When we talk about upselling in the restaurant business, the first thing that comes to mind is often an overly aggressive server pressuring guests to spend more money. But upselling isn’t just about making the sale; it’s about enriching your guests’ dining experience while increasing average ticket size. Done right, upselling should feel helpful and build trust, not come off as pushy and feel like an attack. In this chapter, we’ll talk about upselling techniques and how to incorporate them into your selling process. By learning how to effectively upsell, you can increase your sales and tips and your restaurant can increase sales and guest satisfaction.
Learning these techniques will help you grow in your position as a server and increase your chances of promotion to other positions in the restaurant industry. How Guests Decide Upselling starts with an understanding of how guests make their dining decisions. When it comes down to it, most guests are just looking for a little direction when it comes to ordering.
Whether it’s because they are indecisive, or because they just don’t know what to order, guests are very open to suggestions. Help them feel as if you are leading them in the right direction. People are much more likely to take action when you describe something as a benefit. Avoid using language that describes the price. Instead, talk about the taste, the experience, the exclusivity, or any other positive description that will give the guest a picture of what they can look forward to.
Calling a dish a “guest favorite” or saying “this dish features the fresh catch of the day” both do a better job of describing the dish than “this dish is $25.” In addition to describing the benefit, your guests must trust you. If you seem knowledgeable, friendly, genuine, and caring, guests are much more likely to take your suggestions. Reading the Guest Reading the guest is also an important skill that will help you become a better server. Some guests will not react well to your upselling attempts.
They just want to order and get their meal. Knowing which guests you can push and which guests you should leave alone is key to successful upselling. You can read the guest by paying attention to their body language and behavior. If they are asking a lot of questions about the menu, they are more likely to be open to upselling attempts. If they seem to be in a hurry, they probably just want you to take their order. What you know about the guest can also help you with your upselling.
If you know the guest has a shellfish allergy, you can avoid suggesting the shrimp cocktail. If you know they ordered the filet, you can suggest the cabernet to accompany it. Giving your guests suggestions based on what you already know about them will make the experience much more personal. When to Upsell One of the most important things you can do to be successful at upselling is to know when to upsell. You don’t want to hit your guests with your strongest suggestions as soon as they sit down.
This will be too much for them to handle and will often turn them off from ordering anything else. Instead, wait until they are looking at the menu and deciding what to order. You can also suggest items to them after you have taken their initial order. For example, if they ordered the filet, you could suggest a cabernet to go with it. Finally, you can suggest dessert or coffee drinks as you are removing their plates.
As with any part of the sales process, timing is everything. Knowing when to suggest additional items to your guests will make or break your success. The language you use when suggesting a dish can also make or break your success. Using as much description as possible will help your guests picture what they are getting. Avoid just the name of the dish. Instead, talk about the ingredients, preparation method, and presentation style. Avoid using words like delicious, good, or great. Instead, talk about the flavors, textures, and portion. The more description you use, the easier it will be for your guests to picture their dish and the more likely they will be to order it.
Words that appeal to the senses such as sizzling, hot, fresh, aromatic, and rich will help your guests better imagine what you are suggesting. Confidence Matters Too Confidence is just as important. It is necessary to speak clearly and with conviction and to sound excited about the dish to instill confidence in the guests and increase the chances of them taking your recommendation. Suggestive Selling Without Being Pushy One of the most difficult things about upselling is being able to do so without coming across as pushy. You never want your guests to feel like they are being forced into something that they do not want.
Suggestive selling is just what it sounds like. You suggest something to the guests instead of telling them that they have to have it. Instead of saying something like, “You have to try the soup.” say “Would you like to try our soup?” or “Many of our guests enjoy the soup, would you like to try some?” This way you are suggesting something to them without forcing it on them. You also want to make sure that you respect their wishes if they decline your suggestion. Do not make them feel bad or try to force it on them again. Simply say “You won’t regret it” and move on.
Pairing and Bundling Pairing is a very effective way to upsell. For example you can suggest a glass of wine that pairs well with their meal or suggest one of their side dishes to go along with their entrée. You can also suggest dessert based on what they ordered for their meal. Another effective way to upsell is by bundling. If you offer a few different items together at one price it is often easier for the guests to agree to than if you suggest each item separately.
Using Menu Knowledge to Your Advantage Obviously in order to effectively upsell you are going to need to know the menu. There are several ways that you can use this knowledge to your advantage. Start with the items that have the highest profit margin. You will also want to suggest your signature dishes as well as dishes that are prepared differently than most places.
Do not be afraid to let the guests know about your chef specials and dishes that you only offer for a limited time. This will make them feel like it is something special and they will be more likely to order it. Be honest with your guests and suggest items that you think they will like. This will also make them more likely to become repeat customers.
Upselling with Service Sometimes providing great service is all that it takes to effectively upsell your guests. If you provide them with great service they will be more likely to order more and become repeat customers. Make sure that you are attentive to their needs but not overbearing. Stop by and visit with them often to see if there is anything that you can get for them. Offer to get them another drink before their glass even gets empty. Have a good attitude and be professional at all times. This will ensure that your guests have the best experience possible and will be more likely to take advantage of your suggestions.
Overcoming Concerns Sometimes your guests may be concerned about taking advantage of your suggestion. This could be because they are unsure if they will like it or because of the price. Regardless of their concern, there are ways that you can overcome it and close the deal. Sometimes all that you need to do is reassure the guest. If they are concerned about the portion size of a dish, let them know how big it is. If they are concerned about the ingredients, let them know what is in it. If they are concerned about the price you can always offer to bring them something else.
Do not argue with the guest or try to convince them that they are wrong. This will only push them further away and make them angry. Remember that you are there to help them and provide great service. With a little practice this will become second nature to you. Practice Makes Perfect Like most things in life, the more that you practice upselling, the easier that it will become. Make sure that you practice regularly to help the process become more natural. Practice different scenarios so you will be prepared for anything.
Also, make sure that you share your successful suggestions with your coworkers so everyone can learn from each other. Consistency is the key so make sure that everyone is using the same suggestions. This will help maximize the amount of revenue that you are able to bring in using these simple suggestions.
