How About A Bottle Of Wine?
I am amazed at how many people are or used to be waiters or waitresses. It seems the name of the game in the restaurant business is to "turn tables" quickly. Therefore, some people say that they would rather not spend time selling a dessert when they could move the people out and move in new people. While this is true I guess I have a bit of greed in me, in that I actually want it all. I want to move the tables quickly and maximize every possible selling opportunity.
There are basically two methodologies in order to maximize a selling opportunity whether it be in a restaurant or on a selling floor. Those two ways are to add-on (desserts) or to bump them up (selling a bottle of wine rather than just a glass). Bumping up a sale would be selling them higher quality goods or a higher quantity of goods. An example would be to sell an order of shrimp to go with the steak dinner the customer ordered. Selling appetizers, or ala carte selections with the main meal would be methods of bumping up a sale in the restaurant business.
In the jewelry industry one would bump up a sale by selling a platinum head setting for a ring, rather than a white gold head. Selling a VCR with four-heads rather than a two-head VCR in the electronics business. Selling higher quality clothing that is going to get more wearing time and thus cost less per each wearing in the apparel business. You get the point. Every industry has its bump-ups or the ability to increase the quality or quantity of the sale.
The best salespeople want it all. Sell the additional goods or bump them up by selling higher quality goods. Don't be happy simply selling the steak and potato when the customer would really love to share a bottle of wine, enjoy a shrimp cocktail, or have the onions and mushrooms added to the steak. It is all a customer service to add-on and bump up your sales. Let the customer decide by asking the questions and giving the options. In other words it's not just the dessert, it's all the other stuff in between as well that maximizes each selling opportunity.
FINAO -
Brad Huisken is President, IAS Training and has been in sales since 1971. Since that time he has been directly involved in all aspects of Sales and Sales Management. His experience and knowledge have enabled him to author the book I'm a Salesman! Not a Ph.D. In addition he has developed several sales and sales management seminars for his company, IAS Training, and authors a weekly newsletter, "Sales Insight."
