Ronn Nicolli, Executive Director of Wynn Nightlife, played host at this year’s Nightclub & Bar Show keynote presented by Jon Taffer. He told the story of watching Jon Taffer as he strode down the hallway to XS. To Ronn, Jon resembled a prize fighter about to enter the ring. At first intimidated by the nightlife mogul, Ronn now considers him a mentor and great friend.
“Jon has always taken the time to educate and mentor those in the nightlife industry,” said Ronn before stepping down so Jon could take the stage.
Jon, boundlessly energetic, jolted the entire room with one powerful, booming statement: “I want to share with you what’s made me successful.” The audience of eager attendees sat forward in their seats. The executive producer of Bar Rescue made it very clear that those of us in the industry don’t have expense problems, we have revenue problems. In fact, everything that we do is about revenue. “Bars are money! Bars are gold!” Jon shouted enthusiastically. He wants us all to mine our gold, make more money and shut down our competition.
If you want to turn your bar into a money maker, increase your guest counts and your spend per guest. You can increase your revenue by 2% in less than 3 months by bringing in 20 new patrons per week for 10 consecutive weeks. Only bring in 15 new guests? React to that failure to reach your goal and bring in 25 the following week. Reach this goal, increase your guest count, increase the guest spend, and you won’t have a problem with expenses.
Another goal of yours must be creating reactions. Jon made the effort to let remind us all that we don’t play music, we create reactions. We don’t serve food (which exists, in Jon’s opinion, to sell alcohol), we create reactions. Our product is not booze, not food, it’s reactions. Our business is not one of logic, it’s one of emotional reactions. We can either be stuck in mediocrity or we can create the biggest reactions – one after another – and win. In any one of Jon’s bars, the customers are more beautiful than in the bars of his competitors. They’re sexier. They’re more fashionable. They have cooler watches, better shoes, superior hair styles… Why? Because Jon and his staff say they do – to their faces. Don’t just create one reaction, create 6 or 7 and, in Jon’s own words, reach so far into your customers’ pocket that your hand is around their ankle. It’s up to you to win.
Personal responsibility, however, may just be the most important tool in achieving success. The common denominator when it comes to failure is excuses. Blame everything but yourself for your failures and you’ll never change. If you never change, you’ll never succeed. Look at yourself in a mirror and own your shortcomings and failures. Then, when you’re done making excuses, raise your standards – standards that can be quantified, qualified and verified – and be the one who is winning in your market.
What to learn more about Jon Taffer’s proven reaction management strategies? Then Register for the Jon Taffer Rescue Tour Workshop taking place on May 28, 2014 in Sl. Louis at the world famous Anheuser-Busch Brewery. www.ncbrescuetou.com