How to Boost Sales at the Bar
 

Someone asked this question in another thread, but it didn't get picked up, so I thought I would ask the question here. How DO you tactfully advertise the bar so patrons spend?

I have a few suggestions that I intend to try out on the 26th of January at my next gig.

1) Ask who has a birthday during the month, sing happy birthday and then invite others to buy the birthday boys/girls a drink.
2) If you have a following, ask all the people who are new to the group to raise their hands. Welcome them and invite the regulars to buy them a drink.
3) Same as number 2, but invite all the out-of-towners to raise their hands. Invite the in-towners to welcome them to our city and buy them a drink.
4) Make a joke. Did you hear that bass solo I just played? That's why [insert bar owner name here] just dropped the price on [insert product here] for the next 20 minutes. Sorry guys -- I'll do better next time!
5) Announce a drink-tasting where the bar offers a taste of a product they would like others to try.
6) Announce a new dessert or product the restaurant has recently added to the menu and invite the crowd to try a morsel at the bar.
7) Make a last call at the bar/restaurant as a courtesy to the crowd.
8) Share something inspiring about the women who come to the venue, and invite all the men to show their appreciation for all the women and buy them a drink.

Do you like any of these? Any you might scrap? Any ideas of your own?

i like 3, 7, and 8. We usually just go with "Thanks to [name of bar] for having us and supporting local music, please show your appreciation and buy drinks" or something to that effect. people come to bars to drink, i don't see alot of need for tact.

I think all of those are good sugeestions. I think you need to be careful about overdoing it to the point where people feel like they are listening to more commercials than music, but with that in mind, those all look good.

3,7, & 8.
Don't overdo it.

Those are all quite good, well done. Keep thinking in that direction.

Of course, I wouldn't use them all in one evening, and I'd spread them out. Also, you'll want to run your ideas by the owner or MOD. Depending on the mood of the staff and audience, they might not like some of them, so get clearance and input on the "better" ideas. For example, I know clubs that do not want a last call from the stage, they have their own way of communicating it to the crowd.

But I'm betting that anything that gets even one water sipper to belly up and have an adult beverage will make them happy, and, more importantly, you taking the initiative will put your band in a whole new light with the bar staff and owner.

And please come back and tell us how it went.

I find that raising your drink and yelling "Social!!!" does the trick.

On a new bartender's first day:

There's a new bartender working upstairs, please order a complicated mixed drink from him so he can get some practice at those.

And in a band that plays a lot of Brazilian music:

We did ask at the bar before the show, they have all the ingredients and can make a caipirinha.

Brilliant.

Subbed. I've been at this 35 years and I'm still learning.

Superior examples. Great post.

Call for a "Hollar and a Swaller"!!!!

Call for a toast of the town's favorite sports team if they are doing well or in the playoffs, etc.

Great thread idea.

Subbed.

I don't do this anymore, cause I am old and my liver hurts, but I have always favored, "So who is buying me shots?" Falls under ask and ye shall receive...

Another trick that I found helpful is to keep an eye on the crowd's glasses and bottles. Don't take a break if you see lots of empty or near empty glasses/bottles. If you take a break when they are done with their drink, they are more likely to leave. If they have a full beer, they will stick around until they finish their drink. Don't take your break until you see lots of full bottles and glasses, and get back on before the glasses/bottles empty out.

Caipirinhas in Krakow! Too much! I love the world in which we live today... Meanwhile, I order Polish vodka whenever possible...

Haha! My guitar player happens to be a bar owner!

Great way to get drinks for the band........"we would just like to remind you that we are an alcohol free band, any free alcohol you want to give us we will kindly take. Thank you"

I like the free alcohol suggestion!

Perhaps have the bar owner name a drink after the band...or that suits the genre of the music...and then announce it from the mic and invite people to try it.

Ask the bar owner on which drinks they make their best profit margin and promote them a few times during the show.

We do this a lot. It is useful when changing tunings or guitars/basses.

I've never heard this. If someone yelled out "Social!!!" in a bar, I wouldn't have a clue what it meant or what to do. Can someone elaborate on the meaning and appropriate usage for me?