Takeout menus - Advertisers

[GordonJ]

A tip of the hat to Don Alm on getting advertisers.



This comes from Don Alm, I want to give credit where credit is due. I used this strategy when I was selling ads on my Daily Special Menu Boards.


Here's how it works.


I'd go to Vince's Restaurant to talk to Vince. I'd take along an 8.5 by 11 inch photo of my menu board and a sample ad. I kept the menu board in my car.


I used 4 x 6 raised ads. I preferred these over printing on the board so I could change them when needed without waiting for a year or whatever. It worked better for me.


I also gave Vince a four page report (one piece of paper, 11 x 17 folded) on How to Use the Daily Special Menu Board to Increase Revenue. This was a very nice looking report full of facts and figures from restaurant associations with relevant info.


Vince got the menu board for FREE as I explained how I made my money by selling ads.


Then I told Vince this; “Look Vince, the last thing you want to happen is to have your banker or insurance agent walk in the door and see somone else's ad on your menu board. So, let's make sure YOU give them the first opportunity to be on it. Since only ONE insurance agent, or only ONE plumber or one electrician is going to be FEATURED on the board, you don't want to peeve off any of your people.”


USE that sentence exactly as written (although substitute your guy's name with Vince {really Gordon?-You'd be surprised} )


And Vince and I would sit down and make a list of his people, who he did business with, along with phone numbers.


I'd take a picture of Vince with the menu board (always assume he'll go along) and then make copies of this picture of Vince and Board inside his restaurant.


Then, I'd visit his plumber. Hand the receptionist the picture and tell her, “Vince sent me to see Joe”.


Joe will look at the picture, look at the ad and I tell him he has first chance to be the only plumber on the board, but if he isn't interested, I'll go to the next guy on my list. MOST of the time I got a check on the spot for the full amount.


Again, Don Alm taught me this strategy well over a decade ago, I just modified it a bit to suit my needs. Likewise, I made the ads removable so I could offer shorter terms (higher cash) which usually resulted in a year's “lease”...and easy renewals. But if they wanted to go half a year at much higher rates, I could easily accommodate.


This strategy, using “Vince's People” will work with mugs, placemats, menus, and any “on site” advertising you can come up with.


In my case, I had a HIGH cost Trial offer say 3 months for 300 dollars, 6 months for 500 or one year for 398, which is what I wanted. 12 x 398 = 4776 with about 400 into the board and the ads. Very lucrative and then I sold the board to Vince for a couple of thousand and let him take care of it from there.


USE referrals when trying to sell advertising. Thanks to Don Alm.


Gordon Jay Alexander

Originally Posted by waynerhoton

Who are the best people to target for advertising on back of takeout menus?

I have no problem getting restaurants to let me supply their takeout menu's with ad's on them but finding customers to advertise is my problem. I have been contacting people with newspaper ad's and online ad's .... who else should I be contacting? I had no luck at all with strip malls and things like that.