How to Train Servers to Sell
In your restaurant, do you have walking vending machines, or do you have salespeople? To learn why teaching your servers to sell is so important to your restaurant and how to train servers to sell, watch this video.
This video focuses on the importance of training your team – primarily servers – to “upsell” to your guests. The shouldn’t just ask what customers want, but offer suggestions that will enhance the guests’ experience.
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Through the art of upselling you can affect both your top-line sales and bottom-line efficiencies.
The top line is twofold. First it can have a direct impact on increasing your sales. There are only three ways you can increase sales:
1) Bring in new customers (the most expensive form of marketing)
2) Get your customers to spend more when they visit
3) Get your customers to visit more often
When upselling is done correctly you can easily increase what customers spend each visit, all while ensuring they have a great experience and want to come back, again and again. And when done properly, upselling is a win for the service staff too because they ultimately improve their tip income.
If your team is reluctant to “sell” to their guests, the best way to change the mindset that upselling is a negative thing is to address the attitude toward the process and explain the nature of our business. We are in the hospitality business. Our goal is to give each guest the best experience possible. An experience is about the food, the atmosphere and the service. And they are all tied together.
Teach your service staff that by offering the ability for a guest to upgrade their vodka martini from rotgut well vodka to a premium vodka makes the drink better. You’ll actually improve the guest’s experience. By suggesting to a guest that they order your best item on the menu, even though it may be your most expensive entrée, will almost guarantee they’ll love their meal. And when they love their meal, no matter what they paid for it, they are satisfied customers.
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To learn more about the importance of training servers to sell to improve your guests’ experiences, read our special report, Breaking Away from the Insanity: How to easily take control of your restaurant and make more money. Download it here.
