🍸 TRL Weekly: Selling More “Specials”

Happy Sunday, owners and servers!

In today’s lesson Brandon is teaching us how to sell more specials.

Our Last Three Lessons:

• Fix Your Verbiage - Read More.

• Sell 2nd And 3rd Drinks - Read More.

• The Silent Killer - Read More.

You can read the rest of the past weekly lessons here.

Today at a Glance:

• Weekly Lesson: How To Sell More “Specials”

• Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons + Announcement

🍸 Weekly Lesson:
How To Sell More “Specials”

First things first: Lets change “SPECIALS” to “FEATURES”.

This allows you to put items that are on the regular menu into your spiels!

It also doesn’t make it seem like these options are better than the menu, but rather that they are just being featured for the table.

Now that we made that change, even if you don’t have features, you should still be acting like you do.

You can do this by simply listing menu items that are amazing!

This is the one time I want you to list some of your FAVORITES or POPULAR items.

Here is the best way to SELL FEATURES:

First time at the table - took their drink order - before you go, say this:

Server - “And START THINKING ABOUT our (list 2-3 starters then list and describe the entrees). I’ll give you time!” [LEAVE THE TABLE]

Go back with their drinks and say this to get a starter order:

Server - “Which starter are we sharing? The baked clams, oysters, calamari?” (List 3+ starters for them)

Come back when its time to get entree order and say this:

Server - “What questions did you have for me?” OR “What questions did you have about the features? Which one sounded good?”

Second way to SELL FEATURES:

First time at the table - took their drink order - before you go, say this:

Server - “Start thinking about (list 3 apps and DON'T LIST ENTREE FEATURES YET).

Go back with their drinks and say this to get a starter order:

Server - “Which starter are you going with? The baked clams, oysters, calamari..? (List 3+ starters for them)

Get starter order then say (Could also flip the order - For example say entrees then take full order):

Server - “Calamari, got it. And for entree features, tell me which one you’re interested in and I can tell you more. We have Short Rib, Halibut and a Skirt Steak. (Look at one person and say) Which one do you wanna hear more about?”

• I only do this for 2-3 tops

The last method is great for servers who feel like they are annoying the guest for talking about the features for so long.

I love to find ways to make it interactive and more of a dialogue instead of a monologue when I feel like this.

A great way to do this is by asking questions in the middle of your descriptions.

The questions could be as simple as saying: “Do you like…?”.

So lets say I’m describing a skirt steak with chimichurri special.

I could say something like: “Our feature today is a 8 oz Grilled Skirt Steak with a Chimichurri, do you like chimichurri?” “Yea!, “Yea, okay perfect! and it comes with roasted potatoes! Do you want to go with that or something different?”

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

1. Selling Specials - Brandon Specials -

   Video: Click here.

2. Annoying Guests - Jess dealing with Karens

   Video Lesson: Click here.

3. Ace of Service!- Jess -

   Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week forty six.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team

PS - When you’re ready, here are 2 ways we can help:

1) Servers - Unseen Service Training: Raise your tips by $500 a week using these 106 Lessons that will get your Sales and Service to the Top Level

2) Owners - FOH Service Training (Advanced): How To Predictably Raise Your Sales By 10-20% in 56 Days By Getting Your Service To The Next Level!