$1200 = $5000 Have Faith!
By Rich Unger
Two months ago, a club owner in Wisconsin called me. His sports bar/nightclub was
lingering during the week, his weekends were okay, but only after ten p.m. and he was an
absentee owner on top of it.
He had a manager who was very, very skeptical to say the least of nightclub
consultants.
You see, in the 80's and early 90's, nightclub consultants were thought of as a waste
of time, money, energy and had little to offer individual club owners.
But it's 1999 now and times and attitudes have changed BIG TIME.
Today, I receive calls from all over the country. Owners and managers reaching out to
find direction, guidance, input, and conceptual assistance. They are struggling to make
it, and they know, that today's club needs a manager, a bar manager and the added reality
of promotions and themes and concepts that a consultant who specializes in it can provide
them with.
So man managers and owners are worried about making the rent, employee theft, paying
the electric, that when it comes to the creative aspects of their club, their bar, their
lounge, they are in the ozone.
Oh sure, they can present a one-nighter now and then, but otherwise they have no clue
as to "PC", Promotional Consistency, they listen to anyone and everyone, except
for whom they should really be listening to, "The Experts".
Now back to the owner in Wisconsin. He retained my services against the advice and
input of his manager.
I sent him a promotion, to hold him over, while I prepared his "Customized
Analytical Overview" of his entire operation. He showed the promotion to his manager
and asked him "how much do you think we will do from this promotions?", his
manager replied "about $1200".
Needless to say, I would never ever send a client a promotions that takes in a mere
$1200.
The owner called me after he presented the promotion to tell me he did "over $5000
from it". Oh, and by the way, the manager is now in my corner and follows my
direction. I will provide the owner's name and phone number to anyone who doubts me. I
have been in this biz twenty years and I can say first hand that the biggest obstacles are
ego and arrogance. An owner or manager would never admit they don't know, they will never
acquiesce to the fact they have no clue. They would rather be stubborn and lose $$$$, lay
off help, close down some nights of the week, and pretend, rather than admit they need
help. They need direction and guidance.
I have seen so many cocky and ego driven owners a year later without a club, a bar or a
lounge. What a waste of time, money, energy and life.
Is this article self gratifying? You bet it is. I speak to owner after owner who is
burnt out, tired, down, depressed, disgusted, and instead of taking the positive and
turning the biz around by retaining my services, they simply chose to stay the course, and
the course is always down.
Rich Unger, Ph: 941-921-7027, Fx: 941-921-7278 E-mail: RichUnger@promotingnightclubs.com |
