Master Marketing Strategy #2 is to Bring in Existing Customers More Frequently. To do this you first must be a "Master" at executing Master Marketing Strategy #1.

The key is to make your guests feel important. Once you have mastered Marketing Strategy #1, begin recognizing your guests on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Communicate with your guests frequently. Email them regularly. Send them a letter or postcard. Send a personal note from their favorite server. When your guests know you care, they will dine at your restaurant more frequently and they will bring their family, friends and business associates.

To accomplish Master Marketing Strategy #1 and #2 most effectively, most restaurant operators have established a "Preferred Dining Club" or a customer "VIP Club." To do this essentially requires you to build a customer database so you can market to and keep in touch with your customers. You need to reward your customers for their patronage, but the goal for establishing a "VIP Club" goes far beyond that. It is the springboard for all your future marketing and it enables you to make a profit instead of spending money while building your database.

Most restaurant operators don't open a restaurant because they want to do marketing, but the most successful restaurateurs quickly realize that marketing is the most important skill they can acquire or encourage to ensure success in their restaurant. And to get marketing done, they must undergo a transition from working "in their restaurant" to working "on their business." In fact, this is Master Marketing Strategy #11, we will discuss this in more detail later.

As you begin marketing, remember that all marketing must generate immediate, measurable profits. And studies have shown that marketing to your own customers is the best way to do that. These are people who know your restaurant, they like your restaurant and you can easily be encouraged to return more often.

The most important tool you can have to begin your marketing is a good customer database. Marketing is a numbers game and the more positive numbers that you have, the more effective that you can be.