Here’s the free&n bsp;January 2006 edition of the Sullivision
E-Newsletter you signed up for. Check out our e-news archives, quote of the day, product catalog and free downloads at www.Sullivision.com 2006 Resolutions?
Higher Sales, Better Service and Free Stuff!
by Jim Sullivan CEO Sullivision.com This year smart restaurant operators will commit to making more money and acquiring more customers, and we’ll do that by playing to win instead of playing not to lose. Winning is a mindset combining tenacity with commitment, even after setbacks. As Pappy Sullivan once said, “The secret to winning is not to lose twice in a row!” Here’s a potpourri of good ideas and free resources to kick your new year off right! 
5 Tips for Higher Server Sales
1. Always “pre-market” point-of-sale items to your service staff. Whenever you get new table tents in from a vendor, don’t just put them on the bar or tables, be sure to post them in server stations, behind the line or by the time clock with a written explanation of how, when and why th ey’ll be used. Explain, promote and “sell” the table tents at pre-shift meetings to increase the odds of servers understanding how to use them with your guests. 2. The less money you spend on training, the more you’ll spend on advertising. The key to merchandising any menu successfully is training, teaching, coaching and incentives. And don’t let the fear of turnover affect your commitment to training. “But what if we train our people to sell and then they leave?” you may ask. My response? “What if we don’t and they stay?” 3. Show and Sell. Menus, table tents, reader boards, desert trays and buttons are powerful sales tools if used properly. My favorite sales “prop” is a button a server or crew member wears that says “If I Don’t Suggest A Dessert It’s Free.” 4. Endorse the choice. Whenever a guest buys a product or orders a particular dish or drink, always respond “Good choice”, or “You’re gonna love that”. This reassures the guest and adds value to the transaction every time. 5 . Shotgun Selling. This means fire at everything and s omething’s going to fall down. Suggest an appetizer, dessert or a sample of whatever you sell to every customer and the likelihood of more sales rises dramatically. I can assure you that every time you don’t ask they will say no. Every time you do ask there’s a 100% possibility they’ll say yes.
- Source: Mind Your Own Business: People, Performance, Profits book (available at Sullivison.com)
Free Pre-Shift Meeting Planning Template
Want a free downloadable one-page template that you can use to plan and execute dynamic pre-shift meetings every day? Just go to http://www.sullivision.com/archives.cfm and click on the Jumps tart! Pre-Shift Planning Template. This PDF format file can be opened with free Adobe Acrobat Reader software and has great ideas for focusing your shifts on service, selling and team-building.
Get a free guide to employing workers with disabilities
Download Disability employment Practices: A Resource Guide for Recruiting, Hiring, and employing People with Disabilities free from the nonprofit Able trust Florida Business Leadership Network, at www.abletrust.org/bln/ut_resource_kit.shtml. The guide, published in PDF format, can be opened with free Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
In addition to resources for recruitment and hiring, the 36-page handbook offers guidelines for determining how appropriate various jobs are for people with disabilities. It also provides tips for managing and communicating with those employees, and addresses related legal and tax issues. While not restaurant industry-specific, it’s a great tool that every manager can benefit from.
- Adapted from the Business Journal of Tampa Bay
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