What would Arnie do?

I was sitting yesterday with David Morton, a wonderful 3rd generation Restaurateur and the owner of that Chicago favorite, Pompei, discussing, well, Restaurants! The conversation turned to his Dad, Arnie Morton. I had the pleasure to have known Arnie, who was arguably one of the great Restaurateurs of his generation. He was probably best known for developing the Playboy Clubs, and for Morton's Steakhouse,(and for siring a bunch of very successful kids!) but Arnie was so much more.

Arnie had a great ability to connect to his customers in a very personal way. I remember back in the day when Arnie's was THE see and be seen Restaurant in Chicago. Yes, it was a nice room, and the service and food were always wonderful. What made the experience for most people though was the sense of belonging. You were 'in' when you sat at Arnie's. There was a real sense of connection to something bigger and cooler! And YOU mattered because YOU were there. Arnie and his team made sure of it. It was 'dialog' before 'dialog' was 'in'. It got me to thinking about what Arnie did well, and how would he use the 'tools' available to him today, like Facebook, Twitter, The Web?

I think that most of us miss the point of Social Media. It is a tool, not a toy. A hammer in the hands of a 'shoemaker' will yield a quite different result than a hammer in the hands of master carpenter. What Arnie, and what other great Restaurateurs of every generation have always done, is find ways to connect with their customer in very personal ways. They create dialog and unique experiences, and in an increasingly impersonal world, they create a personal connection. THAT is what Social Media should be about, because THAT is what our business is about! It is about speaking from your heart, it is about sincere interest, it is about being outside of yourself, and it is always about a warm smile.

So, forget about having a Social Media "Strategy". What is your Customer Connection 'Strategy', and how can you make that happen? Speak Hospitality from your Heart, and use whatever 'tools' you need to be heard!