Know-How Exchange : Branding

I would also search questions (link in the menu bar to the right, not the search entry in the blue bar at top) and enter the term "restaurant". This will bring up prior questions on restaurants. Read through these so you can get a good feel for the type of issues that restaurants have, and the marketing that is done for restaurants.

Its a two phase approach, how I work it is:

1. Understand as much as I can about the business, market, recent developments, and the decision makers

2. Be open to anything (do not have any preconcieved ideas about what any potential client may want from you)

Whilst you are face to face with your client, try to understand what their need is, remember people tend to buy because of an emotional requirement (i.e. Ego, Power, Profit, Survival, Need to Win, Status, Self Improvement etc), try to understand that and satisfy it.

I always like to come away with a profile of the business:

Who they are location, address, contact details etc
Number of locations, where?
Number fo employees
Structure of business
Primary products/services
Major customers
Important business issues
Mission statement
Specific needs of business
Emotional trigger(s)
Goals

Then I would prepare a short action plan based on this information.

All this does is allow you to focus on whats important.

Good Luck

Laura and Andrew made some great suggestions. If you've marketed businesses before, the restaurant business is not really that different from any other business which depends heavily on repeat business and good word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.

But before I asked them about the mundane essentials (location, employees, etc.), I'd want them to tell me about their concerns about their direct competition and their view of their market position. If they have a good idea about these, the rest will fall into place (your next questions and possible missing research to be done later). Chances are they know who their rivals are, but are looking to you to help them pull in customers and make a name for themselves in their niche.

Trust your instincts, listen well and take notes. Your close for the meeting should be along the lines of clarifying your next steps and what they can be doing before your next meeting.

Good Luck,
Debi Brady, Technical Writing & Marketing Consultant

There are three things you must do to prepare for your meeting: (1) Research, (2) Research, and (3) Research.

You need to walk into the meeting knowing more about the marketing opportunities for the target client than the client knows him/herself.

Talk to people who live in the area and ask them which are their favorite restaurants (and why), how often they eat out, how they decide on which restaurant to go to, what annoys them about restaurants, what they'd like to see in a restaurant that they can't find now, etc.

Then talk to the people who supply restaurants, food critics in the area, cab drivers, hotel staff (who recommend restaurants), etc. Ask them all high-gain questions, listen to their answers, and take detailed notes.

Be creative. Maybe you can talk to the wait staff at some competitive restaurants and ask them what they like about the place they work. What other restaurants in the area are pretty good, and why? Etc.

If you do a good job of this, you can go into the meeting with information that's of real value to the target. Your mini-situation analysis will demonstrate the thoroughness you bring to the task. And you'll find that the target restauranteur will open up and share his/her own views, needs, biases, and opinions much more easily. You'll have established a kind of credibility that can't be acquired any other way.

Good luck.

P.S. Feel free to take the easy road and ignore the research phase. Just don't expect a high closing rate.