Here's part 2 of what to consider in getting your team to upsell effectively, and to include in your hotel or restaurant staff training.

Product knowledge

In order to talk about, recommend or upsell staff need to fully understand each of the products and services available. Do they know:

• What are the high profit items
• What are the component parts of any packages
• What's not included, but may be relevant to offer to the customer
• What are the ingredients in a dish
• What does it taste like
• What are the best accompaniments to a dish

Allow staff to experience all the products and services first hand – this will not only make them more memorable, there will be more willingness to promote if they are confident to talk about it, and it will certainly be easier to evoke emotional appeal through vivid descriptions of taste, smell, feel, if they've experienced them themselves.

Tomorrow we'll look at the second of the three key things your staff need to upsell effectively.

Caroline Cooper is a business coach with over 25 years experience in business and management development, and founder of Zeal Coaching, specializing in working with hospitality businesses, and is author of the 'Hotel Success Handbook'
www.zealcoaching.com