The Modern Art of F&B Up-selling
Introduction
A small shift in service behaviour can produce a disproportionate commercial impact in today's competitive Food and Beverage (F&B) landscape. Maximising revenue per guest is essential for profitability. Traditional, transactional up-selling techniques often feel pushy, can erode guest trust, and fail to enhance the overall experience. This has led to hesitancy among service staff and missed opportunities for the business.
This 1-day compressed training programme distils the most critical elements of effective F&B up-selling into a focused, practical learning experience. The programme reframes up-selling as a consultative, guest-centric service skill, where recommendations are driven by understanding guest needs, preferences, and dining occasions—rather than sales pressure.
Participants are equipped with the essential mindset, menu knowledge, and contemporary recommendation language required to make confident, authentic suggestions that guests value. Designed for immediate application, this programme enables F&B professionals to increase average spend per guest while enhancing trust, satisfaction, and repeat business, all within a single, high-impact day.
- Up-coming Intake date: 25th Feb 2026 @ KLCC - 1 day @ RM1,500 / pax
- Hit Get Proposal to reserve your seat(s), or click here to view full course brochure with registration form.
Outcome
Upon successful completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Shift their mindset from transactional selling to experiential value-building.
- Master menu knowledge to articulate compelling stories about food and beverage offerings.
- Apply sophisticated verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to make seamless recommendations.
- Identify guest types and occasions to tailor suggestions effectively.
- Utilize basic psychological principles and modern technology to guide guest choices.
- Handle objections gracefully and maintain a positive guest relationship throughout the interaction.
- Develop a personalized action plan to implement new skills immediately in their workplace.
- Shift their mindset from transactional selling to experiential value-building.
- Master menu knowledge to articulate compelling stories about food and beverage offerings.
- Apply sophisticated verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to make seamless recommendations.
- Identify guest types and occasions to tailor suggestions effectively.
- Utilize basic psychological principles and modern technology to guide guest choices.
- Handle objections gracefully and maintain a positive guest relationship throughout the interaction.
- Develop a personalized action plan to implement new skills immediately in their workplace.
Select to design your own content and request for a customized quotation
| No | Topic | Topic Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Philosophy of Guest-Centric Selling |
This session reframes the purpose of upselling. We explore how building genuine trust and focusing on enhancing the guest's experience is the most effective and sustainable sales strategy. It covers the ethics of selling and how to create value for both the guest and the establishment. |
| 2 | Menu Mastery & The Art of Storytelling |
Moving beyond memorizing ingredients, this topic teaches how to understand the "why" behind a dish or drink. Participants learn to craft and deliver concise, compelling stories about provenance, preparation, and flavor profiles that entice guests and justify value. |
| 3 | Identifying Guest Types & Occasions |
Participants learn to quickly identify different guest archetypes (e.g., The Celebrator, The Indecisive, The Foodie, The Budget-Conscious) and tailor their approach accordingly. The session also focuses on unlocking the value of different occasions, from business dinners to romantic celebrations. |
| 4 | The Power of Suggestion |
This highly practical session provides a toolkit of effective language techniques. Participants practice moving from closed ("Would you like?") to open-ended questions, using the "Two-Choice" strategy, and employing sensory, aspirational vocabulary to make irresistible suggestions. |
| 5 | Building the Check |
This topic provides a strategic view of the guest journey. Participants learn to identify and capitalize on key touch-points for adding value—from pre-selling during greetings and crafting the perfect drink order to sequencing courses and presenting desserts. |
| 6 | Tech-Enabled Selling & Practical Pairing |
A modern look at using available tools. This includes leveraging the POS system for guest history, using tablets to show visuals of dishes/sources, and utilizing basic food & drink pairing principles (complement vs. contrast) for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. |
| 7 | Objection Handling & Role-Play |
Objections are a natural part of service. This session provides professional, polite scripts for handling common objections like "It's too expensive" or "We're not sure," ensuring the guest relationship remains positive. Learning is solidified through immersive role-play exercises. |
| 8 | Action Planning & Personal Commitment |
Participants consolidate their learning by creating a personalized action plan. They define specific, measurable goals for applying techniques learned, selecting key menu items to master, and phrases to practice, ensuring direct transfer of skills to their role. |