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To Sell is to Serve, To Serve is to Sell
In the restaurant business, service and sales go hand in hand. To sell is to serve, and to serve is to sell. The problem is that many restaurant servers are afraid to “sell.” They don’t want to seem pushy or insincere. Usually, this is because the word “sell” conjures...
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To Sell is to Serve, To Serve is to Sell
In the restaurant business, service and sales go hand in hand. To sell is to serve, and to serve is to sell. The problem is that many restaurant servers are afraid to “sell.” They don’t want to seem pushy or insincere. Usually, this is because the word “sell” conjures...
Recent Articles
Bubbling Over: Train Servers to Sell More Champagne
There's no wrong time to sell wine and champagne, and there's no better time than the holiday season. Historically, the majority of U.S. wine and champagne sales are made during the winter holiday season. But if you wait until the busy season to train your waitstaff...
Understaffed? How to Keep Guests Happy
It’s Saturday night and the place is hopping. The only people who aren't moving are two servers who never showed up. Dishes are piling up, and guests are looking around hoping to be noticed by someone. What can you do to keep guests happy when your restaurant is...
What Is Your Invisible Product?
Have you ever stopped to think about what “service” really means? Put simply, restaurant service is the manner in which the guest is treated. It’s a thing more often felt than seen. It’s a bit of a magic act, an illusion, a perceived value that accompanies the...
Improve Restaurant Service to Clock-Watchers
As more people return to working in the office, many full-service restaurants are finally experiencing a lunch rush again. Lunch-hour guests are often watching the clock carefully, and that requires a unique level of service. Are you and your staff prepared to get the...
The Service and Sales Connection in Restaurant Profitability
You are in the business of serving customers, right? Well… sort of. While it’s true that your restaurant can’t be successful without delivering exceptional service, if that service doesn’t also generate sales, you’re not going to last long. If you want to increase...
What’s Your Relationship Status?
Love is in the air this time of year, but is it in your restaurant? It should be, at least when it comes to you and your guests. Guest relationships don’t have to be complicated. Check out these three simple steps you and your staff can take to have successful,...
You Can’t Sell What You Don’t Know
Your servers probably don’t realize this, but they have the easiest sales job in the world. Salespeople in other industries have to spend time convincing customers that they really do want to buy something. That step is already done for your servers -- guests come in...
Enjoy Sweet Success with Increased Dessert Sales
Whoever said, "Life is short, eat dessert first" was probably on to something. Unfortunately, though, most of your guests don't walk into the restaurant ready to take that advice. Dessert sales can be hard to come by, but it doesn't have to be that way. Implement...
Four-Step Plan to Stay Out of the Weeds
It starts slowly. Unassuming. Quietly. Then, “The Rush” comes. And suddenly, no one is safe. Not your calmest manager or your newest waitress. It slices deep into waitstaff morale and cuts deeper into restaurant profits. It increases blood pressure, tempers, stress,...
Top Traits All Great Salespeople Have (And Where They’re Hiding in Your Operation)
It’s easy to recognize a salesperson, right? It’s that extrovert server who loves sales contests. Or, it’s that steady pro who comes in early to find out how the chef prepares the specials. Or, it might be the host who keeps asking for a chance. They're friendly, but...
Types of Selling for Restaurant Servers
The basis of any restaurant training program aimed at increasing sales must first cover the basic types of selling. Take a look: Upselling is enhancing an item already ordered (such as “up-sizing” a value meal or a draft beer, or adding cheese and guacamole to a...
It’s Time to Manage the Wait
Time is the one thing we all need more of, right? That's true for our guests, too. Make sure your restaurant service training includes teaching your staff to serve guests' time needs. Keeping the meal going at a steady pace is what most guests are looking for, and...
