Read a Free ‘Section’ of The Free Cheese Secret

Below is a section of The Free Cheese Secret with a section title, and a ‘section’ is formatted on one page, as this eBook is also a live course (where one page is released to students at a time).

Are ‘good food & exciting entertainment’ enough?

(Or, “Is having a ‘good product’ enough?”)

Nick’s dream of owning a nightclub was about to come true, meaning he had finally saved enough for the startup!

He’d read about 2 ‘très’ successful partners in France. Their concept? Hiring acrobats, jugglers, magicians, and jesters to amuse and wow the “entertainment club” patrons. Unlike other clubs, they didn’t have a cover charge to cover the cost of the talent. Instead, customers bought dinner and stayed as the establishment became a club. 

The story went on. It explained how the entertainers performed throughout the night, exciting the patrons. And reading this gave Nick his vision. “Wow, what a concept. I’m going to create something similar and get rich!”

He found a perfect building to renovate in Downtown Toronto. With its 16’ main floor ceiling and removing part of the 2nd floor, the jugglers and acrobats would have the 30-foot height they needed to put on a show. The layout even allowed for some of the tables to fold into the wall, making room for a sizeable lower-level dance floor at night. 

Nick spared no expense to create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. He had everything from classy dressing rooms for the talent to hiring an award-winning chef to produce top-notch (“delicious”) food. And he was ready to open.

He bought ads on local TV in exchange for the station covering the Grand Opening. It was a terrific night, but only some in the initial curiosity crowd became regular customers. He thought, “No problem, I’ll just advertise and get regulars!”

He hired a hip advertising agency to establish his online brand on social media and create ‘viral’ posts, promoting him as Nightclub Nick. To get an initial following, they posted everywhere and bought Facebook and Twitter ads, targeting those with disposable income. But, even with social media posts and ads, there weren’t enough “bums in the seats.”

Then he used the Last Second Discount (L.S.D.) APP to get exposure, thinking some of those who came would become regulars. There was a problem: L.S.D. users had a DISCOUNT MINDSET. These people consistently chose to go where there was a discount rather than returning to any establishment they liked and paying full price. Nightclub Nick even found out that the local users of the L.S.D. APP had a Facebook Group to notify each other exactly where they were going each night – so friends could meet up. He sure wished he knew this before he wasted a small fortune in discount offers through the L.S.D. APP and website!

Nightclub Nick was at his wit’s end, finally realizing that great food and unique entertainment weren’t enough. As he faced facts, he realized that his business would be bankrupt if things didn’t change, but what could he do?

In desperation, he went out in front of the club and tried a little too enthusiastically to get people passing by to come in. His frustration got the better of him as he grabbed peoples’ arms to get them to stop and listen. Unfortunately, one called the police, and they arrested him for assault, throwing him in jail to await a morning bail hearing.

Imagine, for a moment, that Nightclub Nick – after a Google search for a marketing guru – used his “one call” from jail to call you. You answer the phone, and he tells you what happened, then he pleads with you:

 “I know you’re a marketing master, Smiling Steve, please help me. How can I get more customers into my club?”

1. What marketing advice would you give to your ‘jailbird’ client?
2. Why is it that a great product cannot scale your business to its full potential?