One of the best small business success secrets is up selling. Up selling is something you and your employees can do with every customer that comes through your coffee shop door; it needs to be a habit for your employees or you will lose sales.

One way to get your employees to up sell is to make sure they have tried the  ”Special of the Day” drink and the other offerings you have to up sell (scones, bagels, muffins, etc). Nothing sounds better to a consumer than to hear the staff praise the special of the day or your food products. A $1 cookie or $2 bagel may seem like a small amount of money, but these dollars add up and ultimately the extra cash will help you make your small business successful.

For example, a new customer walks through the door and orders a cup of drip coffee, what is the first thing your staff should ask? “Do you want room for cream?” If the customer says yes, then ask if they like their drink sweet. Only a third of the population drinks black coffee. The other two thirds of coffee drinkers add a sweetener and/or a creaming agent to their coffees before consuming.

By asking these questions, you are opening the door to espresso-based drink sales. Think about it: Would you rather drink a hot cup of coffee with cold milk or a nice hot beverage enhanced with steamed milk and perhaps a tasty shot of syrup or chocolate? After asking the customer some questions on their coffee preferences, try to up-sell an espresso based drink (mocha or latte). To get a espresso drink into a drip coffee drinker’s hands you might even consider offering the espresso drink at the drip coffee price. Success in small business isn’t difficult when you and your employees are up selling the great products you offer.

For more information on success in small business check out the book Seven Steps to Success.

by Scott, Director of Sales