2:24pm
Saint Paul
When a new restaurant opens, marketing genius Dan Kennedy suggests parking cars in the lot to make the restaurant appear busy.
(And move the cars around, too, or it gets obvious.)
Because when we’re not sure what to do, we tend to follow the example of others.
If others are visiting a restaurant, we might go in. Or remember it for later.
But if no one is there? Why chance it?
Maybe you’ve heard this story:
There’s an old marketing tale —I thought it was about P.T. Barnum but I can’t verify that— about an umbrella vendor who would hire people to look at the sky and open umbrellas.
Others on the street would see this and think rain may be coming, and they might also need an umbrella.
So they bought from our hero, who may or may not have been P.T. Barnum.
Because people follow people.
Recently, my in-laws were traveling and had planned to go to a well-known seafood restaurant.
It wasn’t a new chain. Or even a new location.
But just the same, when they arrived for dinner and the lot was empty?
They immediately decided to go elsewhere and just get burgers.
Safe, predictable burgers.
Make sure whatever you offer seems like the smart, safe choice.
Anyways, snow is on the way. Stay warm.
Your man Jeffrey
PS. Black Friday is near. I’m going to try my hardest to not buy a million marketing courses.
But if you hear of a great one? Ummm maybe let me know wouldya?
Oh, and that bundle of 11 courses I mentioned the other day? Deal is done and gone… and apparently it didn’t go so great.
Maybe they could have, you know, tried to sell me on the benefits of the bundle.
Ah well.