So, how can we be using VIDEO to help promote your bartending business??

Well, first, you need to realize that VIDEO can be used for two ways:

1.  To DRIVE Traffic To Your Bartending Website

2.  To INCREASE Your Sales & Conversions

Once your bartending website is UP and running, you need TRAFFIC to your website, and then you need visitors to take action and call/buy from you!

Use VIDEO to Drive TRAFFIC:

This is easy!  Put content on Youtube!  Google owns Youtube and their videos are indexed in Google’s search engines!  Why not have your video appear on the first page of Google every time your prospects are searching for a bartender! Here are some quick ideas for some simple and easy videos you can create for Youtube:

• Drink Recipes & Mixing Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions from Customers
• Tips on How to Hire a Bartender
• Party Planning Tips
• or any other informational videos that teach and inform your customers!

Once your customers find your OPTIMIZED videos in Youtube, they can click your link and head right onto your website!   From there, you can greet them with more video…

Use VIDEO to INCREASE SALES:

Once visitors arrive on your blog or bartending website, you can do even more with video to get people to choose you over your competitors.  You can do anything from a Welcome Video to a “demo video” of actual bartending footage at your past events, and EVEN Video Testimonials!!  Here is a GREAT little welcome speech script for the home page of your website:

Welcome Video SCRIPT:

1. Welcome Visitors to your Website
2. Introduce yourself and who you are
3. Tell People WHY they need a bartender
4. Tell People WHY You are the Solution
5. Tell People WHAT to do next (call, email, etc)

EXAMPLE SCRIPT:

Hello, and welcome to the Magnificent Mobile Bartenders official website-I am James Wedmore Professional Mixologist and preferred bartender serving the Orange County, Los Angeles county for the past 6 years.  You are most-likely here because you are looking for a bartender and some additional help for your next big event.  But more importantly, you need someone to help reduce the stress and workload of planning a party WHILE also impressing your guests with a professional staff.  Please take a look through our website, check out our testimonials of our satisfied clients, and when you are ready, give us a call at the number above and we’d be happy to help you plan your next event!  Thanks for watching, have a great day!

Easy right?!

Video is POWERFUL, but it is also VERY EASY to use!  For less than $200 you can have a wonderful HD camera that can do amazing things for your marketing!  Obviously, you’ll need to learn some tricks such as how to optimize your videos, edit them, and all the rest, and that’s where our course comes in…

Video4PROFIT eCourse

I recently sat down with youtube SUPER Star Dave Powers (RCPowers.com) and we came together to reveal all of his Youtube & Video Marketing Secrets that helped him generate over +41 Million views to his videos and a flood of fresh traffic every day to his website!  This is pretty cool stuff, and I want to invite you to create a free membership using the link below:

http://www.OnlineVideo4PROFIT.com/blog/freeaccess

I REALLY think you’ll enjoy the FREE VIDEOS! Thanks, talk soon!

-James Wedmore

It makes sense, right?! Ford tells you they have the fastest, sleekest, most popular car on the road, and you may take in the information, but does it really convince you? Then your best friend Mike pulls up in THAT car and does nothing but RAVES about how this is the fastest sleekest, most popular car on the road. A little more convincing, right?! Well why is that?!

Well, you like, know, and TRUST your good friend Mike, BUT you also know that he has NO hidden agenda for praising this new car. We tend to not trust salepeople and television commericals, etc because we know that whatever they are feeding us, they have the intention of SELLING us something.

So Why Does This Matter?

When you are marketing your Bartending Business and your services, YOU may be the BEST bartender in the World, and you provide AMAZING service, and your drinks kick butt, but how well can you (the salesman) convey that message in a way that your potential clients will believe what you say! As part of your Marketing Strategy, you NEED Testimonials (on your website) of Past Clients who can rant and rave about you. THIS is what gets potential new clients excited! THIS is what works! THIS is what sells your customers!

What is a Testimonial?

