The best servers adjust and flow with the ever-changing moods and pocketbooks of guests. In the Meal Designer Series, we’ll explore effective approaches to common kinds of diners, including economizers, reluctant analyzers, sophisticated diners, and jackpot tables, to enhance the guest experience and maximize sales.

It was a cold Wednesday night in January. I was waiting tables at New Heights, at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. The restaurant, overlooking the Omni Shoreham Hotel, was beautifully appointed with handcrafted chairs, halogen lights showering down onto each table, and stained glass partitions. I had my favorite station with both two-tops filled and a corner table waiting for 13 guests to be seated. At 8 p.m., I saw the host, Julien, escorting a party of well-dressed guests to my table. I saw dollar signs and heard “cha-ching.”

1. READ CUES AND SET THE STAGE
I stopped, made eye contact with the arriving guests, read their cues, and picked up on their style and mood. I assisted with their jackets and other belongings and helped seat them. Then I scanned the table for the leader/buyer, when a man with tiny beads of sweat on his forehead stood up and took me aside. “My name is Mr. Simon, president of Simon & Schuster. What’s your name?” “Bob Brown,” I replied with a handshake. “Listen, Bob, I’ve been held captive across the street for the past five days with these 12 nut cases from Canadian Publishing, and I need your help to close the deal,” Mr. Simon pleaded.

2. DELIVER A TOP-OF-THE-LINE MEAL PLAN
“Don’t worry Mr. Simon. I have a plan. We’ll start off with the finest cocktails prepared with top-shelf vodkas, gins, tequilas, bourbons, and rums. For your white wine drinkers, there’s Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio. For the red wine lovers, we have an endless flow of Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Zinfandel.” Mr. Simon nodded saying, “I like the sound of that.” And, I thought to myself, “Me too.”

Within moments, the table was bursting with spirited conversation. I kept pouring the wine, and his head kept nodding “yes,” like a little bobblehead doll—because 60 to 90 percent of the time guests buy exactly what you tell them to buy.

Mr. Simon then pulled me into the side station. His face now fully glistening with perspiration, he asked, “Okay, Bob, what are we going to do now?” “Don’t worry, Mr. Simon. I have a plan. Back in the kitchen, we have Allison Swope who graduated tops from the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. She will prepare not just 13 appetizers, but platters of gorgeous starters along with her signature soups, salads, entrées, and side dishes,” I encouraged. His head kept nodding “yes,” and I kept pouring wine.

After the guests had finished their feast, I cleared the entire table—because the more you clear, the more you sell.

3. CREATE A “BLOW YOUR MIND” FINALE
For the third and final time, Mr. Simon pulled me aside. “Are we almost there? I need a knock-your-socks-off ending.” “I have a plan. David Gotter, our pastry chef from Johnson & Wales, will prepare an array of desserts so beautiful you’ll want to look at them but not eat them. And we’ll have snifters of Sambuca, Frangelico, amaretto, Grand Marnier, and Baileys, along with Louie Tre at $155 dollars a shot,” I offered. “That sounds good, but it’s not enough,” Mr. Simon countered. “Okay then, what about hand-pressed coffees from Ethiopia and the Blue Mountains of Jamaica?” I offered. “Not enough,” Mr. Simon resisted. “Okay, okay. I’ll have three of my fellow servers surround the table, each with a bottle of vintage Cristal Champagne, then, I’ll stand across from you and propose a toast, and you’ll close the deal.“

Moments later, I heard the popping of Champagne when a drunken wise guy, clinking two glasses, beat me to the punch. “Mr. Simon, we at Canadian Publishing are pleased, proud, and privileged to announce we’ll be working with you and your company for the next 10 years.” What did Mr. Simon do? He jumped up and kissed me…on the lips!

4. PROVIDE A FOND FAREWELL Though elated, I remembered that selling begins—and ends—at the door. So, I helped the guests with their jackets and belongings, moved the table for their comfortable departure, and escorted wobbly guests down the steps into the cold night. I carefully escorted the party across the street to the Shoreham. Then, there was a tap on my shoulder. It was Mr. Simon, who shook my hand and offered his business card: “Mr. Brown, that was the finest piece of selling I’ve seen in years. As a matter of fact, I’m asking Mildred, my assistant, to have our Citation jet flown down to National Airport, pick you up at your home by limo, and fly you to New York, where I’ll put you up at the Drake Hotel. You’re the most charismatic, electric, magnetic salesperson I’ve met in years. You have the gift. With a little training, you’ll become a millionaire in a matter of months.” I was shocked (and, by the way, never heard from him again). Then, the wise guy shook my hand and handed me a fresh hundred dollar bill. Bidding the guests adieu, I walked back up the steps and thanked the others who had helped me with the Jackpot Table. At Mr. Simon’s seat, I found my scorecard: the American Express voucher, the check for $4,000, and a $1,500 tip.

Despite these desperate times, there are those who have means and are tired of the endless tragic news. They want you to take them to the top. And, when Mr. Jackpot drops in, you had best be prepared to make the most of a glorious opportunity.

Bob Brown, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott’s Service Excellence Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. He has appeared on the Food Network, is author of The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success and The Big Brown Book of Managers’ Success, and has recently released The Seven Keys of Beverage Sales Success DVD Learning System, www.bobbrownmedia.com Copyright Bob Brown 2009.