Between rising food costs and increasing competition, restaurants seek effective ways to incentivize people to visit their establishments or order food online. At textLIVING, our intuitive customer loyalty and text marketing software has helped thousands of restaurants nationwide generate meaningful engagement and significant revenue.
While we’ve seen the results, we also recognize that selling a new software solution to restaurant owners or managers comes with unique challenges. Running a restaurant is very time-consuming. To convince an owner or manager to invest in your software solution, they need to know it will generate results without adding chaos or confusion to their day.
After successfully partnering with thousands of brick-and-mortar businesses across the country, here are a few of the most helpful tips and tricks we’ve discovered when it comes to selling software to restaurants:
1. Do your research to engage the right decision-maker.
Before you reach out to any restaurant, take some time to research the restaurant and its management team. This will help you identify the key decision-makers who are responsible for making software purchasing decisions. In some cases, it might be the owner or individual restaurant manager that works at the location. Larger establishments or franchise restaurants might employ a specific marketing manager.
The best way to identify the appropriate decision-maker is to ask. You can always try to Google the restaurant owner or manager or use a tool such as Data-Axel to build a list of leads with the owner’s name and phone number. Or, if you’re eating dinner at a restaurant and notice they don’t have a customer loyalty platform, you can always ask to speak briefly to the restaurant owner.
2. Take time to understand their priorities.
It’s important to understand the restaurant’s needs and priorities before you start selling. Asking questions during a demo or sales conversation is a great way to identify any unique objectives or ideas they have. Once you understand their priorities, you can tailor your sales pitch to address their specific needs.
Most restaurant managers are focused on two things: the customer experience and the bottom line. It’s important to show how your software can generate tangible results that can help them reach their goals. Highlight how the customer loyalty and text marketing platform provides a great experience for its customers through case studies and testimonials. If possible, use real-world examples to highlight how investing in your software will generate a significant return on their investment.
3. Clearly explain the benefits of your customer loyalty and text marketing program.
Many restaurant owners are passionate about food and service, which makes them great restauranteurs. However, not all restaurant owners understand how digital loyalty programs and software solutions can be game-changing for their business.
4. Share industry-specific data, examples, and case studies.
Highlighting how your software platform has generated significant results for similar restaurants can be highly beneficial. The combination of case studies and industry-specific data establishes credibility, instills trust, and helps the restaurant owner or manager make an informed decision when adopting customer loyalty and text marketing software.
If possible, try to provide data and case studies of restaurants that are similar to the potential client, whether they’re a local restaurant, a chain franchise, a sports bar, or a dessert shop. Presenting real-life examples of successful implementations in similar establishments can provide concrete evidence for the restaurant owner or manager.
5. Be responsive and available.
Establishing a strong relationship with a restaurant owner or manager also requires intentionality. In order to build that relationship, you need to prove that you’ll be responsible and available if any issues arise — from offering detailed training to ensuring they’ll get immediate and exceptional technical support.
6. Always look for ways to add value — don’t waste their time.
Because restaurants are highly visible and easily accessible, they’re constantly being pitched by sales reps for new products or services. That’s why it’s important to find specific ways to add value to their business. Whether it’s sharing customer loyalty ideas during the demo or collaborating around specific questions they have, showing that you care about their business is essential for building a successful relationship.
Interested in Selling Customer Loyalty and Text Marketing Software to Restaurants?
At textLIVING, we’ve built an industry-leading customer loyalty and text marketing software that has helped more than 10,000 merchants, processed over 750 million customer interactions, and produced over $200 million in additional revenue for businesses. Our software is used by restaurants of every size and service level — from local diners to nationally recognized chains.
If you enjoy helping restaurants and are looking for a simple and scalable way to earn software revenue, textLIVING’s white-label partnership offers a “win-win” opportunity. We equip each of our white-label partners with a knowledge base of materials and training to sell our software to clients in a variety of industries. We also offer dedicated support to help you address and resolve any questions or issues. Learn more about our white-label partnership opportunities, or reach out to our team with any specific questions.