LIFESTYLE n SERVING CLIENTS
What You ’ re Selling Isn ’ t What You ’ re Serving
By Dr . Rollan Roberts II
In 2012 , I started a business with a single product — a natural alternative and supplement to chemotherapy . A few months later , I released the cleanest whey protein on the market . It only had 4 ingredients , tasted great ( a miracle for whey protein ), and was the only Crossfit-approved whey protein at the time .
The product was sold in Complete Nutrition stores and online , but I really wanted to grow it big . We were paying ridiculous amounts of money handing out single sample packets at events and through commissioned distributors , so I had the idea — what if the customers paid US for the sample ? I decided to open a high-end lounge like you ’ d see at a club in Las Vegas , except we sold coffee and protein drinks ! Customers would be able to taste the product with experts making it instead of buying a whole can up front and hoping it would taste better than any protein drink they ’ d had . The idea was that business people could also work from a nicer environment during the day , and I could open a new brand of coffee and protein shops around the country — a sleek , clean , high-end space for professionals . This experience opened the door for me to open up coffee shops in malls and standalone drive-through locations ( very popular in the northwest ).
What I was selling isn ’ t what I was serving . I was selling an experience . I was selling a culture . And they could buy products while they were there . The key to success in the hospitality and restaurant industries is clearly understanding what business you are in .
You are not merely cleaning hotel rooms , working the front desk , leading activities at the resort , managing a restaurant , bussing tables , or being a hostess . You do not just have the best barbeque or seafood or the friendliest staff . That is what you do , not what you sell .
Here are some questions you can ask to identify what business you are in and what you really sell :
1 . What demographics are we currently attracting ? You ’ re attracting what you ’ re attracting because of the alignment or lack thereof of your price points , ambience , type of people you hire , overall experience , and products ( food , rooms , etc .). There are very few businesses in the hospitality industry that are fully aligned . They aren ’ t Apple yet . Are the customers you currently have , the ones you want ? Are you reaching the demographic that can afford the product you really want to sell ? Are you reaching those that have the same wants , needs , desires , and pain points as you ? If not , you may have created something for a target market you do not own yet .
2 . Why do they choose to visit , sleep , or eat here ? My dear friend invented the McDonalds Happy Meal , opened the first Ronald McDonald house , and convinced Ruth ’ s Chris to offer free meals on your birthday , thus starting a hugely popular trend . After all , how many people do you know that eat by themselves on their birthday ? Tom was tapping into why consumers choose what they choose . It ’ s what makes you different . There are thousands of Starbucks around the world , but there ’ s only 2 that write personal notes on my cup ! Guess where I go 99 % of the time .
3 . What do customers complain about most frequently ? What about your experience frustrates your customers ? It may be the food , staff , wait times , or color of paint on the wall , but you better find out . I have found more value in observing customer ’ s reactions than reading comment cards . Most will never tell me that they couldn ’ t stand the person at the front desk or the waiter . Most never express their real complaint . It ’ s your job to figure out what they are most frustrated by and either identify that they are the wrong customer for your business or fix it . The complaints will help you quickly identify the business you are in by understanding the many businesses you are not in . The process of elimination is quite enlightening in this process .
4 . How can we start selling what we want people buying ? One of the things I quickly realized as CEO of a $ 250 million nutraceutical manufacturing firm was our customers were buying products we did not want to sell them . They had the least margin and were hardest on our equipment . Those products also attracted a customer base that were abusive to customer service and had an outlook on life that wasn ’ t aligned with our corporate values . So I made it difficult for them to buy those products . We stopped promoting them on the website and through email communications and started promoting ( selling ) what we wanted them to buy . Many companies wish their bread and butter came from a different product or service , such as subscriptions or a product that stabilizes revenue and streamlines efficiency and customer experience . Stop selling what you don ’ t want them buying ( but still let them buy it !).
Working in the hospitality and restaurant industries allows you to get a doctorate degree in understanding people and consumer behavior . It usually isn ’ t pretty . You see people at their worst , but you ’ re seeing the most authentic them . People are not who they really are when everything is wonderful . You can ’ t see their character in those moments . Above all , learn people . Learn how they think and operate . Learn how they make decisions . That is the most valuable knowledge you can gain from being in the hospitality and restaurant industries , and it will serve you well in everything you do . And hopefully it helps you level up and be your best you … even when no one is watching !
Dr . Rollan Roberts II is Founder / CEO of Courageous ! Inc . ( the Camp David for Entrepreneurs ) and founder of the CEO Cruise , CEO Huddles , and Courageous ! Radio , which reaches 100,000 + entrepreneurs per week . He was recognized as “ Top 100 Most Influential Floridians ,” nominated to Central Command at Department of Defense , and keynote speaker at Harvard University . Connect with Dr . Roberts by visiting www . RollanRoberts . com .
COURTESY OF DR . ROLLAN ROBERTS II
22 IBA Success Magazine n VOL 4 , Issue 5