A simple, relatively normal thing occurred while in the drive-through at Del Taco with my boyfriend the other day. After placing our semi-high maintenance food order, the person taking my order, in a forced monotone voice, unenthusiastically asks, “Would you like to add our new blah, blah, blah for dessert?” All my sweet-tooth-driven ears heard was “dessert” and I wanted something sugary to complete my four-course drive-through meal. My boyfriend asked if I wanted the donut thing they were trying to push, but I ended up going with a churro. As we received our food, my boyfriend told the server, “Good job on the upsell.” In which we received the same unenthusiastic “thank you” in reply. This all led to a discussion about suggestive selling, how easy it is, how to do it correctly, and how beneficial it is. Of course, this Del Taco drive-through upsell experience did not meet our standards of how to do it correctly, but it worked!
Easy-Peasy
Both my boyfriend and I have sales and hospitality
backgrounds and understand how easy suggestive selling can be. All you must do is suggest and ask. It is not
difficult to do; it is just words coming out of your mouth. Literally, by suggesting
and asking you will receive one of two answers, “yes” or “no.” One answer
results in a sale; the other in a few seconds of your time that did not result
in a sale, but may have reminded or brought attention to the guest of a service
or amenity that is offered at your establishment.
Of course, it is the “no’s” that discourage one from
this repetitive cycle of suggesting. Often
employees, especially seasoned employees, may find suggestive selling tedious
and unproductive. Eventually, this will lead to not even trying to suggestive
sell.
So how do you overcome the difficulty of the
discouragement and repetitiveness of upselling? Firstly, employees need to have
proper training on how to effectively
sell suggestively. With proper training, the success rate will increase. During
training, prepare your employees for the barrage of negative responses they
will be receiving. Many server and front
desk employees may not have experience with the nature of sales and preparing them
for this is beneficial. Secondly, an
employer must encourage and, in some cases, incentivize employees to suggestive
sell. As a server in a restaurant, an
upsell results in a higher check and possibly a higher tip, which is an incentive. In the hotel and lodging
industry and fast food industry, most front desk and fast food restaurant employees
do not get a tip for successfully upgrading a guest to a more expensive room or
selling them that extra churro. By
offering an incentive this will encourage employees to remember to persevere
through the “no’s,” even if it is just motivated by the incentive.
If You are Going to do
it, Do it Right
My
Del Taco drive-through churro upsell experience was not exactly how suggestive
selling should be done. He got the
concept right, ASK. However, the
execution was all wrong. There needs to
be excitement and engagement in your voice when you are attempting to suggest
an item, service, or amenity for purchase. If you make that ocean view room or strawberry shortcake dessert sound
just so-so, then it will not entice the guest.
Read the guest's body language and verbal cues. If they seemed rushed or annoyed, make your
suggestions concise. If the guest seems
engaged, take this cue to suggest with a more detailed, enticing
description. If you are interacting with
your guest in person, your body language is important as well. When suggesting smile and use an upbeat tone
while speaking. When asking if they
would like to add or upgrade, slightly nod your head while asking. This type of body language on your part will
increase your success.
The Benefits
From a business position, successful upselling
increases sales and revenues. To
increase profits, a business must lower costs or increase sales; upselling is a
cost-effective way to do this. From a
consumer standpoint, upselling increases customer satisfaction and loyalty
through customization and personalization of the experience.
As an employee or employer, what are some techniques
you have implemented to increase suggestive selling that has been effective? Tell us about a time you most successfully used suggestive
selling to increase a sale in a hospitality setting.
About the Author
Nicole Lee is currently a junior at Cal Poly Pomona Collins
College of Hospitality Management with a focus on event
management. She is currently working with
a small event coordinator, bartending for Wedgewood Weddings and Events, and
for a mobile bartending service, all of which allow her to gain experience from
exposure to a wide array of events. She enjoys hiking, white water rafting, paddling boarding, and spending time with
friends and family. Nicole would love a
career in events that allows her to create special memories for others while
fulfilling her passion to travel.
Note: The picture was download from https://therestaurantexpert.com/tips-for-upselling-success/
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