How to Sell Johnny’s Specialty Desserts

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!

The Feel, Felt, Found Method – Canned Empathy

Struggling with relationship selling? Then stop serving your customers instant empathy from a can!

Customer: I really don’t think I can afford this right now.

Salesperson: I completely understand how you “feel” about spending money. Others have “felt” the same way when they were considering this purchase too. What they have “found” is that it gets easier to work the monthly payment into their budget over time…

And then WHAM! On to the closing question!

Gag reflex fully engaged

Here’s my problem with the feel, felt, found method. If you learned this . . . ahem, “selling technique” under the premise that using it somehow demonstrates empathy toward the customer . . . you wasted your money on that seminar.

Folks, let’s get serious here for a minute. Using the tired old canned feel, felt, found method in response to a customer’s objection is about as empathetic as marching into a funeral home crowded with total strangers, walking directly up to the most distraught person standing closest to the casket and saying, “I am really sorry about your loss.” No you’re not.

Nothing about this objection-handling response even remotely resembles the use of empathy. In fact, it’s not a selling technique at all, it’s a tactic. And, in its purest form, let’s just call it what it really is—manipulation.

The promise of “that” seminar

Often touted to be a useful tool for creating rapport, establishing harmony, and building trust with the customer, the feel, felt, found, response to an objection really does none of the above. From a psychological perspective, it does only one thing. It temporarily redirects (manipulates) the customer’s attention away from their expressed concern. The operative word here is temporarily.

When sales are closed using tactics designed to circumvent rather than address objections, after the fact, customers often feel that they were pressured into making a purchase. And having felt that way before, many have found that they feel better the minute they cancel the agreement.

(Now truthfully, how did that feel—a bit manipulative on my part perhaps?)

Genuine empathy is a good thing

Make no mistake about it, interacting with genuine empathy throughout the sales process is a good thing. Responding to an objection with genuine empathy (rather than the canned variety) is a very powerful trust-building component, one that will substantially increase the probability that you will make the sale, and do so in a manner in which the customer feels exceptionally good about the decision they made.

So then, what does genuine empathy look like?

The essence of genuine empathy is found in listening

In his classic work, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, Steven R. Covey begins the discussion on empathic communication by saying, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” When a customer raises an objection, in the spirit of Dr. Covey, why not seek first to understand by asking for more information?

Customer: I really don’t think I can afford this right now.

Salesperson: I know from personal experience, it seems like it’s never a good time to spend money . . . tell me a little bit more about your situation.

If you really want to create rapport, establish harmony, and build trust with your customer, begin by asking them to “tell you more” when they raise an objection. Once the concern is fully understood, you will be in a far better position to offer the right solution and ultimately, make the sale.

By the way, as for the feel, felt, found response—better check the expiration date on the bottom of that can. Serving it up as instant empathy will leave a bad taste in your customer’s mouth.