Improving dessert sales leads to higher profits for the restaurant and increased tips for servers. Better yet, finishing off a meal with an amazing dessert improves the overall experience for guests. It’s a sweet deal for everyone!
4 Ways to Sell More Desserts
1 – Master Dessert Product Knowledge
Servers can’t sell what they don’t know. Spend some training time covering dessert product knowledge. Servers should know the ingredients in every dessert option and be able to describe the item in mouth-watering detail. Many desserts include common food allergens, such as nuts, dairy, eggs, or gluten. Product knowledge training isn’t just good for sales, it’s critical to guest safety.
2 – Suggest Desserts to Every Table
Train servers to suggest desserts to every table. It’s like the great hockey player Wayne Gretzky said – “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Consistently suggesting desserts to every table will lead to increased check averages and higher tips.
3 – Be Positive
In role-playing sessions with servers, reinforce positive dessert suggestions. Train them to never say something like, “You didn’t save room for dessert, did you?” Phrasing a dessert suggestion in a negative way is just inviting guests to say no. Instead, train servers to use an upbeat tone that gives guests a positive feeling about a dessert order, such as, “Now we’re ready for the best part of the meal, one of our great desserts! Which can I bring you?”
4 – Show Off!
Some desserts nearly sell themselves once guests have a chance to see them. Train servers to use table tents and dessert menus to help show off your desserts. If you have a dessert tray, have servers carry it through the dining room at guests’ eye level, showing it to every table. As servers deliver desserts they’ve sold, have them parade them by adjacent guests.
Many guests want dessert, but might just need a little sweet talking to help guide them toward the perfect end to their meal. Train your servers to make the sweet deal of increased dessert sales.
Restaurant Service and Sales Training
The Service & Sales Excellence Waitstaff Training Series is based on Service That Sells!, a restaurant training philosophy developed by restaurant owners for restaurant owners. Click here to learn more.
