Suggestive selling is a powerful tool that not only drives incremental revenue, but when executed properly it becomes the catalyst for building a dynamic sales culture at your restaurant. While the main component of suggestive selling is simply “asking” for the upsell (i.e. would you like a beverage with that?), just asking isn’t always enough to encourage customers to purchase the additional item.
Instead of just making it routine to ask the question, it is essential for every organization to identify the key factors that make suggestive selling truly effective. Here are two fundamental best practices for empowering employees to increase upselling success:
- How employees “ask” for the sale is CRITICAL
There is a huge difference between “would you like anything else?” OR “did you know that you can add chips and a drink to your order for only $2.00 more?”Employees should be encouraged to customize their suggestive selling proposal based on the customer,the context of the food purchase, and the nature of your food service orientation (i.e. QSR, CSR, Fast Casual or Fine Dining).
- Employees need to be knowledgeable about your products
Employees should be trained on what items compliment entrée selections, so they are equipped to provide suggestions based on the context of each unique situation. A generic upsell may get some customers to upgrade their meal, but a customized suggestion utilizing employees’ product expertise creates a more personalized experience that will not only impress your customers, but more importantly, it is much more likely to result in a successful upselling incident. For example, “A nice merlot goes great with your medium well steak”, is much more effective than, “Would you like a glass of wine with your meal?” Check out this article on restaurant upselling for ideas on what items to suggest.
Although these two fundamentals are rather intuitive, the key is continuous training and implementing a system of reinforcement that will motivate employees and keep them engaged. For more information on suggestive selling programs, check out our post, “5 Tips for Developing and Executing a Successful Suggestive Sell Program”.
