Johnny’s Bistro is a fabulous little restaurant, somehow hidden away in plain view on Main Street, right in the middle of Historic Downtown Ellicott City, Maryland.
Besides the fact that this place would make a great place to visit between sales calls, there actually is a more direct relationship between Johnny’s Bistro and making the most out of your next selling opportunity—and that correlation begins with my daughter, and yes . . . Johnny’s specialty desserts.
My daughter Kelsey recently began working for Johnny as a member of his small staff of “do just about everything” restaurant employees. Along with instantly beaming smiles at customers as they enter, finding them the best available seat in the house, cheerfully ringing up their lunch or dinner orders, and promptly delivering Johnny’s exceptionally prepared food to the table, she is also charged with the responsibility of making sure that the patrons are enjoying . . . well, everything.
One evening last week, as I picked her up after work, she jumped into the car and said, “Dad, you’re a really good salesperson. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can sell more desserts at work?” After the initial shock wore off (. . . my daughter was actually asking me for advice?!), I asked her to tell me more. She explained that the restaurant staff in general felt awkward about promoting desserts, and went on to explain that the problem had to do with the bistro’s system for waiting on tables.
The bistro’s system
After being greeted and seated, the customer is handed the regular menu as the wait person introduces the “specialty of the day” selections. After making their decision, in the style of European bistro service, a brief visit to the “ordering window” is required, where the customer pays for their selection and then returns to their table. The staff attentively handles everything else from here, in the manner of traditional restaurant table service. However, because the customer has already paid “up front” for their selection, of course, there is no final check delivered when they finish the meal.
So, what makes promoting desserts around Johnny’s so awkward in the minds of the staff? After a few more questions and answers, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.
It appeared that the staff was collectively deciding for their customers that ordering dessert after the meal is an imposition, because it requires a second trip to the window to order and pay for their sweet selection. Given this misguided perception, the staff often did little more than passively talk about the dessert options, and sometimes, they would even “forget” to mention anything at all about it to the customers.
Now that the picture was clear, I gave my daughter the following suggestion.
A father’s advice to his daughter
It is not your job to decide on behalf of the customer whether or not they should order dessert. If you don’t promote the desserts, then in effect, you are making the decision to skip it for them. You have a responsibility to ensure that every patron that walks through the door of the restaurant has the opportunity to make their own decision about ordering dessert. It’s the right thing to do for Johnny’s business, and most importantly, it’s the right thing to do for Johnny’s customers.
Here’s what I suggested that my daughter might say to her customers before they finish their entrées:
It’s my job to let you know about the really great specialty desserts we’re offering today, and I want to make sure that I do my job well. So, in a few minutes, I’ll stop back and go over the tempting options with you. In the meantime, is everyone enjoying their entrée? Is there anything that I could bring to you at this time?
Introducing the concept of dessert before the customer finishes their meal will remove any feeling of awkwardness when she later approaches them to describe the options in more detail. Not only will the customer be expecting to hear more about the specialty desserts when she returns, but they will also be interested in helping her to “do her job well” by attentively listening.
So, what is the secret to selling more desserts at Johnny’s Bistro? It’s simple. Give each customer the opportunity to make their own decision about making another trip to the ordering window.
What do the specialty desserts at Johnny’s Bistro have to do with professional selling?
Actually, the principles for successfully selling more desserts around the bistro and successfully selling more products and services to your customers are identical. Every day, countless makeable sales are left “on the table” because the salesperson didn’t introduce some option, product, or service for the customer’s consideration.
Now, sounding suspiciously similar to the advice I gave to my daughter . . .
An expert’s advice to salespeople
It is not your job to decide on behalf of the customer whether or not they should buy your products or services. If you don’t promote specific options, then in effect, you are making the decision not to buy for them. You have a responsibility to ensure that every prospect you meet with has the opportunity to make their own decision about buying your products or services. It’s the right thing to do for your company, and most importantly, it’s the right thing to do for your customers.
Here’s what I suggest that you say to your customers before making a formal presentation:
It’s my job to let you know about the exceptional products and services that our company is offering, and I want to make sure that I do my job well. So, in order to fulfill my responsibility to you, I will make sure that you have a complete overview of the products that we have available. Before I begin, do you have any questions?
Letting your prospect know what they can expect before you begin the presentation is essential to making the most out of your next selling opportunity. It is an important step in the trust-building process, one that immediately communicates respect for their intelligence, and signals that you will protect their right of selection as you introduce your products and services.
And, your customers will also help you to “do your job well” by listening more attentively!
A rhetorical digestif
It’s true. After enjoying one of Johnny’s many incredible entrees, I may not be thinking about ordering dessert—that is . . . until my daughter describes Johnny’s signature lemon zest infused crème brûlée dessert one more time. That’s about all it would take to send me bolting back up to the window!
