Suggestive selling for higher earnings

If your restaurant servers don't seem to have the knack for suggestive selling, maybe you need to do your own sales pitch, plus some training, to implement this valuable service skill. By Elizabeth Johnson

The first step should be to find out why servers aren't using suggestive selling techniques in their interactions with guests. Is it too much to do more than simply take the guest's order? Do they feel uncomfortable or presumptuous making suggestions to guests? Are they unsure about which menu items go best with which other selections? Do they know why suggestive selling is a good idea?

They may feel that suggestive selling is just a pushy way for the restaurant to make more money. In one sense, they are right, but it may help to point out to them that a restaurant is a profit-making business, and if the restaurant isn't profitable, then they won't have a place to work. Point out the other obvious benefit to your servers: if guest bills are higher, their tips will also be higher. A little extra effort on the attendant’s part can mean extra money in their pocket.

Suggestive selling also benefits guests. Far from being pushy, suggestive selling can help unsure guests make a decision, bring to their attention menu items they might have overlooked, and introduce guests to new selections they may enjoy. Show servers how suggestive selling can enhance the guests' enjoyment and create a more memorable dining experience. Suggestive selling can also be a way of showing empathy to guests. If a guest has specific dietary requirements (low-fat, vegetarian, food allergies), the server should be able and willing to suggest dishes on the menu that will meet the guest's needs. If guests are in a hurry (for instance, during a lunch hour), suggesting items that can be prepared quickly will earn you the guest's gratitude and their return business.

Of course, servers won't be able to make suggestions confidently if they don't have a strong working knowledge of the menu. As part of server training, make sure that all staff have the opportunity to sample menu items, review ingredient lists, and if possible, observe dishes being prepared. Review definitions of cooking terms. Do servers know how to describe grilling, broiling, poaching, etc? Can they describe the different sauces and spices used to prepare various items? Do they know where products come from? (Is the lamb from New Zealand or America? What ocean did the fish last swim in?)

Practice suggestive selling during shift meetings or training sessions with games and contests. For instance, have the servers 'build the perfect meal' by naming an entrée on your menu and having each server in turn name one item they would recommend to accompany that entrée. Keep going until no one can think of anything else to suggest. Or try this: give menu items point values, group servers into teams, and have each team suggest appetisers, entrees, side dishes, beverages, and desserts to create a meal for an imaginary guest. The team with the highest point value wins. Review each team's suggestions and discuss why certain menu items should (or should not) be suggested with others.

When servers have the knowledge to become confident salespeople instead of just order-takers, they'll discover that their job is far more interesting as they take an active role in helping guests have a memorable experience. They'll be 'sold' on the benefits of suggestive selling.

The author is from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute