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Management

up so they can access and print out the coupon from your web- I want you to start training your cashiers to be marketing
site. Make sure your website technician structures the coupon so associates by having them do just two things. First, if a customer
that each recipient can only print the coupon one time. orders a drink, but doesn’t specify a size, have your cashier ask:
You need to be the Johnny Appleseed of coupons. Give “Would you like a big one?” NEVER ask, “what size?” You’ll be
out thousands if you can! Remember, they don’t cost you any- amazed how many times your customers will say: “Sure, give
thing if they aren’t redeemed, and for the ones that come back, me a big one.” If they can influence only 20 customers a day to
they’ll represent the best value in marketing dollars that you will order a larger size, at an increase in price of 50¢ on average, that
ever make. When I owned my restaurant, I use to always have represents another $10 a day in sales, or $300 a month. I know
a pocket full of free lunch coupons at all times. When I filled that sounds like a fairly modest increase, but every dollar helps.
up with gas, I gave the attendant a free lunch coupon. The lady Remember, $300 here, $600 there, it all adds up.
behind me in the supermarket line, she got one too. I even gave Next, I want you to ask each of your cashiers what their
coupons to my purveyors and their delivery persons. If they favorite pastry is in your pastry case, what their favorite Panini is,
drank liquids, and ate food (and who doesn’t), they got a coupon! etc. (You have let them taste all those things, haven’t you?) You are
Plant enough seeds, and eventually you’ll end up with an orchard going to ask them to recommend one of those items (depending
of fruit, ripe for the picking! upon its appropriateness for the time of the day) to every customer
they serve. I don’t believe you can effectively sell something you
don’t like. Therefore, if my cashier likes it, they should be able
to sincerely recommend it. If Jane thinks our cherry Danish is
wonderful, then when a customer orders a drink, I expect her
to say something like: “Would you like a warm cherry Danish to go
with that? They’re really good!”
Role-play with your cashiers so they can get comfortable
with the process before they start asking customers. Help them
develop multiple sales pitches, so they can mix up what they say,
and won’t sound rehearsed to a line of waiting customers who can
overhear what they are saying.
Make sure that your cashiers always recommend a
specific product, and not a general category, or something even
more nebulous. They should be asking: “Would you like a cherry
Danish, white chocolate-lemon biscotti, or a marble cheesecake
bar?”; and not, “would you like a pastry?” And, certainly not,
Increasing sales with existing customers “would you like something else to go with that?” What’s a some-
So often when business owners launch a marketing cam- thing else? I’ve never once in my life said, “I’ll have a something
paign, it only focuses on those individual that have never been else.”Which would influence your more? “Would you like a hot,
to their store before. But, you already have a group that you can gooey, buttery cinnamon roll?” Or, “would you like something
start marketing to tomorrow, that you don’t have to win over; else?” Point made.
your existing customers. Now, don’t expect your employees to jump feet first into
We tend to overlook those who are already coming your marketing program and execute your requests without some
to our store on a regular basis. Are you getting the maximum reinforcement. If you just tell them to do these things, and walk
amount of dollars out of these people each visit, and can you get away, they won’t; or at very best they will only do them sporadi-
them to visit more often? Not promoting what you have to offer cally, for a very short period of time. Repetition builds habits, and
to these people is leaving valuable income on the table! your reinforcement will ensure repetition.
Have you ever gone into a retail store, spent a sig- I’ve had to turn order takers into marketing associates
nificant amount of time looking at merchandise, and the sales many times, here ‘s what’s worked best for me. After telling my
person never asked you if you needed help, had any questions, cashier what I want them to do (ask the customer if they would
or bothered to make a recommendation? Sure, we all have had like a “big one,” and recommend a specific food item), and have
that experience! You need to capitalize on these types of op- gone through some role paying, I inform them that I will stand
portunities. behind them, and remind them to say these things, for as long
Marketing to your current clientele needs to be per- as it will take for them to do this 100% of the time. Don’t worry,
formed by the person who takes the customer’s order, your you won’t be there for days or weeks, usually a few hours is all
cashier. I told my cashiers that a big part of their job was being it will take. Believe me, the discomfort they will feel, having you
a marketing associate, and not merely an order taker! If I only stand right behind them and providing reinforcement every time
needed someone to take the customer’s order, and the cash, I they forget, will be so unbearable, that you will find that they will
could just buy a few vending machines and save a ton of labor! quickly adopt your program. After that, you only need to make
I expected my cashiers to drive sales thorough suggestive selling, sure they are staying with the program every time you walk by
and up selling. them. If they’ve dropped the habit, go back to standing behind
Now, some people don’t feel comfortable in the role them for an hour or two. This is a battle of wills, and yours needs
of a salesperson. They feel that they will be perceived as being to be unyielding.
pushy. I always explain to them that it is no different than going In rare occasion, where it becomes evident that one of
out to eat in a restaurant, and having your server ask: “Do you your cashiers can’t do this, or won’t do it, you need to inform
want to know what’s really good? Would you like some recom- them that there job is dependent upon it. If they don’t respond,
mendations?” Of course, 99% of us would say: “Sure, tell me you need to replace them. If you value this employee, but they
what’s good!” just can’t do it, then you need to find somewhere else they can
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