Limited Time Offers can be some of the most effective means of attracting new clients to your restaurant locations, as well as increasing your engagement with existing customers.
They can also be an ingenious way to test out new menu items. However, if the offering is not effectively communicated across locations - and your front line is not prepared to executive - it will be difficult to see value! While we typically think about marketing to our customers, today we will review five ways that restaurants can successfully communicate internally and prepare their teams to capitalize on these short-term offers.
Inform and seek buy-in from managers in advance
This may seem obvious, but too often managers feel that they haven't been adequately prepared for a new LTO launch. Aim to involve those on the front line as early as possible to seek feedback, get buy-in, and generate excitement. Many brands even host mandatory internal webinars to brief managers (and franchise owners). A manager who is committed to the success of a new launch is more likely to cultivate enthusiasm amongst their team.
Communicate directly to the front line
While getting your managers on board is absolutely critical, technology allows us to create a direct line of communication to the front line employees who will make or break the success of a limited time offer. These are the individuals who will be preparing, selling, and communicating the offering to your customer, and relying solely on a manager to communicate down to their staff is likely not the most effective technique. By utilizing a mobile content delivery and training solution like PlayerLync, you can push resources for these offers to the front line - and even have insight into which employees and locations are accessing the materials.
Utilize video assets
Videos are by far the most engaging form of content to communicate with and train your staff, and limited time offers are no different. By creating video assets to inform about a new offering, your staff - particularly younger audiences prevalent in restaurants - is more likely to complete the training and retain the information.
Implement knowledge checks
If you want to ensure that each employee has an understanding of an upcoming LTO, try implemented knowledge checks (or short quizzes) to make sure everyone is on the same page. A simple quiz can ensure that employees are reading (or watching) the information that you've provided about the offering and at least have a fundamental understanding. Plus, you can take it a step further by correlating completion of the knowledge checks with location success.
Analyze top-performing locations
Which locations are consistently out-performing when it comes to the metrics used to evaluate success of the offer? Are there identifiable and repeatable actions driving that success? If so, take a page from those managers' books and test strategies with other, less-performing locations. For example, has a manager achieved results by rewarding employees who sell the most of an LTO offering? Do some locations host an employee-only event to test out (and generate excitement about) the new offering? Figure out what works and replicate wherever possible to get the most out of your LTOs!