A Testimonial is any form of feedback or praise from a past client or customer that describes how AWESOME your services were and recommends you to others! They are a form of Social Proof: “Well, if SHE liked this company, I’m sure I will be pleased with this company too!”

How To EASILY Get Testimonials:

It is IMPERATIVE to include testimonials on your website…the good thing: it is EASY to get them (once you’ve had your first bartending event!)

First, make sure you provide outstanding service! If you are not putting the effort in to make people start talking about you, they won’t have anything to say when you ask for that testimonial! This means, be early to your bartending events (not on time!) Be kind, courteous, and treat the guests like royalty. Be funny, outgoing and helpful! Keep your bar clean, make the drinks fast and keep a smile on your face! Do this and put 110% effort in at all times, you will have no problems.

Make sure that when the event is over, you thank your host with sincere appreciation while in person. Within the next 2-3 days (the sooner the better), write them a quick email thanking your host again! Your client will be 100% obligated to return that e-mail and say a few kind words (THAT IS YOUR TESTIMONIAL!) I would highly recommend asking them for their permission to publish this information on your site (at this point, they may be MORE inclined to write you an even better testimonial). The client will ALWAYS say yes, so do not hesitate to ask.

The Money-Maker: Ok, so text is great, but a picture says 1001 words, right?! Get a picture of you and the host right about the testimonial and you will have a bullet-proof marketing tactic!! Either bring your own camera and ask for a pic, OR ask the host to take a picture of the both of you! Its THAT’S simple!

The ADDED BONUS: Now, if you have REALLY hit it off with your client, or they are a family friend or something, I would simply ASK them for a good testimonial, but here is where it gets better! I use a service called AUDIO GENERATOR that allows the client to call a number and leave a VOICE recorded testimonial which you can INSTANTLY add to your site so people can listen to it!! Pretty cool, right?!

So there you have it! Now go out there and get some bartending testimonials for your website.

1. Dress-Up! It’s New Year’s! Dress up and look great. I always like to add a silly hat or glasses to my attire to help get in the mood and show everyone that I am the “Life of the Party.” Everyone else will be in the mood to party like there is no tomorrow, so be prepared to do the same! Wear something, beads, “2009 Glasses” or a crazy hat to show you are ready for a great night!

2. Bring Props! Add a little flair to the night with some noise-makers, poppers and other do-dads! Keep some for yourself, but share the love and pass them out to eager guests. When that clock strikes Midnight, it will be THAT much more fun to have everyone using your toys and gizmos and even the host will appreciate it! (More Tips)

3. CHARGE DOUBLE: This is my most important tip! You must charge AT LEAST double your normal rate for New Year’s Eve..your reasoning: “It’s New Year’s!” No one wants to work on this night unless it is really worth it! So make the price you charge high enough so there are no regrets! And don’t forget gratuity!

4. The Tip Jar: No one is found at home doing nothing for New Year’s, so chances are, you will have MORE guests at your event than most other parties throughout the year. Imagine if everyone in the room of a 100 guest party just gave you $2.00 a piece. Not bad, right! Well, get that Tip Jar out on your bar and make it visible to everyone. For New Year’s this year, I found a GIGANTIC glass Champagne Glass that will be just PERFECT for my Tip Jar. Having a Tip Jar this New Year’s is a MUST and make sure you dress it up so guests have FUN giving you money!

5. Champagne anyone? New Year’s Eve is all about celebration! 2008 is gone, and 2009 is upon us! And what better way to celebrate than with a full glass of bubbly! No matter what, make sure you host is supplying champagne for their party! Imagine being the bartender at a New Year’s party that DOESN’T carry champagne! BONUS: Why not add a few other Champagne drink options to the menu like Mimosa, Kir Royal, etc.

6. The New Year’s Kiss: Great conversation always leads to great tips. Ask your guests if they have that special someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight or what their New Year’s Resolution is. Who knows, you just might find yourself kissing a guest at Midnight too!

7. Just Have Fun: As a Mobile Bartender, sometimes we get stuck at uptight, stuffy parties where the liquor is NOT flowing, and the guests are NOT having fun. A New Year’s Eve party is ALWAYS the exception. Be prepared for guests bringing their “A Game” and their “Party Hats!” So have fun, relax, drink a little, and enjoy your New Year’s!!

His name is Shawn Picard, and he purchased The Bartend-4-Profit System just a few months back. What he has done in that time has been amazing!

You can take a look at his website at: www.ServeChilledBartending.com

Shawn built a beautiful website that has great pictures, video, and copy. He build his own portable bar that he takes with him to all of his events! He even learned how to become a flair bartender so that he could “wow!” his guests to giving him more tips! What I would like to do now is take a second and see just what we can learn from a success Case Study like Sean here.

What YOU can learn from Sean:

1. Have a Great Name/Branding: Serve Chlled is a great name, and he branded his company with a penguin-an animal that represents both the elements of cold and elegance (tuxedo)
2. Have a Website: Website is REQUIRED! But very easy to obtain one!
3. Great Headline/Copy: Take the time to read Shawn’s headline. It goes right for the benefits of why someone would hire him!
4. Clear, Visual Pictures: A picture tells 1,000 words, you need some of you bartending!
5. Include Video: Marketing is all going to video now and Shawn nailed it with his video!
6. Different Pricing Options: Shawn gives his customers several different pricing packages to choose from
7. Learn Flair: Shawn is MORE than just a bartender. Someone who wants to have fun and entertainment will choose Shawn for his flair skills!
8. Easy Contact: Make it easy for your visitors to contact you INSTANTLY. Shawn using a contact form that his clients can fill out.
9. Take Action: The biggest reason people FAIL is that they NEVER took action! Shawn simply purchased The Bartend-4-Profit System (the first action) and simply followed the steps laid out before him. THIS is what he has accomplished!

I am so proud of Sean for all of his work to making his business take off the way it has! It is one of the most rewarding experiences to make a difference in someone’s life like this!! I look forward to all the others who decide to follow this path and work for themselves as a mobile bartender! I am here to help!

]]> http://www.bartenderconfessions.com/bartendercasestudy/feed/ 0 http://www.bartenderconfessions.com/bartendingquestion/ http://www.bartenderconfessions.com/bartendingquestion/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:50:24 +0000 admin http://www.bartenderconfessions.com/?p=127 Watch the video below:

The Christmas Season is upon us and NOW is the best time to start Mobile Bartending! To get your hands on the Bartend-4-Profit System before I increase the price, click here!

The Bartend-4-Profit System, only $127

Why are Logos so Important?

Your logo brands you! You put it on your business card, your website, promotional material, and much more…so it says a LOT about you and your business. As you can see with Bill’s logo, it is very professional and positions his company with refined elegance and class. The sense of “traveling” connotates cosmopolitan, worldly, and sophisticated. These are great characteristics that your clients will highly appreciate.

What do you think?

This is still a “rough draft” for Bill’s logo and a business that he is quickly building! What do you think of his logo? Do you like the name? the colors? GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS! Post in the comment section below!

THIS IS A CONTEST:

I will pick one commenter at RANDOM and they will get a free business name consultation and my graphic design team will build them a LOGO for FREEEE! That’s right, one lucky winner is going to get a FREE Business name and Logo. I WILL ANNOUNCE A WINNER ON OCTOBER 6th!

ADD YOUR COMMENTS BELOW TO WIN!!

80/20 Bartending

This takes me back to last Saturday night’s bartending gig at a clients home. The event was actually a charity auction that took place on their tennis court. (Yes, they had a tennis court and a HUGE home!) Over 200 guests showed up to get drunk and bid on some ridiculous stuff-one LIVE auction item included Mike Eisner’s old Mighty Ducks Box seats and another was an Andy Warhol original.

I had a tip jar out and I was working my butt of to keep these thirsty guests happy. I was “in the zone” as I like to call it. Just as you finish pouring those last cocktails, another guest has given you a big order. You just have enough time to wipe your brow, clean your shaker and keep moving! The music is blasting behind you and everyone gathers to watch your hands move like lightening. I love it!

The tips were coming in pretty steady, but nothing to be too excited about. I would say every other guest put in a dollar or two guaranteeing me a $100-200 for the night (not bad, right!) Well…then something happened!

80% of Your Income comes from 20% of your Clients

The 80/20 was in Full Effect! A gentleman came to the bar who I had been serving all night. This was his 4th glass of Chardonnay for the evening and he opened up his wallet to dig for a tip.

“Looks like this is your lucky night,” the patron said as he dropped a Fat Hundy ($100 dollar Bill) into my bar! Lucky night, indeed!! I was stoked!

But wait, it gets better…

Two minutes later another gentleman comes up to the bar. He actually asked, “How you doing on tips tonight?” as he peered into my jar. That’s when his eyes caught sight of the $100 bill! “100! Mike (name’s have been changed) gave you this, didn’t he?!”

“Yep!” I said.

“Well, I can’t let Mike show me up like that.” This guy whipped out his wallet and threw in another hundred dollar bill!! WOOHOO! $200 in less than 5 minutes!

The Lesson Here:

So Why am I telling you this? If you think it’s to brag about how much money I make…you are Dead Wrong!! It is the 80/20 Rule. 80% of my tips came from 20% of my customers (or just 2 guests!) Every other guest there didn’t tip over a dollar or two, but these two guys happened to give me a combined total of $200! The 80/20 Rule is all around you in every aspect of your life, you just need to be aware of it!

So…next time you are bartending, keep in mind, there are a few potential guests out there who will make the different between an “average night” and a fantastically-successfull evening!” Keep an eye out for these individuals. They are your VIP’s!

VIP Hunting: Finding that 20%

VIPS are extroverted, wealthy drinkers. They usually are males with loud, tacky shirts (this is just from my personal experience). They frequent the bar often and want to know your name. The VIP of the party is THAT guy who would be the FIRST one to jump in behind the bar if you were to suddenly vanish or something. The VIP of the party is an ALPHA MALE. Treat him so.

If you want to get on the good side of a VIP, treat him (or her-sometimes) like royalty! Make their drink EXACTLY how they want it with plenty of liquor. They are the life of the party, help propel them even more so! Use their name often, point them out in the crowd, and become their best friend!

One Final Thing…

I first learned of the 80/20 Rule in Tim Ferris’ book The 4-Hour WorkWeek. I LOVE that book and have read it 3 times! I highly, recommend you pick up a copy and read through it. I only bartend a few gigs a week, so I have the 12 hour work week, not four…but I’m working on it!

“Take care of your tools, and your tools will take care of you!”

Even though he was refering to his old woodworking tools, the principle still rings true to bartenders. To be fast, efficient, and effective, you MUST have the proper tools!!

Guest author Jeremy Shirk, author of Make Money Bartending, presents us with all of the tools us bartenders need This is a GREAT article, please read through it carefully…enjoy!!

13 Crucial Tools Every Successful Bartender Must Have

“A man is only as good as his tools�” is a phrase I’m sure you’ve heard before and it applies to bartending as much as anything else.

You’ll only ever be as good as your tools, so make sure you’re not without them. The quality of your tools can make or break your experience behind the bar so it’s important you take this lesson seriously.

There are countless bartending tools out there. Will you use them all? No. But there are certain tools that every bartender must have. In this first lesson, we’ll be taking a look at those “must-have” tools so pay close attention.

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Bottle Opener
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Now whether you’re working in a low or high volume bar, a bottle opener is not only crucial to your speed, but also your hands!

Imagine opening every bottle of beer ordered with your bare hands� you wouldn’t last the night without seriously doing damage to your palms.

There are many different types of bottle openers out there on the market� everything from a simple “key-chain opener” all the way to a “butterfly bottle opener”, you know, like a butterfly knife? Pretty cool.

Find out what works for you. I’ve used the same stainless steel “speed opener” for years now, it does the job (with style) everytime so I�ve had no reason to switch.

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Wine Opener/Corkscrew
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The best, most versatile wine opener is known as the waiter’s wine opener. It’ll always do the job, even on the most difficult and the most stubborn corks. Compare this to many others out there that often break the cork or have you struggling in front of the customer to get the damn thing open.

A waiter’s wine opener includes a corkscrew (worm), a sharp blade to cut the seal of the wine and also a bottle opener device if you’re desperate for one.

I recommend a “two-level” lever on your opener as well, that’s what I personally use. Mine has never failed me in opening a bottle of wine.

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Cocktail Shaker
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This is the stainless steel thingy you see bartenders pour ingredients into for a martini or shooter and shake vigorously. This is a must-have for all bartenders.

A good rule of thumb for cocktails is, the colder it is, the better it tastes. Why else would bartenders concoct a drink by pouring pre-chilled ingredients into a shaker with ice, shaking like crazy and then serving it in a chilled glass? Because you want every part of the process to be “chilling” to prevent any “warming” of the cocktail.

There are two types of shakers out there:

1) Standard Shaker

This is a three-piece stainless steel shaker that has the strainer built into it. I find the Standard Shaker is not as common among professional, working bartenders.

It consists of the shaker tin, lid with strainer and cap. Perhaps it’s more complicated design with smaller parts discourages working bartenders from using this more often. But it will do the job just as well as the�

2) Boston Shaker

From my experience, the Boston Shaker is actually more standard among professional bartenders. This one is simply a shaker tin with a separate mixing glass that’s slightly smaller in size. It�s a two-piece device that you simply seal together to shake the cocktail.

The tendency is seal it as tight as you can and proceed to shake, although this is not necessary as you can often seal it too tight, and then not be able to open it when you�re done shaking and ready to pour the concoction.

If you’re ever in this situation, use the edge of the bar and clip the overlapping metal lip (which will always be on the outside, as the glass is always smaller and fits inside) against the edge of the bar. You can also “twist” them apart, that will often break the seal too.

But avoid all that by fitting them together nice and snug instead of as tight as you can.

You can purchase shaker sets in all types of different sizes and styles, but they pretty much fall into one of the two types listed above.

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Strainer
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Again, you’ll find many different types of strainers on the market. But the only kind I’ve ever used and would want to use is the Hawthorn Strainer.

You know, it�s that real funny looking stainless steel thing with the handle and the spring coil. The purpose behind the spring coil on the strainer is so you can fit it into all types of different shaped glasses. So it�s a very versatile tool.

I should mention that when using a shaker I often do not use a strainer. I use the Boston Shaker and simply crack a tiny opening in the seal between the two and pour out the concoction “cracked egg” style.

If you’re more of a visual learner like me, Tom Cruise does this when pouring his “Turquoise Blue” Martini for Gina Gershon in the two floor NYC nightclub in the movie Cocktail.

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Coasters
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Not every bar uses coasters. But it�s a good thing to have. They�ll prevent a lot of unnecessary wet spots or rings on the bar from moisture off the side of the glass.

I’ve worked in slower, classier places where using them is mandatory. I’ve also worked in higher volume nightclubs where you don�t use coasters because you�re wiping the bar down every five minutes anyway, so why bother? Which leads me to�

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Bar Towel (Rag)
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A fresh, clean set of bar towels is something every bartender needs. In high volume places, the bar is constantly needing a wipe down from spilt drinks, drink rings, sticky shooter glasses, etc.

I like to have a minimum of four, strategically placed wet bar towels in my working area at all times.

One thing I teach you in Bartending Secrets Exposed is to have everything systemized. You want things as seemingly insignificant as location of your bar rag to be the same every night. You don�t want to think about where it is everytime you need it, you want it to be second nature, you want to be able to grab it without even looking!

The party can often get sloppy so you must have your bar rags close at hand.

