The first installment of this series featured pcAmerica’s take on why suggestive selling is so important for retailers and restaurant operators alike. Now it’s time for some practical suggestive sales training tips. Let’s start with the restaurant side. Based on our own experience and input from the National Restaurant Association, we recommend that servers be taught to:

1. Explain, in a vivid and accurate way, items available on the menu. When customers ask which of your menu items  are “good”, servers should be able to provide some personal recommendations. Most customers favor this approach over being told that “everything”  is good.
2. Use positive language that encourages orders. For example, servers shouldn’t say, “You don’t want wine, do you?” , as this will almost certainly lead to a negative response and a lost sale. Instead, they might ask, “Can I get you a glass of Chardonnay this evening, or perhaps you’d like to try one of our other award-winning wines?”
3. Use additional cues. For instance, rather than asking whether patrons would like a beverage, servers might present the idea of ordering one by asking, “Can I get you a glass of our refreshing raspberry iced tea or freshly squeezed lemonade on this hot day?”
4. Tell, rather than just show. For example, servers shouldn’t simply describe a menu of decadent desserts; bringing a dessert tray or cart to the table so customers can see the decadent choices is much more effective. After all, it is far more difficult for diners to refuse goodies once they’ve seen them up close. In addition, when bringing desserts out to customers, servers can stop along the way at a few other tables to point out the items.

For extra “oomph”, consider establishing an incentive program to reward those servers for outstanding suggestive selling performance. They might receive a commission for selling non-entree items, like appetizers and desserts. Another option:  holding sales contests that reward employees for selling the most of certain menu items

Next up: Teaching retail employees to sell suggestively.

pcAmerica is an award winning retail point of sale and restaurant point of sale systems provider that has been been recognized as an industry leader. For more information regarding point of sale systems and software, visit pcAmerica.com.