When Well

IS NOT ENOUGH 

Diligently Upselling Vodkas Commands Super-Premium Profits

    The Trend of bar guests toward consumption of more high-end spirits, whatever the cost, has been an encouraging one for suppliers, distributors and owners. It’s being witnessed with tequila, whiskey, bourbon and gin. Still, no one has been realizing as much upselling success as the purveyors of vodka.
    Early into 2006, the red-hot vodka category still is dominating bar dollars, and the explosion of flavored vodkas has opened new doors with mixing and selling premium and super-premium flavors, as well.
    As important as the craft of cocktail creation is, so, too, is the art of the upsell. Guiding a patron to explore their brand options can be challenging, as bartenders attest, but when effectively executed, the results are superlative. Smooth, tasteful upselling can lead to smooth, tasteful cocktails, smooth sales and — despite the increased cost — guests who are very satisfied by their experience at your bar. Quite simply, there are times when doing it well simply is not enough.

Making the Introduction 
    “Upselling vodka is a good tool for introducing new liquors to a guest after they have become comfortable in your bar with their drink. It is important for the bartender to upsell the vodka in an introductory, communicative style so the patron can deny without feeling cheap,” says Mark Grossich, CEO of New York City’s Hospitality Holdings, which owns the World Bar and the Carnegie Club in CitySpire Centre. “The best brands to upsell are either new to the market or have some other uniqueness that would warrant a change to what the patron is currently is drinking.”
    Grossich says it is crucial in this process that all servers have a comprehensive knowledge on vodka so that they thoroughly can explain brand differences to guests. Any hesitation or insufficient feedback could turn away a potential upsell, or worse.
    “It is very important to understand that upselling brands can be a turn-off for many patrons, so the bartender must first establish a relationship with the customer,” Grossich says.
    Establishing a server/guest relationship can be as easy as smiling at a guest and asking them how they’re doing, then inquiring what they’d like to drink. As a first impression is made within the first 15 seconds of an introduction, this is the prime time to size up a guest’s style and think of ways you might enhance their beverage experience, and this prime time can lead to prime profit when properly done.
    “There is a lot more drinking and mixing of premium liquor than there used to be. People will have two good drinks instead of five inexpensive drinks,” Grossich says, and this is where today’s latest and greatest vodka brands shine. And the global scene flourishes. No longer is fine vodka relegated to Russia, although RU recently has been in the beverage news for its Beverage Testing Institute score. There now are new players from all over the planet: Shakers from the United States; Downunder from Australia; 42 Below from New Zealand; or Poland’s Kröl, for example.

Suggestive Sales from Flavors
    At the Sub Zero Vodka Bar in St. Louis, Owner Derek Gamlin carries every vodka label the city of St. Louis will allow him to — an astounding 185 brands of highly chilled vodka — and he says still he wishes he could carry more. His sentiments on the spirit, he says, have much to do with the almighty upsell. “It’s not really a risk,” Gamlin says. “I do suggestive selling all the time.”
    As Grossich mentioned, Gamlin says the key is in gauging the knowledge of a guest, and then trying to alert them to options accordingly.  He observes guests becoming looser with their wallets then they have been in the past, and the premium, super-premium and luxury brand saturation in the market has helped.
    “Vodkas are moving into the super-premium category, which hadn’t been happening much before,” he says. “We have vodkas priced at $14 an ounce, and they’re selling.”
    Gamlin adds that his key to success has been in allowing customers to freely taste the vodka products he carries. More often than not, repeat sales result from encouraging guests to taste their options, and this has been big bar business.
    The list of brands that do better than well is an extensive one, but Gamlin says he does have a few recent favorites. While Grey Goose, Absolut, Ketel One, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya and Skyy have been shelf mainstays, there is an entire portfolio of players at the bar now, from Players Extreme itself to Van Gogh, Wyborowa, Domaine Charbay or Hangar One. What has made these brands most successful, perhaps, is the flavorful creativity of the cocktails presented to guests via the menu and samplings — and, of course, the flavor offerings themselves. This accomplished, the upsell is made easier.
    At Sub Zero, Gamlin says he’s realized recent success with Pearl Pomegranate , Effen Black Cherry and Three Olives Grape, but cocktails such as the Caramel  Apple ($8, Extreme Caramel Vodka, DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker and Butterscotch Schnapps) and the BMW ($8, blue curacao, Malibu Rum and Wyborowa) have made patrons willing to spend that $8 or $9 per trip to the bar.  At a bar where Pearl Vodka is the house label, he knows what effective upselling can add to his revenues, he says.

The Big Picture
    The beauty of upselling’s effect on the bottom line is that with today’s trends, it is not limited by label or location. At Shag — A Vodka Bar, in Omaha, Neb., Owner Terry O’Halloran, a 24-year veteran of the industry,  says he has had enormous success steering patrons toward higher-end vodkas.
    “For us, being a vodka bar with more than 100 brands ... (guests) are eager  to pay more for something new, something different,” he says.
    O’Halloran says it is best to upsell during the day, if possible, so that there is sufficient time to make that connection with a guest. At night, when the bar is packed, and speed is of the essence,  an upsell made earlier in the daytime will come into play then — and all a bartender needs to do is say, “Excellent choice.”
    When the time is right, at any point, O’Halloran says the following works best for him and his staff. “Make a comment such as, ‘You have great taste in vodka, but have you tried the so and so?’” he suggests.
    O’Halloran says his brand options at Shag represent the spectrum of premium to luxury, but recently he’s been enjoying the popularity of flavors. Three Olives Cherry, Players Extreme Caramel and Hangar One’s new Mandarine all have been in top demand, he says. Still, all premium, super-premium and luxury labels have the potential to pull in some serious profit when they’re properly presented. “We want to instruct our staff and work with them to understand the big picture,” O’Halloran says. NCB