Fellow Business-Builder,
We went out for Sushi the other night at my favorite place, Kinjo Sushi & Grill. We had to wait for 15 minutes (on a Tuesday night), but it was worth it … I LOVE this place.
It’s not that I love the cramped space, the lack of booths, and the way-too-close chairs at the sushi bar.
It’s not that I love the packed house they have from 11 am right through to 9 pm at night.
What I really love is the wacky owner of this place, Peter Kinjo.
He is absolutely oozing personality as he wanders the restaurant waving and flipping his monster sushi knife around like a gunslinger.
He loves to sing to the kids.
He loves to make the kids repeat after him all these wacky sayings and get them laughing.
Any guy there with a date is forced “at knife point” to hold their companions hand and say sappy romantic things (Peter doesn’t care if the girl you are with is your girlfriend, wife, mistress or co-worker).
When you first sit down, they jump to attention and make sure you aren’t waiting more than a minute or two before you have water in front of you, your drink order taken, and a complimentary platter of sushi placed in front of you.
The first time I went there I couldn’t believe how much free sushi they kept putting in front of me.
“Try this” as a plate with 4 kinds of sushi is put in front of you.
“This is our specialty” as the Kinjo Roll samples are put down in front of you.
All of the initial sushi is free. It is a great way to try different types of sushi that you may have never tried before. It is also a powerful way to get your customers coming back … no one else that I know of gives away sushi!
Every girl there gets his bonus gift upon departing … a box of Pocky chocolate covered biscuit sticks. They get to choose between strawberry or raspberry (he gave my daughters his newest ones this time, coconut).
Based on the cases and cases of Pocky he had up against the back wall … he is going through a LOT of free samples.
I asked him once what all those free boxes of chocolates cost him … “six figures a year” is all he would share.
That is some serious free chocolate.
A couple months ago, there were eight of us with kids in tow that wanted to go out for sushi.
I recommended Kinjo.
It was a Wednesday night (during this recession) and the place was packed with a 45-minute wait.
So we went down the road to another sushi joint, decent place, just not Kinjo.
The place was completely EMPTY.
Same night of the week.
Just down the road … even on the same side of the road.
What was the difference?
Peter.
Both places make a mean plate of fresh sushi … but only one of them knows how to wow their customers.
The place we ended up at did not have fun with the kids.
Did not make us rehearse hokey love poems to our loved ones.
Did not sing to us.
And didn’t give us any free sushi or desert chocolate.
Is it any surprise that Peter Kinjo has stolen ALL of their clients away?
Not at all.
Think about what Peter did here and how well he is doing in a time when business is down for many.
He uses his personality as his secret weapon.
He knows that people love him being the wacky sushi guy.
The kids love him.
The adults love him.
The staff loves him.
Peter understands that in a competitive environment when the products are similar and the prices are identical … his personality is a deadly weapon that can destroy his competition for no extra cost.
The free sushi samples and chocolates are the final straw that guarantee his continuing success.
Not all of us have an outrageous personality like Peter though. I know I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t find my own ways to use my personality in my business … and I do.
If you are ever up my way in Calgary, Alberta, Canada … let me know and I would love to go for Sushi at Kinjo with you!
Last, here is a great profitable tip for you to use in the next few days.
This one little idea can change the way you run your life and your business.
When you are out shopping, eating at restaurants, having work done on your car, etc., pay very close attention to how stores and sales people sell to you.
• Notice how nice (or nasty) they are to you.
• How do they approach you?
• Do they make your shopping experience enjoyable?
• Would you return to that store?
• Why or why not?
• What could be done better?
• What could they say to guarantee you would go back to shop there?
Simple – right?
Will you try it is more important than how simple it is.
Try it.
Every store you visit, every person you interact with in the next few days – ask those questions. Note what starts going through your mind as you window shop and talk to sales people. You will find you have great ideas on how that business could treat their clients better.
Write down the things that turned you off – and the things that turned you on.
Much like my experiences at Kinjo, you need to pay attention whenever you are out there spending your money.
What would make you buy from them again?
Now use those techniques in your own business. And in your own life.
If the technique you thought of doesn’t specifically apply to your business – how could it? How could it be modified to directly help your business improve?
Start applying the ideas you come up with.
Write them down, even if you decide not to use them – they may come in handy at a later time.
In your shopping travels you may just find the idea that makes you and your company stand out from all others.
So pay attention out there.
Thanks again.
To your success,
Troy White
Editor, Small Business Mastery, Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE (http://www.smallbusinessmastery.com)
PS: UPDATE: I just met with Peter Kinjo this morning to go over his business model and present him with some ideas for even further growth in his new, soon-to-be-opened Kinjo — 4 TIMES as large as the one I grew to love!!! I can’t share with you the numbers he showed me, but I can say this…
..Kinjos is doing better now than ever before. They are putting through well over 400 paying customers a day in a restaurant that seats 65. Their customers are frequent ‘shoppers’, they bring their friends, family and business associates, and they LOVE to spread the word about this incredible rare find.
Pay VERY close attention to businesses like Kinjos.
They hold an incredible learning opportunity for astute entrepreneurs. Take their success secrets and quickly modify them to suit YOUR business.
And if you are EVER looking for a great meal and time in Calgary, CALL ME! I am always up for a trip to my favorite restaurant. Kinjos is the ONLY place I know of in a city of 1.2 million people that does what they do.
Learn from it… and profit.
[...] something in your service or delivery that no one else does? Could you? I wrote some time ago about Kinjos Sushi in Calgary. I am now doing some work with them to see how we can build their cult following even more. I have [...]