Each month, you'll find new promotions here
designed to  increase customer count & generate sales
using the latest marketing & promotion techniques
for nightclub, bar, restaurant & hotel operations.

Promo Ideas
Promotions Page

The Book Store

Holiday Gift Certificate Program = Cash, Traffic

Make Thanksgiving A Day Of Community Service &
A Special Day For Your Employees

PLEASE NOTE: Although the promotions listed each month on this page are designed primarily for a nightclub environment, they can be easily modified so as to work in a bar/pub, restaurant, café or any business open to the public.

The key here is to be organized, have a game plan. Promos are like little mini-stage productions: They need to be planned, budgeted, cast, rehearsed, directed & marketed. Just like in pro sports, each member of your team needs to know what his/her role is, what's expected of them. Together, they make the promo succeed and, the cash register ring!!

Holiday Gift Certificate Program = cash, traffic

Would you like to raise some extra cash... $1,000.... maybe up to $10,000? It's all possible when you create a "Holiday Gift Certificate Program".

What to do:

Create books of eleven $10.00 gift certificates, a $110 value that sells for $100.00. (Did you know that 5-10% of all gift certificates are NEVER redeemed?)

Recommended - Always include two key items on a gift certificate....

Expiration date - June 30, 2008 (you still have the option to redeem after that if you wish.) These gift certificates can be redeemed for products, services during the 1st half of 2008.
Insert the phrase, "Not redeemable for cash." Very common today.

NOTE: Like pre-paid phone cards, Gift certificates are also easy to produce as debit cards & sold in $10, $25 & $50 denominations.

Both of theses concepts have merit. Choose the type that's best for you... or use both options.

Hire an aggressive person to hit the streets and market this program. Look for someone who wants to make extra bucks over the holidays. This person might be currently working for a hotel sales & catering or could be a marketing major at a nearby college.

Set up a sales incentive program for your staff who volunteer to sell the program outside of the business. Here are two examples:

Everyone who sells more than 6 books earns a 10% cash commission.

The employee who sells the most books earns a FREE book which they can use or sell.

Also, develop a very personal letter from yourself that will be used as a direct mail piece.

SIDE BENEFIT: the program, if marketed to the right demos in the locale, can produce a lot of new, first time faces & some who haven’t been in in awhile.

WOW!! Advertising that pays me....what a concept!!!

Defer production costs!!  Sign up 4 sponsors who will share the printing costs for this program in exchange for ads on the back of each certificate entitling the bearer to additional services & discounts at the respective sponsor locations. Now that's really KEWL!! Bottom line: Get creative & "Make It Happen!"

Make Thanksgiving A Day of Community Service &
A Special Day For Your Employees

We live in a society that's becoming more mechanical & impersonal every day. Yet, most studies reveal that the key to reducing employee turnover is the exact opposite of this trend. This year, our national "Day Of Thanks" should be given extra consideration, planning.

By making a sincere effort to communicate with & give recognition to your employees, you can make major gains in productivity & team building.

The bottom line: Caring for your crew IS good for business!!

Thanksgiving presents a special opportunity to recognize your staff in a positive way while increasing sales on a slow night. A real WIN-WIN situation.

We all know that Thanksgiving night is NOT traditionally a great night in the bar business.

Thanksgiving is a family day with turkey, NFL football... a day with the folks. You can extend that family unity into the club in a positive, productive way. What you do:

Get the crew involved in November collecting canned goods & food for the needy.

Tell your patrons to bring a can of food & get free admission.

Store donations where every-one can see, watch them grow.

Just prior to Thanksgiving, present donations to the charity with as many of the crew as possible to share the experience.

You, your staff volunteer to serve the food on Thanksgiving. Great community service.

Make Thanksgiving Night an "Employees & Family Appreciation Night". Invite all the staff, families & friends to the special party. Regulars are also invited.

Figure out a way to recognize every employee for some special reason during the night. Give them all a special discount price for product.

You & the mgt. staff act as bartenders & servers to wait on your people... really hustle, model caring behavior.

Give out prizes during the night including several Butterball turkeys. Make it a very special party for your people.

Watch the group, be sure that no one gets out of control. You may even want to choose a few "designated drivers".

More promo ideas.... We’ve just scratched the surface here. If you want to learn more, I’d like to invite you to read more about "Success Management Systems" by ordering our new book, "Bar/Nightclub Management & Marketing - 101 Ways To Make The Cash Register Ring." It's a  powerful tool for creating traffic & increasing sales using proven marketing, promotions & improved operations techniques. Details here.