How to Boost Sales at the Bar

[Floyd Eye]

It means the same thing as a toast except without the sappy words. Raise your drink, yell social, drink.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

It means the same thing as a toast except without the sappy words. Raise your drink, yell social, drink.

A-ha. Thank you.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

A-ha. Thank you.

Anytime. Love your sig line by the way.

[robd]

great suggestions everyone, thanks

[pklima]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

A-ha. Thank you.

A-ha indeed. I might pull out the "Finnish toasts" joke sometime even though we don't have any songs in Finnish. I'll find an excuse to use it sometime. It's cheesy as hell, and roughly goes like this...

There are two basic Finnish toasts, the short Finnish toast and the long Finnish toast. The short one goes like this... "Now!" (drink) The long Finnish toast is long. It goes like this... "Not now - but now!" (drink)

[bwardmusic]

What about billing your event as a Ladies Appreciation Night with [insert the band name here].

$5 cover charge, ladies get in free. You could give the men (all of whom pay a cover charge) a special colored ticket which they can use to direct a free drink to a lady at the establishment that evening, If they don't use the ticket the band gets the cover.

[jonas_24112]

Originally Posted by bwardmusic

What about billing your event as a Ladies Appreciation Night with [insert the band name here].

$5 cover charge, ladies get in free. You could give the men (all of whom pay a cover charge) a special colored ticket which they can use to direct a free drink to a lady at the establishment that evening, If they don't use the ticket the band gets the cover.

The alcohol laws in my part of Virginia prevent any types of promoting alcohol sales. Bar's can't have "ladies nights" so to say and can't advertise drink specials among other things. Heck, we can't even put "$5 cover charge" on our gig flyers due to tax liability reasons from the bar.

I really need to study up on the ABC laws in VA to see what my band CAN do to help out our venues.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by jonas_24112

The alcohol laws in my part of Virginia prevent any types of promoting alcohol sales. Bar's can't have "ladies nights" so to say and can't advertise drink specials among other things. Heck, we can't even put "$5 cover charge" on our gig flyers due to tax liability reasons from the bar.

I really need to study up on the ABC laws in VA to see what my band CAN do to help out our venues.

Wow. How restrictive. Kind of ridiculous.

Are you allowed to give a toast and encourage people to raise a glass? Can you tell the audience how good your margarita is, and that the bartender is outstanding?

[jonas_24112]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

Wow. How restrictive. Kind of ridiculous.

Are you allowed to give a toast and encourage people to raise a glass? Can you tell the audience how good your margarita is, and that the bartender is outstanding?

Yes, and we do that. You can't advertise that type of stuff outside of the bar in public. The bars we play in North Carolina run specials all the time and post them on the FB page, but the VA bars cannot do it.

[bwardmusic]

This was a great post in another thread that bears on this topic:

From TheTaxMiser

I was in a cover band for about 10 years and we always did a brisk business at the bar. We all drank but not to excess. We always made the crowd feel like they were a part of the party. At some point during the night encouraging folks to tip the waitresses and introducing the bartenders. When we went on break it was that we will meet them at the bar. Calling up someone with a birthday and getting them a drink on the house and encouraging a toast. We always had a good following and never went wanting for work. I had fun. Everybody in the band had a good time. I think the audience can sense when the band is enjoying themselves. I think it would have been out of place for us to say things that came across as commercials.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by jive1

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.

It would take a certain type of mind to do the calculations while on stage playing in a crowded bar. If you can actually pull this off then can I interest you in a short little trip to Vegas for some card counting...........er I mean "recreational" gambling?

[xgator4u]

Originally Posted by jive1

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.

Sage advice.
Pay attention younguns.

[SteveHeissner]

Play songs that keep the dance floor full as much as possible. This keeps the crowd thirsty and too busy to leave.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by jonas_24112

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

Can you elaborate on this for those of us on the other side of the tracks?

[MarTONEbass]

Bump for a great thread that died too early!

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by jive1

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.

I like this one. I never gave it any thought.

[Phalex]

We used to have a shot custom made for our band at one venue. It was red. I can't for the life of me remember what was in it. It was like a Jager Bomb, but it was bright red. (The name of the band was In The Red) They'd run a special on those, and I'd act like I really liked them.

[jonas_24112]

Okay, I'll play. Here's a list of ideas I presented to my last band. The LS wouldn't do any of it. I'm with them no more. Enjoy!!

e) Community Drinks- Need to be done at least once a set.
i) Holler & Swoller
ii) Have a shot with the band
iii) Guitar shots
iv) Toasts- learn some dirty/funny toasts
v) Special occasions- birthdays, anniversaries, batchelorette party, etc

a) Drinking Games
i) Shot of The Night- Buy a round and get a prize (party store party favors, glow in the dark stuff)!! Buy the band a round and get band schwag!
ii) Shot Guitar- take a really cheap crappy guitar and drill holes in it a shot glass can fit in (in a row down the guitar neck). Buy a round and all your drinkers line up and drink shots at the same time from the guitar/bass.
iii) Jimi Hendrix Experience- using the “shot guitar”. Place hole near pickups. While band is playing you drink from turning up the guitar so it looks like you are playing with your teeth. Perhaps make hole for pint glass of beer so it lasts longer or require a round of shots to be bought before getting the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

[synkronized1]

I always give a shout out to the servers and bar staff. "Make sure to tip your server everyone... they're the ones that will need to clean up after this mess". Usually gets a few laughs and cheers.

[ram936]

Yeah, our singer always gives a shout out to tip the servers. That's good advice and good for the bar/band relationship.