Restaurant Sales Upselling Techniques

Opportunities for up selling come along all the timeAppearing' to accept the customer's `no' decision
in your restaurant or cafe and unless you andcan create another opportunity. By suggesting
your staff take advantage of them you arethat they bring the dessert menu back `later' will
leaving money on the table so to speak. Today Igive the customer a chance to have the main
wanted to give you some information on how tomeal settle and perhaps when they are
capitalize on these opportunities to make youapproached later, they may be able to be enticed.
more sales, combined with having the rightUP-SELLING
restaurant management tools will get you theProbably the most famous up selling phrase is
results you require."would you like fries with that?" Many people
OPPORTUNITIES FOR UP SELLINGnowadays actually refer to up selling by that
There are basically three areas we can outline tophrase. So use it to your advantage - because it
up sell to a customer.works!
1. Set opportunitiesAs a general rule, when a customer orders one
2. Up-sellthing, ask if they would like another `thing'. It is a
3. Spontaneity (monitoring customers' needs)good idea to have set `up sell' items. Again, the
SET OPPORTUNITIESmost famous is fries with a hamburger.
A Set Opportunity means that there are setAfter the meal for example, referring back to the
times that are suitable to suggestive selling, fromdessert opportunity, if the `follow up' dessert
when the customer enters the restaurant tooffer is still declined, then offer after-dinner drinks.
when they leave.DOWN SELLING
There are three'-such Set Opportunities:A different (indeed opposite) approach to up
1. When the customer is initially taken to the tableselling is down selling. As the name suggests, it's a
2. When the order is takenmatter of suggesting a higher priced and/or
3. When dessert is orderedquality product in the beginning and if the
OPPORTUNITY 1.suggestion is not heeded they can then suggest a
When taking the customer to the table it is a`down market' or less expensive item. This can be
good opportunity to let them know about drinks.particularly effective when the customer is a little
Saying something like "Would you like a wine,indecisive.
cocktail or soft drink while you think about yourCROSS SELLING
order?" is a good way to have them make aSimilar to up selling and down selling, cross selling is
decision as to what drink they may like.about suggesting something of similar value but of
OPPORTUNITY 2.a different range but perhaps with a better
When the order is taken, many waitpersons willmargin. For example, if your client managed to
make the mistake of asking a `closed' questionbuy a quantity of say Budwieser for a special
like, would you like an entree? A better way is toprice, then they might have their team begin to
`assume' the sale. Try something like "which`Cross Sell' it in place of the Molsen Dry that they
entree would you like to try sir/ma'am?" If anhad bought at regular price.
entree is declined, proceed to the nextSPONTANEITY
opportunity, which is asking which main meal theyA spontaneous suggestion, as the name suggests,
would like, perhaps suggesting a favourite. Uponis when the suggestion is made from an
the customer choosing, it provides anotherimpromptu situation.
opportunity to `upsell' to say a larger serve or aThere are many, many opportunities that may
side order etc.exist, far too many to list, however, an example
OPPORTUNITY 3.of a spontaneous suggestive sell, might be a `top
Asking for the dessert order can sometimesup' on a half full wine glass. Good bar persons are
produce and obstacle for the unwary waitperson.particularly adept at this. They assume the sale!
Many customers will say no because they haveSuffice to say, that Spontaneous Suggestive
just finished eating and feel a little full. However,Selling will improve as product knowledge,
the astute waitperson will see an opportunity. Byconfidence and team motivation improves.
`seductively' describing what desserts are availableThere are a number of practical things that can
or describing `their' favourite, they can sometimesbe done when used alongside the various
entice the customer to have a dessert.techniques covered in the previous sections.