Sell More

“Winners and Champions focus on the revenue generating side of the business.”

We are finally reviewing the fifth value of H5H.  Can you recite all five?  Has anything changed in the way you operate your business?  Have you shared these values with team members?

The main reason that our servers, bartenders and cashiers don’t sell is because they are lousy sales people.  They think they were hired to be order takers.  They don’t ask the guest to buy.  They don’t know how to say thank you. They don’t live by the mantra “just be nice”. They don’t know our menu.  They don’t know anything about their competition.  They don’t have proper training or follow up. They aren’t even held responsible by their managers for lousy results.  Remember “take responsibility” from three weeks ago?  If your sales suck, it’s because you suck.

The bible says, “ye have not because ye ask not.”  The Bible is absolutely correct.  You aren’t selling because you aren’t asking enough.  Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask.  Many people will be glad to buy if you ask.  Find out what people want and then give them more of it.  Find out what they don’t want and don’t give them any of that.  That’s what it really takes to sell more: just find out what they want and sell it to them.  The problem is that we don’t always know what they want.  So then what?  Find out what they want.  You know how to find out what people want?  ASK!  Become a master asker!

Sell more of what you have!  We don’t run out of diet pepsi, we sell out!  We don’t run out of Bison Goulash, we sell out!  We don’t run out of chicken tenders, we sell out (well maybe not last week)!  We don’t run out of Manicotti, we sell out!  Selling doesn’t cost, it pays!  Watching costs obsessively is important. PERIOD!   Watching how and what you purchase is critical too.  But we don’t make money buying products, inventorying what we have on shelves, sending a team member home because it’s slow or “powering down” our equipment, we make money selling.

Profits can be made by producing what customers want or by making customers want what you are producing.  Loss is anything that keeps you from being profitable.  Profit is generated by minimizing costs and maximizing sales.

“If you’re not out selling, you’re being outsold” – Bill Coban

H5H ACTION STEPS (teach our servers/bartenders how to earn more):

1. SMILE:  The first detail to master is the way you present yourself to the world. Over 80 percent of a person’s perception of you comes from the interpretation of body language. Smiling is the best way to make a good first impression with your guest as well as creating an atmosphere at the table that will provide a good experience throughout their meal.  Tell our servers and bartenders to remember, most of the time their tip depends on the guest’s perception of them and how they treat them, so serve them with a smile.
2. POSTURE: Let’s face it, if a person just wanted to eat food or drink beer, they could find it much cheaper at the local grocery store than what most restaurants are charging. The reason people are willing to pay so much for their meal is mainly for the experience while dining out. With this in mind, no one wants to see their server walk over to the table looking slouched over like they’re depressed. This can ruin a guest’s experience. Hold your head up, straighten your back.  Along with smiling, a good display of your posture and walking with purpose, rather than hanging out in the server station, will help sell more.
3. MAKE EYE CONTACT: This is a short and simple tip. Guests do not want to talk to someone who looks like their focus is on other things. Use yourself as an example. When you are talking to someone, what kind of perception will you have of that person if they never look at you? The guests are usually going to interpret this kind of behavior as someone who is not interested in meeting their dining needs.
4. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE: Guests need us to help them figure out what they want. In order to keep up with this challenge, it is imperative to know what you are talking about and understand the menu. Study the menu, know the most popular appetizers, know the names of the cookies in the deli (TOI), know the new craft beers on tap (Stone Balloon), know the order of heat in the sauces (BWW) and know the ingredients of the drinks at the bar.
5. MAKE A PERSONAL CONNECTION:  Something that guests love more than anything is to come into an establishment where they are familiar with the staff and vice versa. Every guest is a potential regular. What that means is that every person who comes through those doors and sits at a table to eat has the potential to come back again, and possibly ask for the same server again. It is up to our servers and bartenders whether or not a guest will return. This means learn their name, learn what kind of food they like to eat, and find out a little about who they are without being too intrusive. If we learn who a person is, and show them that we are interested in more than just their money, they will respond positively.

It really comes down to selling yourself.  The best way to sell yourself is to be yourself, without pretense, with sincerity and enthusiasm. Selling more is more than being able to wish, plan, talk, convince, promise and persuade. Selling more belongs to those who want to …..

Lead The Way!