Communication is MORE than Words

The 4 Ps of a Successful Birthday Program – Part One

By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment

In TrainerTainment’s most-recent conference, we focused on maximizing birthday party programs for FECs. Birthdays can be a significant part of your revenue and depending on your product mix, target market and focus, birthdays may account for 10-30% –– or more –– of total revenue.

Over the next four articles, I will focus on each core element of the birthday business. We’ll start with “product” because I believe a compelling, competitive, irresistible product is a great place to start.

In my experience, many location-based entertainment facilities often undervalue their birthday party offering. Common challenges we see when asked to revamp the birthday program are that their prices are too low and there are too many packages offered.

Easy Steps to Instantly Improve the Product

KiSS-proof your product (Keep it Simple, Sweetie): Make sure your program is easy for your team to sell and the customer to buy. Small, medium and large offerings create a “something for everyone who is in your target market” to buy. Everything else is an upgrade.

Anything that is the same in each package should only be listed once. When marketing on your website, inside your fun center or within printed collateral, you want plenty of space for pictures of partygoers having fun! Act as if you have a small budget for words and try to not repeat anything. Highlight only the differences in each package. Go to Jake’s Unlimited (www.jakesunlimited.com/kids-birthday-parties) for an example of a great way to help “buyers” easily understand your birthday party offerings. More than 60% of bookings can occur online so you want your website to tell the story in a compelling way.

Remember, everything has a monetary value…the room, the table time, the host, decorations, the balloon bouquet and so on. Assign a price to each item. You don’t have to add the cost to the price of your party but you do need to BRAG about the actual value.

And while we’re talking about price, be sure to list and talk about the price last. When a mom or dad calls and says how much are your parties they really mean to say, “Does your party have enough value to give my child a memorable experience?”

If you require a minimum number of guests, say eight, then charge the price as a total package price for up to eight and then add on individual pricing anything higher. I don’t mean that you must have a minimum number of guests for a party but rather that you need a minimum amount of money to justify the cost of holding the event.

So, What to Do Now?

1. Re-evaluate your birthday party packages. Are they too complex? Do you have more than three? Is there something irresistible in your offering?

2. Do a competitive market analysis of other birthday offerings in your area. Understanding your market is an important part of your strategy. Compare your offer and notice the price points. Remember to look at the variety of entertainment options that offer birthday parties.

3. No matter what you decide to charge, be sure you brag about the retail value of your product.

4. Use this birthday revenue calculator link –– trainertainment.net/xpress-resource/ revenue-calculator –– to prove the value of your package.

Feel free to reach out to me directly for additional help and be sure to tune in next month when we’ll talk about the sales process.

Beth is the CEO of TrainerTainment LLC, a training company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve to make more money through sales, guest service, leadership and social media marketing training. Training products and services are delivered in person, through books and DVDs, and virtually with e-learning courses, webinar development and 24/7 online access. Visit her company’s website at www.trainertainment.com.