🍸 TRL Weekly: Start Small Talk & Build Connections

Your weekly lesson and tactical reminders inside.

July 14, 2024

Happy Sunday, future server/bartender millionaire.

In today’s lesson Brandon teaches us how to start small talk and build connections.

Our Last Three Weekly Lessons:

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

Today at a Glance:

  • Weekly Lesson: Start Small Talk & Build Connections

  • Tactical Reminders: Your Video Lessons

🍸 Weekly Lesson:
Start The Small Talk & Build Connections

A huge mistake that I see so many servers make is waiting for the guest to start the small talk.

You should be making it personable and fun instead of waiting for them to do it!

Our previous newsletter lesson talked about starting with a compliment.

This is a great way to start the small talk from the very beginning.

But you also will have to keep it going or make small talk in different ways.

4 important things to make guests open up to you…

1 - Smile. Be happy!

Guests don’t want to talk to someone who doesn’t want to be there.

2 - LISTEN!

Head nod and make eye contact while smiling.

You can also subtly repeat things they say and repeat their orders back to them.

3 - Get EXCITED and ENTHUSIASTIC!

When a guest asks a question, you should be thrilled and want to help them.

A lot of servers get annoyed or act annoyed when they get questions…!

4 - Ask them more questions!

Remember: It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM!

Anytime you want to start small talk, just ask the guest a question or give them a small compliment.

Small talk should always be during a time where they are not eating and not really talking amongst themselves too much.

Some tables NEVER stop talking amongst themselves which is fine.

You don’t have to small talk with every table for a long period of time.

Sometimes it can be short and sweet.

Also, never be afraid to connect with a table that's not even your table!

These regulars come back OFTEN and they will remember you!

Your first impression is insanely powerful and when it's not your table and you make a great first impression, it actually weighs a lot!

The reason for this is because they don’t expect it at all.

Maybe you are dropping off food and you just give a small compliment.

Or you are passing by and manicure their table, smile and make a quick joke.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

  1. Smile -  How important SMILING is -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  2. Glassware Handling - Derek’s Glassware Handling! -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

  3. Connecting with Guests!- Jess - Table touches -

    Video Lesson: Click here.

That’s all for week sixteen.

See you next week,

The Restaurant Launch Team