Sullivan’s Law of Distinction: Different is not always better but better is always different.

Sullivan’s Law of Location: It is more fun to eat at a bar than it is to drink in a restaurant.

Sullivan’s Law of Excuses: If you do it, then it’s done.

Sullivan’s Law of Price and Value: People always buy value, since there’s always a “lower price” somewhere else

Sullivan’s Law of Hierarchy: If you’re at the top of the ladder, cover your ass; if you’re at the bottom, cover your face.

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Stat of the Month:

On average an American will spend 75 hours this year playing videogames, more than double the amount of time spent gaming in 1997 and eclipsing that of DVD or tape rentals today, according to market research firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson. Of the other forms of entertainment, only Internet usage is expected to grow faster than videogames - a fact that the videogame makers plan to use to heir advantage.
The big-spending youth market can’t get enough of these games. According to a recently released study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 70% of last year’s college students played videogames at least occasionally. Asked whether they have ever played videogames, the student response scored 100%. “Computer, video, and online games are woven into the fabric of everyday life for college students,” the report concluded. “Gaming is a part of growing up in the U.S.”
- As seen in Fortune. !

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Top Tips to Kick Off Holiday Sales
Copyright 2006 Sullivision.com
by Jim Sullivan

Retailers dub the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” since that’s the day their sales ledgers evolve from red to black, indicating a profitable year. Most of us in the foodservice industry also see a residual benefit from the holiday shopping spree as consumers tend to eat out more often in between shopping excursions. So tis the season to make hay while the sun shines and we’ve got a few tips this month to help you maximize your sales and get those customers to come back all 12 months in 2007:

• Endorse the choice. Whenever a guest orders a particular dish or drink, servers should always respond “Good choice,” or “You’re gonna love that”. This reassures the guest and adds value to the transaction every time.
  
• Shotgun Selling. This means fire at everything and something’s going to fall down. Suggest an appetizer, dessert, holiday beverage or whatever you sell to every customer. I can assure you that every time you don’t ask they will say no. Every time you do ask there’s a 100% possibility they’ll say yes.
  
• Use Colorful Imagery. Ad agencies have known for years that descriptive adjectives sell more products and the same is true for servers when they’re suggesting food or beverage to your guests. Here’s some words that help sell:
  

  “Very popular”	“One of our best sellers”	“My favorite”	“Fire-roasted”
  “Good deal”	” “Made fresh daily”	“New”	“Family recipe"

• Show and Sell. Menus, table tents, reader boards, desert trays and buttons are powerful sales tools if used properly. My favorite sales “prop” is a button the server wears that says “If I Don’t Suggest A Dessert It’s Free.”
• Always “pre-market” point-of-sale items to your service staff. Whenever you get new table tents or menu inserts in, don’t just put them on the bar or tables, be sure to post them in server stations, behind the line or by the time clock so servers see them every where they look. Explain, promote and “sell” the table tents at pre-shift meetings to increase the odds of servers understanding how to use them with their guests.
• The less money you spend on training, the more you’ll spend on advertising. The key to merchandising any menu successfully is training, teaching, coaching and incentives. Pre-shift meetings should be mandatory, not optional. (not sure how to stage effective pre-shift meetings? Click here for more information on our best-selling Jumpstart: How to Plan and Execute Effective Pre-Shift Meetings DVD)

The fact is, people don’t “buy” things, they are “sold” things. Don’t be shy about “merchandising your menu” during the Holiday season and every month of the year. As restaurateur “Diamond” Jim Brady said 105 years ago: “You can have the best product in the world but if you can’t sell it, you’ve still got it!”

Jim Sullivan is a popular keynote speaker at manager conferences worldwide. You can reach him through Sullivision.com at 920-830-3915. Or visit www.sullivision.com anytime.