Exactly what is it you sell?

There is a food trend making the news in Denver right now that isn't about food, its about selling food from trucks. Here is a blog post from Westword about it and there are a ton more. I've only eaten at two of them, Biker Jim's, and Pinche Tacos. Biker Jim, with several years under his belt, is one of the veterans and, I might add, is going to open a restaurant just two doors down in this same building sometime this fall. Pinche Tacos is relatively new, opening this spring with trailers around town. It was started by Kevin Morrison, a Denver restaurant veteran, one of the founders of The Spicy Pickle, and a former employer of mine. Both Jim and Kevin serve excellent food. Both have great, simple menus. What are they selling? Food. Experience. Service. Quality. They also sell something that I strive for and that is Clarity. I think one of the most common mistakes made in this business is failure to provide clarity: failure to deliver what is promised, failure to tell the right story, failure to be an advocate of the customer. There are restaurants that have done well on quality alone, experience alone, but none can survive without Clarity.

A restaurant just up the street from us closed its doors last month, just shy of 6 months in business. What did they sell? Well, I had only been in there two times and never really studied the menu, but I can't tell you what their specialty was. They had some of this and some of that, but I think clarity would have helped them immensely. We are always in the mode of trying new things, and one of the things I strive for is clarity. Does this flavor help tell my story? Does this sandwich make sense with the rest of the menu or does it get in the way? An extreme example of clarity would be McDonalds. You know exactly what you are getting when you order there. You've had it a million times and know what to expect. They are excellent at selling clarity.

I recently switched credit card processing companies, and have been very unhappy with the new one. Why did I switch? A promise of savings on the fees I pay to accept credit cards. Why am I unhappy? Lack of clarity. Many "rules" weren't explained, no phone numbers were given for assistance, and my questions go unanswered for days at a time. I no longer know what to expect, I don't know where to turn, and I'm unhappy with what I'm getting. I feel like they aren't on my side. Clarity is what I'm seeking and not getting. So be in the business of selling clarity. It cannot hurt.