Awaken the senses

The following article is brought to you by McCain.

If you've got it, flaunt it! Successful selling starts with putting a good product in front of the customer. Everyone's appetite can be easily stirred if they can see it, smell it, touch and taste it. It's what we mean by effective merchandising. And where food is concerned, it can pay off in pounds - with increased impulse purchase and improved spend per head.​

The trick is to use every opportunity to bring your menu to life in front of your customers, using the food itself, staff and the menu.

Merchandising your menu​

Unlike your drinks, and with the exception of crisps and nuts, food isn't generally on show behind the bar which means you have to work at making it visible. Your menu is the number one display tool.

Merchandising is about making it easy for everyone to find what they want. Consider the big four menu merchandising issues: What? Where? When? and How Many?

What?​

Many successful operations segment their offering according to the type of customer, occasion or meal, for example separate menus for kids, desserts, hot snacks and so on.

TIP:​ A separate menu could increase the visibility and uptake of bar snacks by customers who wouldn't consider looking in the main menu​

Where?​

Drinks suppliers are very successful at positioning promotional material for maximum effect. Food can follow the lead. Good menu positioning can have a massive impact on sales. Analysis of your customers, their decision making process and the food occasion will show you where your menu is most likely to lead to an order.

When?​

If customers can't spot a menu, they could assume food isn't available. So always display the correct menu during serving times. The introduction of different menus at different times of the day is an opportunity to freshen up ? and stimulate business.

How Many?​

You need enough menus to go round! It's a serious error to make a customer search. Never display menus that are damaged or scruffy. So when calculating your menu needs, always factor in your "attrition rate".

Unlock the imagination​

Outside of the menu itself, there are limitless opportunities for getting across the message about your food. Again, consider the different techniques the drinks companies use. You should try to give equal prominence to food as the rewards can be high.

Using your imagination is key. The goal of merchandising is putting an idea into the customer's head at the point of purchase. We have eight below to get you started.

Prop up the bar​

The bar is your main point of purchase. It's where your customers come to browse and buy. So blitz the area with foodie props and point of sale material.

Start by making back bar space available for food display. Make it big and eyecatching to stand out from the "noise" of drinks material. Price deals or snack specials make a good focus. And try to include a call to action such as "order at the bar" or "ask the barstaff".

Stylish postcards and beer mats are a smart way of promoting your food range too. And on quieter nights, why not serve up a selection of tasters from your menu? There's nothing more tempting than the food itself. But use mini tent cards or flags to make sure customers know what they're sampling.

Another clever way to trigger the food thought-process is by handing out a set of cutlery with every drinks order to prompt questions and often food orders.

And don't forget your sales team - the barstaff. A little investment in t-shirts pays dividends. But make sure your people buy into it by making them look cool while communicating. Think of cheeky messages like "Can I tempt you?" or "Fancy a nibble?" You can even buy t-shirts that feature an LCD panel to update and change the message.

Think outside the box​

As a general rule, the greater the visibility of your product, the greater the sales. And to give yourself the extra space to sell, think beyond the four walls of the restaurant area.

Make sure you carry your display into all the public areas of your business. In the right outlets, washroom communication can be very effective, as can stairs, for fun, eyecatching messages.

And nothing creates more interest and sales than a bit of theatre. So why not make a feature of the kitchen area itself - and get everyone buzzing about your food?

The type of activity you implement will depend on the style of your operation. But the principle is always the same. To influence consumer decisions and maximise food sales you need to stimulate the senses throughout the entire outlet. So wake up to effective merchandising and start to taste the opportunity!

Eight ideas to get you started​

• Chalkboards are always a winner, but put your own slant on things.

Get your staff to take the board off the wall - and bring it to the table.

Use easel displays at the entrance and mini chalk boards make a big impact. Use them to feature specials. They're a great way to tempt customers.

Wrap your menus round wine bottles. They'll add interest and give you a quirky difference.

Merchandising your food together with drinks works well both ways - why not offer a choice of "Light" Bites and a glass of Diet Coke? Or how about a hot chicken tikka masala with a bottle of chilled lager?

Put your menus in places where customers have to pick them up and look, like on chairs.

Use "parasite" displays to drive snack sales with the drinks menu - clip or stick mini-menu cards to the relevant sections.

Ask your suppliers! You'll find many food companies eager to support your business with good display and menu materials.

Beer mats​

Readers' research: If you've an effective tip to share, ​email: mccain@thepublican.com​