World Copywriting Blog

The street-smart wisdom of Denny's... and how you can use it to get more business in this hair-trigger economy

How to make more money?

Easy. Make more sales.

But how to make more sales?

You don't have to be a rocket scientist for this one, either: Give customers more opportunities to buy.

It's very simple, really.  But who could imagine I would get a terrific remedial lesson in this at the diner-fast-food-franchise Denny's?

Here's the thing: When I give copy critiques and marketing strategy consultations -- and when I'm talking to my mentoring clients -- one of the first things I always check in on is: Are they giving their prospects multiple opportunities to buy?

Because if you don't, it's like walking around with holes in your pocket (or pocketbook), letting the coins and bills slip out and onto the street.

Dumb.

But so many people... businesses... marketers make this mistake.

Now. Yesterday I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood early in the morning. After taking care of some personal business, I noticed I was very hungry. I asked around and it turned out the best place for breakfast was a local Denny's (not the one in the photo. That's in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area. The one I was at was at Serramonte Mall in Daly City, California.)

As I was wolfing down my Ultimate Omlet, here's what I noticed:

Every server was wearing a Denny's t-shirt (uniform) and on the back were these words:

Ask Me How $25=$55.

Hey, I couldn't resist. I asked.  If I bought a book of coupons for $25, I would get something like $50 in food coupons plus $5 off my meal.

Now if you think about it, it's a very smart deal

- It gets people in the habit of coming back

- Not everyone (a lot of not everyone) will cash in the coupons

- People will likely bring friends or family in since the food is "so cheap" with these coupons.

But that wasn't the only opportunity to buy something.  A slightly bigger-ticket item was on the menu... your very own Denny's! 

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES, LET'S TALK

... along with an 800 number to call, and a disclaimer that franchises could only be offered by prospectus.

That wasn't the last of it, though.  When I got my check, the words

ASK YOUR CASHIER HOW TO PURCHASE A DENNY'S GIFT CARD

were at the bottom.

Three opportunities to buy, above and beyond what you are already buying when you order your meal.

Pretty smart, if you ask me.

Hey -- you should take a page out of the Denny's cash machine book. Especially in this economy, people are reluctant to spend. When you do specific things to make it easier for them to find a way to do business with you... such as offering different deals, bundles, payment plans, even business opportunities... guess what?

You'll make more money.

Even in what some are calling the biggest financial meltdown of our lifetime.

Tasty recipe for making more money, eh?

Thanks, Denny's.

And yes... I will take a refill on that coffee...

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter

While you were looking the other way, the YouTube Revolution occurred

One of my brightest and most successful mentoring clients, copywriter Mark Pocock, told me something shocking this morning.

Mark is fully booked--even in this crazy economy--but nevertheless, he managed to slip away for a couple of days to attend an Internet marketing seminar in the UK, where he lives.

It was there that he learned that the second most popular search engine in the world, after Google, is YouTube.

Who woulda thunk it?  Not me.

But now that you know, it's worth thinking about. Especially in terms of your own copywriting.  You should bone up on your video scriptwriting skills and hone your video keyword search term chops.

Then the other shoe dropped when I was reading the San Francisco Chronicle over lunch today.

It turns out an age-old joke has been rendered obsolete, by YouTube.

The joke goes like this:

A young man carrying a violin case is wandering, lost in the streets of Manhattan.  He finds a sage, wrinkled senior taking his schnauzer for a walk, and says to him:

"Excuse me, sir!  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"

The old man answers:

"Practice! Practice! Practice!"

Ugh.

Many a young musician has been browbeaten with that joke.

But to tell the joke today, it might as well take place in the deep inner recesses of a chat room.

And the punchline would be:

"YouTube!"

Here is why. According to an article by the Chronicle's music critic Joshua Kosman, Carnegie Hall and San Francisco Symphony Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, among other musical luminaries, are teaming up to create the YouTube Symphony, which gives new musicians an opportunity to showcase their talents.  Details here.

How things change.

David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter