5 Keys to Driving Add-on Sales

Effective suggestive selling drives add-on sales. So it makes sense to create systems in the restaurant to ensure it's happening consistently. What systems do you have in place to automate upselling at the point of sale? Are you doing everything you can in these five key areas?

1. As you take orders.

Automatic suggestive selling prompts get your staff upselling consistently:

• Script suggestive selling prompts to pop up on your order screens.
• The best upsells are item-specific nudges—enforced or “choice” prompts based on the current order, like: “Extra cheese on that?” or “Make it a large for just $1 more?”
• A general upsell reminder at the end of the order is another opportunity: “Have you tried our new cinnamon sticks?”

2. In the design of your menu.

Meal deals are an incentive for guests to order more, and they’re easy to set up in the POS:

• Use package deals to cater to discount-seekers without lowering regular prices.
• Meal deals boost order size without cutting into profits as much as other discounts. People have been trained by years of advertising messages to perceive package offers as a deal—so some restaurants don’t discount their meal deals at all.
• For best results, go back to the sales and food cost numbers in your POS reports to identify higher margin menu items to promote in your meal deals.

3. On your website.

The same techniques you use at the restaurant work for web and mobile orders too:

• Suggest related items.
• Offer prompts to upsize a soft drink, or add 3 more wings.
• Promote a new menu item to someone who’s ordered something similar in the past.

4. In your merchandizing.

We eat with our eyes. Visual promotions at the point of purchase also help drive add-on sales:

• Use posters or digital displays at the point of purchase with mouth-watering photography.
• Promote package deals and popular add-ons.
• Consider an order confirmation display at the POS—with order details on one side and visual promos of desserts, sides, and specials on the other.

5. With your staff.

A key factor in the success of your sales systems is always the people.

• Your POS system lets you track sales performance by employee. Use this information to coach underperforming staff, and reward your best sellers.
• Do you run contests in the store? Use these reports to run contests that promote add-on sales.