A few months ago I spoke at a restaurant marketing convention and suggested, even begged, that one of the restaurant owners hold a “hypnotic dinner night”. 

My idea was to have a hypnotist put patrons into a trance. They could then imagine eating anything they wanted without fear of gaining weight, and they could dine with anyone they wanted, as well, from celebrity to fictional character to whoever.

I knew it was outrageous, but I’m the guy who recorded The Power of Outrageous Marketing for Nightingale-Conant, and I’m a disciple of P.T. Barnum, so it seemed fitting.

Anyway, I just received this email…

Hi Joe,

I wanted to send you a personal invitation to my first ever Hypnotic Pizza Night! 

I own Big John’s Pizza in Pendleton, Oregon and attended Rory Fatt’s Boot Camp, which you spoke. 

You truly inspired me on two of your ideas, cross-promotion with other businesses and the hypnotic night with a hypnotist. 

When I returned from boot camp I immediately took action with a cross promotion and teamed up with our local food mart/gas station (Dave’s) and we teamed up to give away FREE gas for a year in a scratch-off promotion. 

This promotion alone brought $22,000 of additional revenue to Big John’s Pizza from May 1st through June 10th! 

Thanks for the inspiration to take action with cross-promotions.
 
Now I am taking action on your next big idea of a hypnotic night at my pizza parlor. 

Our Hypnotic Pizza Night is scheduled for Thursday, August 23rd at 7:00pm.  I have booked Ron Stubbs as the hypnotist (www.hypnodude.com). 

At book camp, you mentioned you would like to attend a hypnotic night at a restaurant.  I would like to personally invite you to a night of fun at our first annual Hypnotic Pizza Night at Big John’s Pizza! 

Please let me know if you can attend, we would LOVE to have you as our guest!  Pendleton, Oregon is a town of 15,000 in a rural Oregon.  We are home of the 3rd largest rodeo in the world!  www.pendletonroundup.comAmazingly, we do have an airport that you fly directly into Pendleton via Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Andy McAnally
Big John’s Pizza

P.S. My family was in Mexico for two weeks in June, I read The Secret, it has also changed my life!

I love people who take action — especially on my ideas!

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — Fit-a-Rita is getting world-wide media coverage!

4 Comments

  1. July 28, 2007 at 10:41 am

    When I saw this I immediately thought of the 1988 movie Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts! Not quite the same thing but it popped in my mind! 😀 Sounds like a great idea! I love creative marketing ideas!

  2. July 29, 2007 at 8:08 am

    Wow, a hynotic pizza night, sounds awesome! Too many businesses allow themselves to be “plain, normal and ordinary” – this leads to ordinary success – Joe, you are THE man, I learned this from your Hynotic Gold w/Gene Landrum and of course reading your book on PT Barnum.

    I’m on the same path as Andy except with my gym. I invited the Mayor to come to the gym and see what we do on open house, where we’ll be flipping 400 lb tractor tires and more!

    Everyone can find ways to Barnumize their business, you know it all too well Joe!

    –zach 🙂

  3. July 29, 2007 at 11:45 pm

    Keep spreading the love, pizza doe is such a warm and lovely example of what love can do…hold sauce…mold cheese…even provide MEAT and spice…ah yes…pizza…it’s the perfect metaphor…keep ’em coming Dr. J …you are wonderful.

  4. Anne Adijuwono-Reply
    July 31, 2007 at 4:07 am

    Dear Joe,

    your ‘mystic pizza’ reminds me that there was a program in our local tv, where a hypnotist did his ‘magic action’ to common people. One should act like a singer he most hates. It was realy funny.

    I am an artisan, making accesories from, semi preciouse stones. I’m wondering how I can turn your ideas in my business. Cross promotion… yess… I did it already… giving my necklaces to magazine readers in exchange to a free advertation… Hypnotic selling… I did telling my clients that the stones has energy that help a lot in illness and personal problem. Do you have any other idea?

    Thanks Joe…

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