1. ASCEND STIMSON LANE a powerful new system for increasing
wine sales in casual restaurants
STIMSON LANE
Vineyards & Estates

2. CONTENTS THE NEED THE SYSTEM THE TOOLS • Why Most Wine Training Fails
• The Special Needs of Multi-Unit, Casual Dining Operators
• Upselling is “Out,” Service is “In”
THE SYSTEM
• The Ascend System Defined
• The Ascend System – Dialogs
• How to Execute The Ascend System
• Tips for Success
THE TOOLS
• Training Sheet
• Wine Grid
• Help

3. WHY MOST WINE TRAINING FAILS
TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON "WINE KNOWLEDGE“ Truly understanding wine takes a great deal of time! Wine is NOT a simple subject, it takes many, many hours to learn.
THE MATERIAL IS TOO COMPLEX, TOO MUCH INFORMATION Most wine training is "boring" because too much information is presented at one time.
FALSELY ASSUMES ONLY "WINE PEOPLE" CAN DO THE TRAINING Simple wine sales techniques can be taught by anyone, regardless of their wine knowledge.

4. WHY MOST WINE TRAINING FAILS
PRE-SCRIPTED "WINE DESCRIPTIONS" ARE NOT THE ANSWER Most servers don’t take the time to memorize them and even if they did, the descriptions are useless if the server doesn’t understand the terminology.
WINE VENDORS AND DISTRIBUTORS ARE NOT ALWAYS EXPERIENCED "TRAINERS“ Effective training is no accident. Casual operators know this.
TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON "WINE AND FOOD PAIRING“ In casual dining, the reality is that people order the food they like and the drink they like. That’s it. If you must train on this, keep it as simple as possible.

5. THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF MULTI-UNIT CASUAL DINING OPERATORS
Employee turnover is higher in casual dining.
Many servers are under the legal drinking age.
Training hundreds of units requires a different system than training one or two units.
Competition in casual dining is fierce.
Training programs need to be highly duplicable.
Training programs must make very efficient use of time.

6. UPSELLING IS “OUT,” SERVICE IS “IN”
Increased check averages should be the natural result of meeting guests’ needs.
You can’t give the guest what they want if you don’t know what they want.
Servers don’t like to “sell” and guests don’t like being “sold.”
The real “art” of selling is finding out what people want and then helping them get it.

7. THE ASCEND SYSTEM DEFINED
THE ASCEND SYSTEM -DIALOGS
HOW TO EXECUTE THE ASCEND SYSTEM
TIPS FOR SUCCESS

8. THE ASCEND SYSTEM DEFINED
The Ascend System is designed to address and overcome the primary reasons why wine goes unsold in casual restaurants:
Servers are uncomfortable bringing up the subject of wine at the table.
Customers may lack confidence in their own wine knowledge, and in the absence of assistance from the server, may not order any wine at all.

9. APPROACH… DISCOVER… RECOMMEND…
Instead of squandering valuable training time trying to teach servers wine knowledge and food and wine pairing, the Ascend System focuses on teaching servers how to:
APPROACH…
the table and bring up the subject of wine.
DISCOVER…
what the guests’ wine preferences are (if any).
RECOMMEND…
a wine that meets the guests’ preferences.

10. STEP 1: APPROACH… “Do we have any wine drinkers at the table?”
“So, who’s the wine expert here?”
“Have you seen our selection of wines by the glass?”
“Are you familiar with our wine program?”
“Have you had a chance to look over our wine list?”

11. STEP 2: DISCOVER… “Would you prefer red or white wine tonight?”
IF RED TRY:
“Do you like full-bodied reds or something on the lighter side?”
“Are you a Merlot drinker?”
IF WHITE TRY:
“Would you like something rich and full-flavored or something lighter and fruitier?
“Would you like to order a Chardonnay or something a little off the beaten path?”

12. STEP 3: RECOMMEND… TECHNIQUE #1 (The “Comforter” Close):
“If you like ______ , you would probably enjoy the ______ .”
TECHNIQUE #2 (The “In-Crowd” Close):
“We serve a lot of the ___________. It is ____________.”
TECHNIQUE #3 (The “Endorsement” Close):
“I really enjoy the ______________. It is ______________.”
TECHNIQUE #4 (The “Puppy Dog” Close):
“If you don’t like it, I’ll be happy to bring you something else.”

13. *VERY IMPORTANT:
After making your recommendation, keep quiet. Let the guest answer.
Don’t try to bail them out by giving them another minute or by making more suggestions.

14. HOW TO EXECUTE THE ASCEND SYSTEM
Schedule a server meeting.
Review with servers the “reasons why wine goes unsold in restaurants.”
Hand out the Wine Grid for your restaurant’s wines.
Briefly review the selection of wines your restaurant offers in terms of color, varietal and style.
Hand out the Ascend System training sheet.
Review the three steps of the Ascend System with the group.
Bring up several of your best servers to role-play in front of the group first.
Then make sure EVERYONE gets a chance to role play. (If the group is large, break them up into two or three smaller groups and assign a leader.)
Chart the progress of each server in glasses of wine sold per cover (not dollars, because you will be putting the emphasis on check average instead of the number of satisfied guests).
MAINTENANCE: Make sure new servers are introduced to the system and review with existing servers at least once per quarter.

15. TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Done correctly, the seminar to train Ascend should not take more than one hour and it can be completed in as little as 30 minutes.
Role-playing is an essential element for the success of this system because it gives the server confidence. Do not skip over this part.
Any wine knowledge training that you choose to add will enhance the Ascend System, but it is not necessary.
Recognize that no matter how well or often you train, 80% of your wine sales will always come from 20% of your servers. There is no perfect world.
This system works best when wines on the menu are listed in ascending order of style, instead of by varietal.

16. TRAINING SHEET STEP 1: APPROACH…
“Do we have any wine drinkers at the table?”
“So, who’s the wine expert here?”
“Have you seen our selection of wines by the glass?”
“Are you familiar with our wine program?”
“Have you had a chance to look over our wine list?”
STEP 2: DISCOVER…
“Would you prefer red or white wine tonight?”
IF RED TRY:
“Do you like full-bodied reds or something on the lighter side?”
“Are you a Merlot drinker?”
IF WHITE TRY:
“Would you like something rich and full-flavored or something lighter and fruitier?
“Would you like to order a Chardonnay or something a little off the beaten path?”
STEP 3: RECOMMEND…
TECHNIQUE #1 (The “Comforter” Close):
“If you like ______________ , you would probably enjoy the ______________ .”
TECHNIQUE #2 (The “In-Crowd” Close):
“We serve a lot of the ______________. It is ______________.”
TECHNIQUE #3 (The “Endorsement” Close):
“I really enjoy the ______________. It is ______________.”
TECHNIQUE #4 (The “Puppy Dog” Close):
“If you don’t like it, I’ll be happy to bring you something else.”
*VERY IMPORTANT: After making your recommendation, keep quiet. Let the guest answer.
Don’t try to bail them out by giving them another minute or by making more suggestions.

17. WINE GRID Light Medium Full
Fill in this chart with the wines on your list by putting each wine in the appropriate category.
Light
Medium
Full B L U S H W I T E R D

18. HELP
If you have any questions about putting together an Ascend training, or if you need additional materials or assistance, please call us at
For more information about Stimson Lane Vineyards and Estates and our portfolio of award-winning wines, please visit our website at
Thank you.