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Ice Scoop
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Forcefully cutting through and scooping your ice with an actual glass is a very stupid thing to do. Yet I see bartenders do it all the time. I don’t even recommend you “gently and carefully” scoop the ice with the glass. There’s just too much margin for error.

If you chip the glass, and you know it, you’re spending the next ten minutes emptying and refilling your ice well. If you don’t know it, and you happen to serve a customer a drink garnished with glass shavings you could be in some serious trouble.

Using a metal ice scoop is mandatory as a bartender. It really doesn’t take more time to scoop ice with a separate scoop. You can also do some fancy tricks once you get good too.

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Jigger/Measuring Glass
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If you work in a bar that allows free pouring, you won’t be needing this handy tool. But in most regions of North America free pouring is illegal and you�re required to use some sort of measuring device, whether it’s an automatic or manual device all depends on where you work.

While I’m not a believer in the automatic devices you see nowadays, using a shot glass or jigger (manual device) to measure the amount of alcohol you pour into each drink is what I’ve always done as a bartender.

For those of you who work at places with extremely tight inventory control. I offer you an amazing “overpour fake” technique in Bartending Secrets Exposed to keep the “tip friendly” relationship with your customers while keeping your integrity with the boss. Click here to get it now!

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Garnish Picks
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Skewers, plastic swords picks, arrow picks or whatever you want to call them are for those exclusive garnishes like olives and cherries. They really add to the presentation of a drink and are a must-have for those customers you want to really impress.

Whether it’s giving the customer three olives with their martini or an orange slice and a cherry with one of my seductive martinis, I always have a supply of garnish picks close at hand.

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Pour Spouts
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Whether you free pour or not, a bar that deals with any type of volume and has any interest in inventory control should have these on all of the high moving liquor bottles. There are many different styles of pour spouts out there:

-plastic
-metal
-neon
-glow in the dark
-slow pour (3 seconds per ounce)
-fast pour
-screened
-flapped
-measured

All have some associated benefit or gimmick. But I like things simple so I use the metal slow pour spouts on all my liqueurs and the metal fast pour spouts on all my well liquor which I�m using a shot glass for anyway. Why wait three seconds when you�re measuring with a glass already?

Time truly is money in this industry.

Now at this point you might be thinking, “Jeremy, you’re talking about the kind of tools and supplies the bar should be supplying, you’re making it sound like I have a choice on what kind of pour spouts I use.”

Realize I don’t want you to go out and start buying pour spouts and garnish picks. Those expenses should be left to the bar you�re working for. But remember that YOU’RE the one working the bar, not the manager. If the bar where you work has crappy pour spouts and doesn�t even use garnish picks, it’s up to you to suggest it!

I believe it’s your choice. After all, you’re the one using it, right? Managers will always be open to suggestions if it will improve your speed and performance, thus, increase sales.

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Straws
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This is obvious, but you should always have straws close at hand. The bigger or more you give the customer, the better. You control the speed at which your customers drink by how many straws you give them. Make ‘em drink fast so you increase your sales (which equals more tips).

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Lighter/Matches & Pens
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Ask any bartender out there and they’ll agree that besides “a drink”, you’ll be asked for “a light” or a pen more than anything else.

So what’s the best thing you can do??? Have them close at hand!

Have a ton of pens to lend, because you may not always get them back and you always want to have enough. Also, always have a load of matchbooks to give to customers in need.

I also recommend you have a sleek butane lighter of your own for customers needing a light right at your bar and also when flaming drinks are necessary.

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Tip Jar
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Last, but certainly not least is to have your own tip jar.

While I go into extreme detail in Bartending Secrets Exposed on the true art and science of the tip jar, what I’ll tell you here is that having one is a must! You�re losing tips without one!

Have your own, preferably a wine carafe. The tapered neck of a wine carafe means once a tip is in the jar, it’s in. You won’t have any hands dipping in to swipe your hard earned tips, which can often happen in a busy nightclub.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped
thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips. Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed!
Click here now for all the details!!

http://www.bartenderforprofit.com/mc/index.html

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