Upselling Techniques

 

Upselling Techniques in Restaurants
Upselling helps boost restaurant sales.

Upselling is a common strategy for restaurants to boost their profits. By training your staff in ways to sell more, you can help their tips and improve business. Upselling is more than sales; it requires perception, knowledge and discretion. At its best, upselling can look less like sales and more like customer service; e...ffective techniques should be subtle enough to avoid annoying the customer or making them feel pestered

A common restaurant upselling technique is to offer more-expensive items than the ones the customer originally ordered. This tactic is most effective when it is not obvious. Servers often use this technique without the customer knowing by offering two choices of liquor without noting that one is more expensive, for example. In order to push up the bill, servers should have knowledge of the profit margins and prices of each item on the menu.

Many restaurants rely on a simple strategy to sell more: offering extra items. A fast food restaurant might ask customers if they'd like a super-sized option or if they would like fries with their meal. A restaurant server will ask a diner if they'd like to start with an appetizer or try a special entree. In some restaurants, the extras are prescribed by management: the chef's special or a new item

Instead of asking customers if they would like additional food or drinks, it is often more effective to be specific. Restaurants often employ the strategy of avoiding generalities that are easy for the diners to dismiss. Instead of asking if a customer wants dessert, for example, the server will ask if they want to try the chef's special dessert and provide a mouthwatering description. This is particularly effective when the server can see that the customers are wavering; the delicious details can convince them to go with their desires.

When a customer is deliberating on what to order or asks for recommendations, a restaurant server has the opportunity to upsell without seeming pushy or irritating. They might name one of the more-expensive dishes on the menu when asked for a suggestion or recommend that the customer try a beverage that will complement their dish. By making helpful suggestions, the customer feels taken care of rather than like a sales target.

One of the most effective upselling techniques a server can use is to show enthusiasm about the foods they are pushing. When they can give details about the food and a description of their personal experience and preference, it can be more convincing than simply suggesting an expensive item. For this technique to work, the server should be genuine.

 

How to Upsell Liquor

Although bartenders and servers have many opportunities to upsell or "upgrade" customer drinks, some find it difficult to convince customers. Whether your bartenders and servers hesitate or drive sales away by being too pushy, the key to upselling liquor is making certain that they understand your product and customers and use a helpful, consultative sales approach.

Successf...ul upselling happens in part when customers trust that your staff members are liquor experts who can provide them with good advice. Bartenders and servers should be knowledgeable about your in-stock liquors and out-of-stock items that will become available. They should know the types, brands and locations of liquors around your bar or restaurant, shelf arrangements and pricing. Bartenders should know the differences between rail, call and top-shelf liquors, the different brands within each category and their origins and tastes. Lastly, all of your staff should know customer buying trends, such as recent top-selling liquors for specific times of day, specific days of the week and holidays.

Instead of using hard sales tactics to increase impulse and repeat buying, such as repeatedly asking customers if they would like another drink or mentioning discounts and specials, your staff should anticipate the best choices and build trust. For example, your staff should learn the names of repeat customers and their favorite drinks, and make certain that the liquors needed for those drinks are in stock. They should also stock liquors repeat customers might like based on drinking habits. A repeat customer will appreciate the extra effort and be more willing to try something new or more-expensive liquors if he feels that your staff is trying to help him have a more enjoyable drinking experience

Another soft sales tactic your bartenders and servers can use to upsell drinks is to suggest certain brands over others, such as premium brands or brands you’re trying to move. For example, when taking an order, a bartender might ask a customer for his preferred brand and then, without prompting, provide a brief list of the brands you offer starting with the one you are trying to sell, or suggest one or two brands and outline the difference in quality and pricing between brands, such as with top-shelf and name-brand liquors. He might also enthusiastically educate the customer about how specific brands taste standalone, mixed or paired with a meal.

Some bar and restaurant owners create upsell opportunities by offering special tasting events that feature free product samples. You might make this a timed surprise event for all customers or host a gathering for a select group, such as repeat or loyalty card customers. Business owners also increase the number of daily drink upgrades by motivating employees with sales incentives, such as money, gift cards, time off, branded or sponsored items, sports or entertainment event tickets and personal electronics, and bonuses or prizes for the most upsales or brand-specific sales

Example :

would you like to order a meal with that drink ?

would you like some nuts with your drink ?

have you tried our resort cocktail ?

