How To Sell More Water - By Ken Burgin

Use this 4-Step Campaign to boost results:

1. Check the sales figures regularly

Start with the 'before' sales, based on POS figures. What were the figures the night before or a week before? Work them out as a strike rate and a per-head figure. Eg if 300 people were served on Saturday night and 30 bottles sold, the strike rate is 1 in 10 and needs work. If they added up to $90, that's 30c per head. There are trends in the figures just waiting to be discovered.

Strike rates often make the greatest impact. What figure are you aiming for?

2. Improve your training and coaching

The more staff know about a product, the more they will sell, even if they're shy. Lots of price and product knowledge is needed.

Have staff practice sales techniques with each other so it becomes natural. Identify your best sales person and ask them for tips. Can they be the coach or buddy for others who are less confident?

Prepare senior staff for their role as a 'sales manager' - checking sales results and comparing performance of different staff. Coaching them in scripts and sales tactics. Bonuses per-item sold work - the more they sell, the more everyone makes.

3. Develop the script and the sales moves

How is the water being described: Spring water? Sparkling water? Mineral water? Mt Glacier? Acqua Minerale? What exactly do you want staff to say? Standardisation will improve results, even if it's just describing the alternative as 'plain tap water'.

When are chilled beverages being suggested? Good times are when the customer is being seated, when the order is taken, as the meal is delivered and as the dessert or coffee order is taken.

The opportunity to sell water is often lost because free water is rushed to the table as part of the welcome. Slow down - first ask if they'd like 'still or sparkling', and bring free water if there's a refusal.

4. Treat the product with respect

Carry glasses and bottles on a tray (do you have enough?) and pour it for the customer. Same goes for any of the bottled products - chances are you can increase the sales of other bottled products as well as water. Have a well-lit display on the bar.

Serve it in a nice glass with ice, and keep it chilled between pouring. Have several bottle sizes and waters to choose from - one or two local and one Italian or French.


Profitable Hospitality offers management and cost-control systems (Manuals & CD-ROMs) for restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars and clubs. The systems are based on the extensive consulting and operating experience of CEO Ken Burgin, and enable busy owners and managers to set up complete operating and cost-control systems in minutes, not months. Profitable Hospitality also runs regular management training workshops in the areas of kitchen profit & efficiency, restaurant marketing and functions management. A free monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest industry management issues. www.profitablehospitality.com.

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