For example, simply ordering a “rum and coke” doesn’t sound nearly as attractive (or exotic) as calling it a “Cuba Libre.” And you could go one step further, by adding an extra garnish (or two), using special glassware, and naming the drink something completely different, like “Hemingway’s Havana Surprise,” that sounds even more romanticized and special. #4: Use a little branding to make even simple cocktails sound specialĮver wonder why so many bars and restaurants come up with elaborate names for every cocktail they serve? The answer is that a little branding can go a long way. The key, of course, is to give these subtle clues and reminders as close as possible to the point of purchase (such as right on the table, next to the silverware), and not just at the entrance to the establishment. For example, simply highlighting a chalkboard near the bar with special offers and promotions can help to sway a purchase decision at exactly the point of purchase. Thus, you have a lot more flexibility than you might think to influence those decisions. With the exception of beer, most people do not always know what they are going to order when they walk into a restaurant, bar, wine bar or nightclub. #3: Use chalkboards and other signs to advertise premium specials What this means for a server is that the easiest way to increase the size of a drink tab is to find the person at the table most likely to order an expensive, premium drink, and then wait as everyone else follows the lead of that person. Then, there is a much greater likelihood that everyone else will “match” that order. However, the whole dynamic changes considerably if the first place placing an order decides to order a premium cocktail drink. If a server starts taking drink orders, and the first person orders a non-alcoholic drink (such as sparkling water or iced tea), then it is much more likely that everyone else at the table might decide to order a similar type of non-alcoholic drink. This tactic is called “identify the premium purchaser” and it, too, relies on a little human psychology to work. #2: Identify the person who is most likely to order a premium drink The longer you wait, the less likely you are to make the final sale. That’s why the standard rule of thumb is to sell to the person with the empty glass when his or her companion’s glass is as full as possible. But what if the other person’s glass is less than half full? Or, even worse, what if it is nearly empty? It’s going to be a lot harder to make an additional drink sale. If the other person’s glass is two-thirds full, they will probably conclude that they have plenty of time to order a second drink and finish it by the time the other person has completed his or her drink. If there are two or more people at a table, the person with the empty glass will inevitably look at the glasses of the other person (or other people) at the table and perform an incredibly quick cost-benefit analysis. The reason has a lot to do with human psychology. Getting a customer to order a second drink is almost always a more difficult task than getting the initial order filled. With that in mind, here’s a brief guide to selling more drinks in a bar. In some cases, that means encouraging customers to purchase wine instead of beer, and in other cases, it means getting customers to order specialty cocktails made with premium spirits. For any on-premise establishment, the easiest way to boost bottom-line profitability is by finding unique and creative ways to upsell customers on more expensive drinks.
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