Back in February, my "Two On Two" partner Jason Falls and I were debating the value of using Groupon, especially for small businesses which often don't have much room for error.
I commented that if a small business owner is going to invest in Groupon , they must really work the channel after the fact. Much like fishing, you don't just throw a lure out in the water and have it sit there - you work the lure until you get a bite. Groupon is for reeling customers in, but once they are in, it's up to the business owner to provide a quality product and great service to ensure you give the customer a reason to return and purchase your product at the full price.
It's about taking true ownership, being aggressive, seizing opportunities, and understanding that tools are an aide, not an ultimate solution to do your work for you.
"It's a function of understanding the prospective buyer in order to capitalize on any lead, be it from an ad source like Groupon or a referral," said Josh Frey, founder of the multi-million-dollar small business OnSalePromos who now coaches prospective small business owners interested in entering the promotional products industry through SwagCoach.com . "You must engage quickly, and the faster you understand the buyer's needs and build a relationship of trust that you can deliver on your promise, the faster you can make the sale and develop a longlasting relationship."
Fast forward to last week when I wrote a piece called "St. Louis Doesn't Suck" for Forbes, which discussed marketing solutions for the St. Louis metro-region.
Towards the end of the piece, I made a comment about St. Louis style pizza, an atrocious concoction featuring a cracker thin crust and Velveeta-like provel cheese that, for those who did not grow up in St. Louis, is not fit for human consumption.
Many aspects of the reaction to the piece surprised me, none more so than the 60-plus comments focusing on the pizza, which was more of a throwaway than anything else.
But Vito LaFata III saw an opportunity.
LaFata is a second generation owner of Vito's Italian Pizzeria Ristorante in St. Louis, and as the name of his restaurant suggests, he serves pizza. Really good pizza it turns out.
He decided to send me an email:
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