Cocktails Gone Viral (pt2)

• September 8, 2020
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Hi y’all,

I hope everyone had a productive week and fun 3-day weekend. Taking from where we left, here is the second part of our “Key tools and strategies we used to create and monetize our virtual cocktail making workshops.” In case you missed the first one click here Cocktail Gone Viral part1 

Ok, I hope everyone did their homework from last week and have a killer idea backed up by intriguing description. So, let’s make some money…

Finding Customers

Now that we’ve established what services you provide (from last week’s homework), and what you will charge it’s time to discuss the most effective and proven ways to get out there and get clients.

The first step is to determine who your customers are and how you will find them. In the midst of this publication, we are in the middle of a pandemic and because we’re not tone deaf, we’re only going to assume that you aren’t out hob-knobbing and networking in person…..so you’re going to need to get savvy on the inter-webs! How are you going to find your people that would want to take a virtual mixology workshop? 

The first step in determining this answer is to focus on two demographics—large companies and individuals (event ticket sales). Which groups seems more like your cup of tea? Large companies with many employees are your ideal customers as they have a bigger budget and a more consistent demand for virtual events. Furthermore, with so many employees working remotely, companies are in continual pursuit of fun team building activities that increase motivation and encourage collaboration. The biggest challenge here will be getting through the gatekeepers and getting to speak with the person in charge of events—so be warm and friendly when you introduce yourself to everyone, as each person in these big corporate companies needs to like you enough to pass you along! Always be selling they say…

The alternative to sponsored business events is a self-sponsored “event” hosted by you. One of the quickest and most functional sites out there for this is Eventbrite. They make scheduling and advertising your event a breeze. This method is definitely a more stress-free alternative than pitching companies because it’s you direct to consumer via internet. No cold calling, no cold emails, no awkward “okay can you please tell him/her I called again?” That’s why this option is a fantastic start for beginners. The drawback of this option is that you are 100% responsible for class size (which means ticket sales, which means cash money in your hand). Reality—if you charge $15 per ticket, and only 2 people sign up, you absolutely need to fulfill your obligation and host the class, and you should still dazzle! But, with 2 ticket sales, that means you are pulling a cold 30 bucks, and don’t forget about deducting your cost for the event. That’s the dark side of this endeavor. 

Your success is going to depend on how well you promote the event. If you promote well, and make your class affordable, and deliver each class—whether it be a group size of 4 people or 50, your business will grow, and this will be a valuable source of income. And because you are going to make it awesome and fun and deliver every time, it will catch on and you then have the option to make your workshops a weekly thing. 

The Pitch 

Marketing/Advertising is trial and error. Typically, marketers implement a few strategies, collect data, and refine their efforts based on the results they get. This could be a time-consuming, money-eating monster that we want you to avoid meeting. As your service, your pitch should identify a problem that your potential clients have and offer a solution for it. Currently, people are stuck at home, they miss the interaction, while employers and managers feel disconnected with their employees. The solution is an interactive, fun, and engaging activity that brings people together (well virtually) and will surely leave people talking about their experience—bonding activities can be gateways! Spice up your pitch and make your workshop irresistible. Keep your pitch short and sweet!  

Booking Clients

I get it, most of you here are bartenders and not professional marketing managers and I know that booking corporate clients can seem intimidating, especially if you have never had to reach out to clients before. However, reaching out to clients is much easier when you have a desirable and amazing service to offer and you have taken the time to craft the right service and pitch for the right audience. 

All it takes is a little bit of courage and getting through the first few calls. If you feel anxious about cold calls you can warm up by sending emails first and observe the response you get. Believe me, you will be surprised by how many corporate team administrators will be interested in your service. Make a list of companies in your area (Google will make that task easy for you), and reach out to them. If you can research whether their employees are currently working remotely, you can personalize your pitch even more. 

Leave a Lasting Impression With a Solid Thank You Email

Show your attendees that you really care about their experience. You can do this by ensuring that you collect the email addresses of all attendees. The next step is what will set you apart and leave a great impression on your clients…

RECAPTURE the class by sending a detailed follow-up email with a synopsis of content: any links to websites or “how-to” video’s that were mentioned, every recipe, and a breakdown of all cocktail instructions from the class. Another option is to record the stream and include the video in your Thank You email! 

And Finally…                                                                                                         

I know that this is a lot to take, but us bartenders and hospitality people are hustlers at heart and with the right attitude great things can happen. My team and I got your back and if you need any assistance, please feel free to connect with us via Instagram, Facebook or email. For more ideas and motivation, click the subscribe button and I will see you soon! 

We genuinely try to find creative ways to support our industry colleagues in these challenging times, so if you guys like our article please give it a share. We will put you on Santa’s good list 🙂