2 drinks for the price of one ?

when leaving ask would they like to take drinks back to their room ?

again there is so many more other techniques

 

 

 

How to get your staff Upselling

Upselling is something we are all exposed to from time to time. And whether you sell meals, bedrooms or widgets, it’s a technique that can not only help your bottom line, but done well can give your customers an all round better experience. Here are some of the things to consider in getting your team to upsell effectively.

upselling as ‘a sales technique whereby ...a salesperson induces the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale’.

Upselling usually involves marketing more profitable services or products, but upselling can also be simply exposing the customer to other options he or she may not have considered previously. Upselling implies selling something that is more profitable or otherwise preferable for the seller instead of the original sale. But is it just about increasing the customer spend, or is it also about giving the customer a better all round experience, giving them something they might have forgotten to order, or never even thought of?

Examples :offered fries or a drink to go with your burger. And when was the last time you bought an electrical appliance and not been told the benefits of an extended warranty?

What to promote
So in order to do this effectively the first thing is to determine which are the products or services you wish to promote. It obviously makes sense to be promoting high profit items, but there can be a danger in using this as the only criteria. Unless what you are promoting is perceived as value to the customer, it’s unlikely the sale will be achieved, and does little to build your customer’s loyalty or trust. It’s also important to distinguish between high selling price and profitability and appropriateness to meet the customers’ needs. For example upselling to a more expensive bottle of wine when it does not appeal to the customers tastes.

Product knowledge
Staff need to fully understand each of the products and services available:
What are the high profit items
What are the component parts of any packages
What’s not included, but may be relevant to offer to the customer
What are the ingredients in a dish
What does it taste like
What are the best accompaniments to a dish

Allow staff to experience all the products and services first hand – this will not only make them more memorable, there will be more willingness to promote if they are confident to talk about it, and it will certainly be easier to evoke emotional appeal through vivid descriptions of taste, smell, feel, if they’ve experienced them themselves.

Spot the opportunities
Let them identify all the situations that lend themselves as an opportunity to upsell – not just in their own department – but across all areas.
Options on accommodation – room upgrades, special packages, champagne in rooms,
In the restaurant – bottled water, suggestions for starters, accompaniments, side orders, deserts, desert wine, specialist coffees, after dinner drinks
Bar – branded beers, snack items, pasties with their coffee

I’m sure you’ll have many more specifics for your own operation
It’s also about timing – for example selling desserts – ask too soon and people say they are still too full, and go straight on to coffee, ask too late and they have gone off the idea, and want to head off home.

Behaviours
Teach staff the mechanics of upselling
The need for open questions to identify what the customer wants
How to listen actively to customers’ requests or preferences
How to respond, and make suggestions, or offer alternatives that best meet the customers needs
How would they describe each of your products and services? Rather than a script, allow them to develop their own dialogue, one that comes naturally to them, rather than something they have to remember and run the risk of forgetting.

Practice makes perfect
It’s all very well knowing what to say, but you know how sometimes when you come to say something the words just don’t trip off the tongue as you might hope! Let you team practise in a safe environment, based on different scenarios.

Plan for objections
Whether an objection is perceived or real, staff need to know how to deal with these. One awkward question can shatter confidence, so train staff to get to spot and handle different situations.
Distinguish between a definite ‘No’, and a simple request for more information before buying
When it’s just a matter of timing – they are too full now, but ask me again in 10 minutes
They want something more, but you’ve just offered the wrong thing
Explain the need to identify the nature of the objection by asking open questions
How to demonstrate empathy and understanding of the customer’s perspective
How to gain trust by matching the response or offering to meet the customer’s needs

Give incentives
Link your upselling activity to some goals. This might simply be a target to sell x number of a certain product or service, or may be linked to specific financial profit targets. Whatever goals you set ensure these are clearly measurable and achievable, that any incentive is equitable so everyone is motivated to contribute, and that you give regular updates on progress.

Guide and support
Don’t assume because you’ve told people how to do something they will be able to just go out and deliver it consistently. Observe how your staff handle the upselling conversation and give them feedback after the event on what they did well, what they could do more of, and give the appropriate support and guidance on areas where they need more help.

Examples :

A person only wants to book one night : staff >would you like to be upgraded are special this week is stay for 3 nights and get one free

We have a meal deal available

if you book a beachfront package we will throw in a reef trip for two

there are so many other marketing ideas to upsell