Top Tips – How to sell more
1. Merchandising
Or, in other words, ‘silent’ selling. Research says that 81% of women don’t know what they
want to drink when they walk into a bar so give them a visually appealing display that will
sell your more profitable items.
Your merchandising is most effective at the right hand side of the customer’s field of vision
and it should in any case be within 3 to 7 feet of the ground. Think about the route that
customers approach the bar, including using pillars and table tops as points of display. The
ladies’ and gents’ toilets are very effective places to display bar and food marketing
material.
The back of your bar requires the most thought. It is where everyone will look and so any
displays of trophies, postcards, memorabilia etc should be removed in favour of displays
that will sell your high GP food and drink.
2. Ask open questions
When customers approach the bar, make eye contact and ask the customer what they
would like e.g.
“What can I get you to drink? Draught beer, bottled beer, our house wine or something
softer?”
“Looking for something to cool you down/warm you up?”
“How about an ice cold drink?”
‘How hungry are you?’
Never say ‘do you want….?’
3. Recommend
Suggest what you think would be a good option based on the customer’s situation and/or
your specials and promotions. Offer snacks to accompany drinks, suggest a large glass of
wine rather than a small, recommend cake to accompany the coffee.
4. Be aware
When glasses are empty or nearly finished, suggest a top up. If it’s close to lunchtime, ask
if you can bring the lunch menu over. At the end of a meal, offer coffees.
5. Clear away glasses and plates
Once you can see that your customer has finished their meal or their drink, clear away the
debris because your simple act of removing the finished glasses or crockery will often stir
customers into asking for more. It also helps free up tables for new customers.
6. Use props
Menus, photo boards and blackboards help to sell food and drink. Approach tables armed
with your props so that you can talk the customer through the options or leave the menu
card with them for browsing whilst they decide.
7. Offers
Use offers to sell more food and drink. Ensure they are sufficiently well marketed and
make the offer attractive enough to encourage purchase. Offers are typically around
portion size (get a main size pasta for the price of the starter size), discounting (reduced
from £6.95 to £4.95), grouping items (two main meals for the price of one), time (if you
order before 6.30pm), quantity (for parties of 5 or more...).
Make sure you do your maths and make offers that cost you little but provide value to the
customer. In the main, straightforward discounting will be the last approach you should
try as the difference in price will come directly off your P&L.
8. Specials
Use a specials board both in the restaurant and the bar. Using specials can increase orders
by up to 20%. Customers order more if the specials are written down rather than just
recited by the waiting team – no idea why, I guess it’s to do with customers who don’t like
being overtly sold to!
9. When you’re busy
Catch the customer’s eye and acknowledge their presence even if you can’t get there
straight away. At a bar put a beer mat or serviette in front of the customer as this indicates
their turn/place and pacifies a customer who doesn’t like to wait. Similarly in a restaurant
situation, drop off menus and bread if you offer it.
10. Engage the children
Where there are children in a group, make a suggestion to them about what they might
have – maybe a milk shake or a smoothie so as not to annoy the parents. Bring their food
and drinks first and make sure their needs are catered for. Happy children mean happy
parents!
11. Introduce themes
For example, chocolate week (or maybe month! Thwaites make a nice chocolate beer),
curry nights, cup cake afternoons, Mexican fortnight etc. These can run throughout the bar
and restaurant operation with themed drinks to accompany the meals.
Marketing, merchandising and consistency will be important here.
12. Maximise the selling times
Don’t just offer lunch and dinner, introduce breakfast, brunch and afternoon tea. It will
mean extending your operating hours but the increase in profits will pay for the rise in
costs.