Wine Sales 101

Greetings friends!

After spending a decade at a couple of NYC’s top steakhouses, I managed to learn a thing or two. One night, I realized that in virtually every shift, at least 2 of my coworkers would pick my brain on how I managed to always get some great wines down on my tables, so I decided to put together a simple sales tutorial. My teammates found it very helpful, so I figured why not share it with you guys! While it’s geared towards a steakhouse environment, the underlying sales tactics apply universally, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t work in one! Please let us know if there is anything in particular you would like us to cover or any thoughts you have in general. I hope you find this as useful as my coworkers did, and may the Tips ever be in your favor!

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

Vol 1- Coffee is for Closers

One of the most effective ways for a server to increase their check averages, and by extension, their tips,  is to increase wine sales.  Whether it is from 2nd, 3rd and 4th bottle sales, up-selling to a more expensive bottle, or simply suggesting a half bottle rather than a glass, every additional $150 per week in wine sales will lead to an extra $1000+ per year in your pocket. Even if you don’t have the comfort/confidence to swing for the fences with a more expensive bottle, a lateral sale, or suggesting a different bottle at the same price, can lead to better tips through building trust and demonstrating to the guest that you are on their side. Bottom line, wine is often one of the first transactions we have with our guests, so taking advantage of this early opportunity to set the tone is critical.  

Every sale is based on filling a need.  A car salesperson helps its customers fill a need for transportation, bankers help their clients manage their wealth, and as servers, we are providing our guests with a dining experience.  Within all of these relationships lie unique subsets of needs,  and the most successful salespeople are not the ones that can talk the most, but those who can best identify and anticipate the unique needs of their guests/customers/clients, and provide the most effective solution.  

The Greek philosopher Epictetus said “Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak”.  These words prove to be an extremely effective approach to sales (as well as life in general!).  The key to being a successful salesperson is to ask the right questions, and listen to the guests.  Not just their verbal responses, but also to their unspoken statements.  This provides us with the information necessary to identify their needs, and can also show us what they value, which gives us clues as to how we can best meet their needs.

We see a variety of people from all over the world and all walks of life in our restaurants, from wide eyed tourists and families celebrating a special night to professionals that use restaurants as an extension of their office.  While each guest is different with unique needs, there are many similar tendencies and values among each general group.  Professionals on expense accounts whose need is less about food and more about impressing their guests and conducting business will care more about the prestige and exclusivity of the label rather than the finish of the wine.  Whereas a young couple that loves reading about the newest rosé or obscure, organic South African Viognier simply wants to geek out and have their knowledge validated.

Being able to identify and anticipate these values is critical.  While values and needs may vary from guest to guest, the strategy is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Over the next few weeks, we will continue with our Wine Sales miniseries, covering different topics and tactics, while sharing a few stories to demonstrate these ideas at work. Stay tuned for next week, where we will breakdown the needs for common types of guests, strategies to best meet those needs, and discuss whether Charles really was in charge or not.