by Vince Poscente
Author of The Ant and the Elephant, Invinceable Principles and The Age of Speed
Up selling is an art. An art that can leave the customer feeling valued or hustled. Let's look at the restaurant industry as an example.
Not since the bully in the lunchroom has one individual been more adept at wringing out our credit card, children's college funds and entire chunks of generational net worth. Some waiters (and I am including waitresses in this category too...) have schooled us on the hustle side up selling. The following are the lessons that I have learned from these culinary serving friends:
Lesson One: Close early...close often. Sales people take note; the waiters are masters of the frequent close. First words you hear are, "Hi my name's Jason and I will be your waiter. Would you prefer sparkling, spring or... eeech, ahem... tap water?"
Once you have unwittingly purchased an $8 bottle (that is consistently replaced without disturbing you with the oh-so-annoying question "Would you like to purchase another $8 bottle of water that tastes the same as tap water?") you are then asked for a drink order. The waiter will always pick the easy mark at the table. With an innate ability to sniff out the martini drinker first, the momentum of peer pressure to consume alcohol can easily go from one to the next. Cha-ching!
Lesson Two: Never lead with price. Take the appetizer full-nelson example, where said waiter raves about the caramelized feta ravioli over a bed of virgin garbanzo beans. (Neglecting to say that this morsel is the most expensive appetizer on the menu. But why get bogged down in details?)
Lesson Three: Support the customer's self-image of sophistication. Help the person hosting the dinner avoid any embarrassment with questions like, "Do you have any Red Devil?" Instead, hand a long list of wines with prices that infer quality. No single item on the menu will notch up a tip better than a bottle of wine. CHA-CHING!
Lesson Four: Recommend a selection to relieve the burden of decision-making. In a society yearning for less confusion, we appreciate a simple choice. An entr9e special is the perfect answer. But, why are spaghetti and meatballs never special? No cha-ching factor me thinks.
Lesson Five: Keep the party going until they pay. Everyone knows that the party is almost over and dessert and expensive coffees are a pleasant way to end the evening. But the minute the bill (with the 17% added tip for parties of six people or more) is paid, notice how invisible you become. Saying, "The party is over. You're not welcome anymore. Move on. I've got a table to turn," would be far too rude to say. Treating the guest like a blind spot seems so much more effective.
I have nothing against the restaurant business. It's the good food and/or staff that make me feel valued and keeps me coming back. It just strikes me that there are more appetizing ways to up sell. And the restaurant business is not the only guilty industry in the world of the hustle.
Telephone and credit card companies lure new customers with great deals while loyal customers pay premiums. Retail banks charge eye-popping fees for NSF or late fees. Travelers get nailed with ticket changes or oversized bag fees. Many hotels take extra advantage for the convenience of using the phone, fridge and bottle water provided in the $250+ a night room. A variety of hospitals don't reveal the insurance company deals made behind the scenes. (Listen, a number of my clients are in the telephone, credit-card companies, retail banks, hospitals, insurance companies, airlines and hotel chains. They don't pay me to tell them what they want to hear, they pay me for what they need to hear.)
Think about your business. Are you up selling because you can or because you value the customer? What parts of your business, no matter how small, could you shift your customer impression from being hustled to being valued? To get a better answers, don't just ask your self, ask your customer.
Hustled vs. Valued
