You're managing a restaurant team. How can you teach them to upsell without being pushy?

I combine 4/5 in one lesson. By showing the math of placement of one item on each table every day, times the 20% tip it provides results in an average of $2500 increase in income. Then extrapolate that times multiple items. For instance, through suggestive selling and product knowledge you place an app on every table, or soup/salad. Extra round of drinks or dessert. Now get all of those things down and you’re looking at $7500-$10k a year increase in income. Did someone say, bottles of wine? By showing the benefit of upselling through product knowledge and increased guest satisfaction resulting in personal gain, I e been able to increase revenue and guest satisfaction while increasing team loyalty and personal profitability.

ALWAYS doing your HOMEWORK in knowing your product !You can make suggestions if you know EVERYTHING from beverage to dessert Make your best first impression by your introduction to your customers Get to know them ask questions first time diners , repeat diners ? Know what wine to suggest with what they are ordering or ask what their favorite wine selection is! Suggest your favorite appetizers and why they are your favorites! The same goes with dinner suggestions and mention one fabulous dessert! Make it a memorable dinner and tell them how much you enjoyed them and they will ask for you next time they come in!! Build your customer base !

Additional strategies to consider: *Personalized Recommendations: If you have a loyalty program or POS system, use customer data to personalize recommendations. For example, if a customer frequently orders a specific dish, suggest a complementary appetizer or dessert. * Offer tasting samples: If possible, offer customers small samples of premium items to let them experience the difference firsthand. Train Your Staff * Provide ongoing training: Offer ongoing training, role playing,and coaching to ensure your team stays up-to-date on menu changes and upselling strategies. When these suggestions are implemented, you can increase your average order value without being pushy or compromising customer satisfaction.

To upsell without being pushy, train your team to enhance the guest experience naturally. Upselling starts at the host stand and continues throughout the dining process. When greeting guests, ask if they’ve visited before. If not, it’s a great time to mention popular items. As the experience moves to the server, practice suggestive selling by making recommendations a natural part of conversations, like suggesting a dessert after the main course. Set realistic expectations, knowing not every upsell will work. Reward and recognize staff who excel at this to encourage a positive, proactive approach.

Leverage AI to get a deep understanding on what previous customers who have ordered the same menu items have been successfully upsold

Some easily recognized cues should allow you to crack your guest's Body Language Code: * Positive cues: Look for positive body language signals, such as smiling, nodding, or leaning forward, which can indicate that the customer is engaged and receptive to suggestions. * Negative cues: Be aware of negative body language signals, such as crossing arms or looking away, which may suggest that the customer is not interested or feeling pressured.

I have found Scenario-Based Training to be highly effective. A variety of realistic scenarios that reflect different customer types, preferences, and objections are developed. This will help employees practice their upselling skills in a wide range of situations. and experiences. To keep your team enthusiastic about training introduce Gamification! Gamify your training sessions by introducing friendly competitions or role-playing challenges. This can make learning more engaging and effective.