Sales Tactics
It requires a little practise, but this very under-used sales tactic is one of the most potent ones in the system we teach; people buy stories much easier than they buy a product pitch.
As effective as this concept can be, it loses its charm the more you use it. Once or twice is good, but three, four times or more and you turn into some weirdo who just loves the sound of your own voice - there’s usually one or two of those in every business. And please don’t turn around in a tight section and give the tables on either side of you exactly the same stories! Cringe.
So where do you get these stories from? Well for wines, they either come in the tasting notes, or from the Sommellier or wine rep; remember them. For the food, again from the tasting notes or perhaps the chef or the product website. If you decide to use ones from your own life, be selective; no-one wants you to get too personal at the table. A well-run business will consistently be providing you all this info to have in your holster for the right time. Remember to use it selectively, and grow your repertoire.
Now they don’t need to be long; they just need to be good. No-one gives a crap about the centuries-long history of shiraz or the way they cloned the 114 pinot strain or something overly classroom-sounding. But talk about the bushfires that burnt the property to the ground and that this wine was made from grapes graciously donated by other local winemakers to help salvage the company and, as testimony to the winemaking talent, it’s still reminiscent of the normal house style – now that’s enaging.
Tactics That Work
At a venue I managed they had a kingfish sashimi entree. It was a signature dish that enjoyed a ten-year tenure on the menu. And although the quality of the kingfish was superb (Hiramasa) it was the lemon oil it was dressed with that really stole the show. It came from the Amalfi Coast in Italy where they’re famous for growing the most spectacular lemons in the world and making incredible oils, limoncello etc. Say that to a customer and their mind goes to that time they were on holiday there, or if they haven’t been there it sounds like some paradise and eludes to the chef’s immense effort to import it all the way over here. When that was the story to sell the dish, the guests would order it almost every time. And when they ate it you could see them look at each other, nod and go into these orgasmic convulsions; it was crazy. Was it really that good? No. If we didn’t mention it would anyone ask what it was or mention it in their reviews etc? Probably not. But when we put it on a pedestal like that, people became convinced it was going to be amazing before they even tasted it – and when they did it moved them as a unique and amazing experience they could enjoy, share amongst their table and more importantly, remember and talk about later on. Because they weren’t just tasting lemon; they were tasting a holiday, a memory, an aspirational destination and a lifestyle of freedom and Mediterranean sunshine that everyone likes. That’s why it worked.
SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT USING THIS WITH GUESTS
Be selective about what products to use it for; not everything you sell is ‘amazing’
Pick your mark. Not everyone will be receptive but those that are will love it.
Keep the story quick and punchy. No lectures. No useless details.
Find ways to re-word things each time. It’s tiresome to hear someone just regurgitating something.
Only do it when you have time. If your section is sinking, don’t stand there crapping on about lemon oil.
It shouldn’t also be random or arbitrary as to which items get a story. That bit is less up to the server. It should be a considered decision from the business. And yes, I’m talking about each department making lists of which items and why. It should be a tactic used to push the items that work best for the business – because they are better margins or whatever reasoning. It’s a tactic, which means it needs at its core a motivation. That motivation shouldn’t simply be to sell; it should be what to sell.
Build Your Repertoire
Most of us have had that feeling when Dad or Grandpa or whomever launches into that story we’ve all heard 20 times and everyone starts rolling their eyes and looking at each other like ‘Oh Gawd’. Well then, learn from that.
If every time you serve that product you tell that story, then you’re the one everyone will be eye-rolling at. Keep it fresh; change it up. The more you learn about the stuff you’re selling, the more you’ll be able to talk about it - meaningfully.
That doesn’t mean you should be talking about it though, just beacuse you can. We’ll save that concept for another Happy Hour. But the staff member (of course not you) that goes to the table and is there 5 minutes or longer just going on and on and on is not what good service is about. There’s a time and a place and varying degrees to push and pull things - and the best floor staff know this either consciously or intuitively.
See you in the next one!
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WELCOME TO HAPPY HOUR
A chance to pour a glass and unwind with some rants about stuff you’re probably thinking about too.