Last week was my birthday. I have some traditions that I have followed for years. I like to go out for an exceptional meal that I rarely treat myself to. In Chicago, I had some great Hibachi steak houses that I would visit because I loved watching the meal being prepared in front of me with quality and all the entertainment value that I could share with family or friends.
We have not found a good Hibachi place here in Raleigh, so we found an outstanding Italian steakhouse. That is my new go-to birthday dinner place.
Second, I take the day off from work—not for myself, but to respond to everyone who wishes me a happy birthday.
I have mentioned before that every morning, I get up, and one of the first things I do is wish people on Facebook and LinkedIn a Happy Birthday. I respond to those who thank me by telling them to enjoy their day. I do this to let them know it's really me and not just some automation tool. It's my way of acknowledging our relationship in a personal way.
I do the same for people who wish me a happy birthday. On average, over 1,000 people call, email, text, and post birthday wishes on social media. Responding to each person as an individual is a full-day job. It's important to me to acknowledge the relationship we have built in a personal way.
Fast vs. Fine Food
We eat every day to sustain ourselves. Yet, some meals seem to stand out and satisfy more than others. These meals stand out because of the quality of both the ingredients and the preparers. Part of what makes a meal stand out is the presentation, and someone else to create and serve it.
We tend to spend more dollars and attention on meals outside of our norm. One could argue that spaghetti from a restaurant tastes better than most of the food made at home. But more often than not, we focus on the cost of time and money, trying to save some at home and then splurging when we go out.
Since the pandemic, there has been a trend of delivery services bringing meals to our door. Most of them are from chain restaurants. These restaurants must be formulaic since you want the same food and experience from Pittsburg to Phoenix. Also, those restaurants are cheaper than smaller single-owner bistros and high-end restaurants. Although they may taste as good as homemade meals, they are not quite top-notch. However, the delivery fees start to make these cheaper meals as expensive as some of the better places.
A meal in your home could cost a 10th of a high-end restaurant meal. A delivered meal could cost half of a high-end restaurant meal. So there is a reason why we don't eat out as much. But if you think about it, those high-end meals are a treat and can be so much more satisfying. It's not because they cost 10 times more, it's because of the skill, time, and preparation that makes them more enjoyable.
Content Content
“Content,” when used in the context of happiness, means being satisfied or pleased with one's situation, essentially being happy with what you have and not desiring anything more; it's synonymous with “contented” or “fulfilled.”
As we create content, we serve our audience, which includes repeat customers and new customers. Repeat customers come back because they are satisfied with what was delivered, while new customers deserve special attention to win them over and encourage them to become repeat customers.
Our audience includes people with different tastes, budgets, and time constraints. Some like fast food delivery, while others prefer home-cooked meals. Some want a high-end restaurant meal. That does not mean that they may not like any of those meals or want all of them at different times.
What's important is to offer as many kinds of content as possible to satisfy the customer and ensure that they are content after they consume it.
The Menu
A menu plays a vital role in shaping the dining experience, reflecting a restaurant’s cuisine, style, and pricing strategy. They are essential marketing tools that can influence customer choices and overall satisfaction.
Appetizers tend to be a taste of what the main meals will be like. The meals may be presented or sold as complete dinners, including soup, salad, side dishes, and the main course. Some restaurants (like the Italian steak house we went to) offer À la carte, listing individual dishes with separate prices. And don't forget desserts.
Think of image posts with quotes and teaser (short) videos as appetizers that offer a taste of your insights. The main courses may be blogs, webinars, or ebooks (as a series of blogs).
Obviously, the larger or longer the text or video, the more time and commitment it requires to consume it.
The thing about the menu is that it's often laid out on your website (as a print menu would be), or it can be spoken to the customer. If your sales staff is not aware of what content you have, they may not know what today's specials are or even the soup of the day.
This is why we use social media: to speak for your company through the sales staff's profiles and help promote a tasty sample of how your content can satisfy them. This invites your customers to click through and consume the full content meal.
Closing Thought
Your content menu should represent the quality of the product you deliver. Generalized content creators or low-cost AI tools tend to attract people who want fast food and maybe those who will pay for delivery. It can become noise in a sea of content dining options.
Low-end restaurants, including fast food places, have menus on the wall or self-serve kiosks. Some mid-level places have QR codes on the table so you can read the menu on your phone. The servers become less integral to the dining experience.
High-end restaurants don't have menus lit up on the wall or QR codes on the tables. The menus are thick, clearly written, and delivered by a server who knows the food and can make recommendations based on customers' questions.
High-quality ingredients and skilled preparers tend to generate better results. More specialized and high-quality content attracts higher-paying customers. These customers understand the cost and time commitment required to deliver high-quality experiences. You must remind them of the variety of your offerings to keep them engaged and keep them coming back.
Nurture new customers to get them to return for second, third, and additional purchases. To attract new businesses, you may need to create lesser-priced, more affordable options. Then, create and share quality content to convince them to return and engage with more options on your menu.
No matter what the meal, you want the person eating it to feel satisfied and content!
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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?
To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.