The most important step for Trivia companies to take when pitching to a bar owner is to have a consultative conversation about what pain points they are experiencing. Asking open ended questions that prompt them to consider what their biggest needs are will uncover the issues they are experiencing, which allows you to address how Trivia Nights can solve them.
Many of the overarching complaints that arise are common, even if the exact details vary a bit. Below is a list of some of the most common pain points that bar owners face, as well as strategies for solving them with a Trivia Night.
“My Tuesday nights are so slow”
Weeknights tend to be tough for bars. From Monday through Thursday, many bars look like a ghost town outside of the occasional happy hour rush. So what options are there to draw out a crowd?
This is where Trivia companies come in. By scheduling a weekly Trivia Night, the bar gives their customers a reason to come out on a weeknight.
Hosting Trivia on the same day and time every week encourages customers to build the event into their regular schedule. The opportunity to socialize with friends and compete to win prizes in an exciting environment will attract people who would normally save their fun activities for the weekend.
Trivia gives regulars a reason to visit the bar outside of their normal schedule, and attracts new customers seeking out a place to play. Bar owners often report that Trivia Night has turned their slowest night of the week into their busiest, which illustrates the value of your service.
“Customers don’t spend much when they do come in”
Ah, the drink nursers. While Trivia companies can’t guarantee their games will automatically inspire players to drop stacks of cash, Last Call Trivia is specifically formatted to encourage people to eat and drink while they consider their answers.
Teams feed off of each others energy in all aspects, including consumption. With a length of 2 hours, Trivia is long enough for players to enjoy several drinks, without being so long that they lose interest.
This presents an even greater opportunity for venues that serve food. By scheduling Trivia to start at a time when players would usually be eating dinner, you encourage players to order food as well as drinks, allowing the venue to turn an even greater profit.
While every venue will differ based on the location and clientele, 7:00 pm is a popular start time for Trivia Nights to maximize the sales of the bar. This also allows players enough travel time from work, and is early enough that they can still be home at a reasonable time.
“We have regulars, but we don’t get many new customers”
One of the greatest benefits of Trivia Nights is the ability to introduce new customers to a bar they wouldn’t normally frequent. By building a network of loyal players for your Trivia Nights, you will bring additional value to venues in the form of your following.
Promote your Trivia Nights heavily on social media to ensure that they are visible to a wide audience, and you will reach a new market that would not have taken notice of some of your clients otherwise.
For bars with this particular pain point, you may consider hosting a themed Trivia Night (after you’ve hosted a few general knowledge shows to get the lay of the land). Theme shows tend to generate a large buzz, which will increase the visibility and likelihood that new customers will give the bar a shot.
“My business is so inconsistent”
Players are very loyal to their Trivia Nights, meaning while show attendance will fluctuate slightly due to extenuating circumstances, bar owners can be confident that business on their Trivia Night will be reasonably steady.
In fact, if the bar owner is satisfied with the impact on their sales, they can add a second Trivia Night throughout the week as well. Just encourage them to spread the days out (for example, a Monday and a Thursday) to avoid burning their customers out.
In addition to the direct impact of your shows, you can also consult the bar owner on other solutions and options for improving their business outside of Trivia Night. This will establish you as a business partner and show that you genuinely care about your clients.
Bar owners often experience similar pain points in their business. By engaging in consultative conversations to uncover the problems and establish how Trivia Nights can help to solve them, you can show potential clients the financial value of the service you provide.