The Demand

Before you spend another dollar on marketing, answer the chicken sandwich question in one sentence: why should a Guest choose you over every other option, in specific, differentiated, defensible terms — not “fresh ingredients” or “great atmosphere.” Then answer the three questions that follow it: what specific behavior are you trying to influence, who exactly are you talking to, and what consistent thing are you saying across every touchpoint. If you cannot answer all four, stop marketing and do this work first this week.

The Work

The chicken sandwich question:

Why should a Guest choose you over every other option — in one specific, defensible sentence:

Is your answer a differentiator or table stakes — fresh ingredients, friendly service, made with love — check it honestly:

The three questions before spending a dollar:

What specific behavior are you trying to influence, in whom, by when, measured how:

Who exactly are you talking to — name your core Guests, not “anybody who can put a butt in my seat”:

What are you saying — does this week’s message build on last week’s, or does every touchpoint start over:

The face-to-face channel:

Ninety percent of conversations about your restaurant happen offline — what are you doing to give your Guests something to talk about:

Name a specific way you could put loyal Guests in a room with people who haven’t yet become regulars:

The signal-versus-noise check:

Rate, 1-5, how deep your operation’s knowledge of its Guests actually goes — what they celebrate, what would make them a raving fan:

The one thing you will do this week to deepen that knowledge instead of chasing another platform or metric: