 and tighten up your hiring process. Rewrite your job postings, and refine the interview process. Take a look at your on boarding process and make sure you present the restaurant as professionally as possible. Make sure that people know what kind of place you're running. CONTINUING EDUCATION: GOOD TO GREAT by Jim Collins  

#27: Great Marketing Starts with Great Leadership This is the first in a 3-episode arc all about Leadership, Staffing, and Management -- three areas that I believe have a greater impact on your bottom line than any other promotion and initiative you could put in place. Why? Because your PEOPLE are what brings your business to life. Your PEOPLE are the ones responsible for communicating your vision and executing it night after night, dish after dish. In this first episode I'm going to show you why Leadership is so important and why it has everything to do with Marketing. ASSIGNMENT Write down your MISSION and your FOUR CORE VALUES. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Start with Why by Simon Sinek  

#26: Internal Marketing Usually when we talk about Marketing we're talking about EXTERNAL marketing... SEO, paid advertising, e-mail marketing, social media... often forgetting about the equally valuable INTERNAL marketing. What is internal marketing? Give a listen as I walk you through it! ASSIGNMENT Just take stock, and make sure that everything in your restaurant is an opportunity to build regular customers. Don't even make changes yet; just start with an assessment. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Marketing Rebellion by Mark Schaefer  

#25: Social Media Trends 2019 I want to take this opportunity to talk all about the changing trends in Social Media Marketing for 2019. If you're marketing your restaurant online Facebook and Instagram are probably two places where you're putting a lot of energy. But is it the right energy? Are you doing the right things to move the needle? What are some of the best practices? And why does the algorithm keep changing. In this week's episode we're going to tackle all of these and more, plus I'll share 7 trends I'm seeing so far this year. TREND #1 - So Many New Features! TREND #2 - Organic Reach is Down TREND #3 - Everyone is going LIVE TREND #4 - Private Groups TREND #5 - Everyone Has Something to Sell TREND #6 - Transparency Wins TREND #7 - New Platforms ASSIGNMENT Start with TREND #1, pick one of the newer features on Facebook or Instagram and try it out this week. Stretch yourself. Experiment. For extra credit, try something different every single day this week. CONTINUING EDUCATION: 500 Social Media Marketing Tips  

#24: Process, Progress, and Secrets to Productivity I am endlessly fascinated by the subject of creativity... and not just what it means to artists, but in business as well. Think of in terms of "problem solving." Marketing problems require creative solutions, and so it's about cultivating a fresh perspective. It's about being able to look at a problem and solve it in a new way. The best inventions of the last 200 years came about this way. Henry Ford famously said, "If I'd asked people what they'd wanted, they would have said a faster horse." He broadened his thinking in terms of transportation. The PC, the iPhone, Online Dating, Seamless, and on and on. Creative solutions! This week I want to talk about ways to strengthen that muscle. TED TALK DISCUSSED: Elizabeth Gilbert's: "Your elusive creative genius" CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Grit by Angela Duckworth Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull Originals by Adam Grant The War of Art by Steven Pressfield  

#23: Strategic vs. Tactical Thousands of years ago the ancient Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu, wrote this in The Art of War: "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." In this week's episode I want to pause for a second to talk about the difference between strategic thinking and tactical thinking, and show you how they're really just two sides of the same coin.   CONTINUING EDUCATION: THIS IS MARKETING by Seth Godin