Former Deja Vu CEO, Ryan Carlson, explains why bartenders who think like salespeople consistently earn more and offers examples of “startender” selling techniques.
(Note: This article was written by Ryan Carlson and appears in the March 2026 issue of ED Magazine.)
There are many managers and owners in the bar industry who know, quite literally, nothing about bartending. There are even more who know virtually nothing about salesmanship. While these individuals may sign your paycheck, many of them arrived in their positions accidentally—through timing, favoritism or sheer luck—and have no real business telling you how to do your job. More importantly, these people will probably never be able to help you make more money behind the bar. Fortunately, you don’t need them.
Some of the highest-earning bartenders in the industry—what I like to call “startenders”—did not get there by following management manuals or corporate training videos. They earn more because they understand one simple truth: bartending is not about making drinks. It’s about selling them.
What follows is a collection of proven money-making principles drawn from the most successful startenders I’ve ever worked with or observed. These are the bartenders who dominate the bar top, command loyalty from guests and walk away with cash while everyone else is still counting change.
Redefining the job
The first step in making serious money is correctly defining your position. The dictionary defines a bartender as “a person who mixes and serves drinks at a bar.” This description is not only incomplete—it’s harmful. Mixing and serving drinks will generate minimal tips and minimal job security. Anyone can pour vodka into a glass. That alone does not justify premium earnings.
The correct definition is this: a bartender is a person who sells drinks. Once you accept that you are a salesperson first and a mixologist second, everything changes. Your priorities shift. Your language shifts. Your income shifts. Salesmanship becomes intentional rather than accidental, and tips stop being random acts of generosity and start becoming predictable results.
At this point, you might be asking, Why should I care about sales? After all, bartenders rarely receive a percentage of total revenue. The answer is twofold.
First, higher sales guarantee job security. Only the most incompetent managers fire top producers. When you are known as the bartender who moves product, fills seats and keeps guests spending, you become an asset—not an expense.
Second, higher sales guarantee higher tips. Guests almost universally calculate tips as a percentage of their total tab. That means your income is mathematically tied to how much you sell. Twenty percent of a $10 tab is $2. Twenty percent of a $60 tab is $12. Multiply that difference across dozens of guests per shift, and the math becomes undeniable. Once you internalize the relationship between sales and tips, you stop waiting for generosity and start engineering outcomes.
“Bartending isn’t hospitality first, it’s sales first. Hospitality just makes the sale easier.”
— Ryan Carlson
Sales principles every startender uses
Smile (Yes, it really matters!): Your face communicates your attitude long before your words do. Guests decide whether they like you—and whether they’ll spend money with you—within seconds. When you’re buried in tickets or having a bad night, it’s easy to forget this. But guests don’t come to bars to absorb your stress. They come to escape their own. Grumps don’t sell. Grumps don’t get tipped.
Master the greeting: Just like a first date, guests judge you almost immediately. A warm, confident greeting—especially one that includes their name—can be the difference between a five-minute, five-dollar tab and a five-hour, $150 experience.
Every guest should be acknowledged within one minute of sitting down. Cocktail napkin down. Eye contact made. “Hi! What’s your name? Bob? Nice to meet you, Bob. I’m Ryan—I’ll be taking care of you tonight.” That simple exchange builds rapport, trust and attention. People love hearing their own name, and people buy from those they feel seen by.
Product knowledge is non-negotiable: You cannot sell what you don’t understand. Guests expect light conversation, and the most effective small talk is small talk that sells. Knowing the origin of a wine, the history of a beer or a quick anecdote about a spirit allows you to guide decisions without pressure. Even basic flavor descriptions can dramatically influence buying behavior.
More importantly, when guests see that you’re making an effort to explain and recommend, they often feel compelled to reward that effort with a purchase—and a better tip.
Read the room: All the product knowledge in the world won’t sell a lavender-infused cocktail in a blue-collar sports bar. Context matters. Most bars will always be beer-and-burger joints, not champagne-and-lobster lounges. That said, almost every bar offers tiers—cheap, mid-range and premium. Your job is to guide guests upward within the environment you’re in, not fight against it.
Examples of bad selling techniques
“Can I get you something to drink?” “No, actually, I sat down at your bar and want absolutely no beverage service whatsoever,” said nobody ever. This greeting, both stupid and containing no sales technique, creates no opportunity to review premium offerings. Instead, it allows the guest to easily default to their cheapest “at home” beer choice or perhaps purchase nothing at all.
“What can I get you to drink?” This greeting, not much better, still gives you little opportunity to sell anything and, again, allows the guest to default to their low-profit “go-to” drink.
“Would you like to try our Cadillac Margarita?” This greeting, while the best so far, is still a yes-no question. A yes-no question is just a “no” waiting to happen. You are creating a 50% chance that the guest will turn you down. Any good sales technique does the opposite.
These are, sadly, the most common introductions in the bar industry, because management often fails to focus on training staff to sell. The reality is that to sell properly takes time and consistency with every single guest during every single interaction. A few good acronyms are ATS (Assume The Sale) and TTTS (Take Time To Sell). In other words, only propose options to the guest that you actually want them to buy, and take the time to talk slowly and clearly when selling, even if you’re busy.
Examples of good selling techniques
Testimonialize. “My favorite drink here is our Cadillac Margarita. Sometimes I can down two or three of them with my buddies.” This opening tells the guest that you’re willing to spend your own money on what you’re selling, making you seem relatable and disarming the guest from thinking you’re only trying to sell him. Virtually any menu item can be testimonialized, and it’s a very easy way to introduce an item without seeming out of place.
Use adjectives. “We make our Cadillac Margarita with an earthy, premium tequila, a tangy orange liqueur and a freshly squeezed lime. It’s not too sweet, not too strong and goes down smooth like candy.” When you describe your drinks with adjectives, it forces the guest to build a mental image. Not only does this break down a sales barrier, but now the guest is thinking about the taste, smell and sight of exactly what you want to sell, creating a craving.
Upsell. “We do have Bud Light, but we’ve actually been selling a lot more of this high-quality German Pilsner lately.” A guest with the wrong answer is just waiting for you to give him the right one. In the case of draft beers, you can even offer small samples to get the guest to try something new. Not only will most customers not say “no” to a free sample, but most will feel obligated to buy one afterwards.
Product pair. “You know, a round of Guinness isn’t complete without a shot of Jameson. It’s only an extra two dollars.” The nice thing is that shots can be paired with virtually anything. Having an established mental database of what menu items pair well with others is the best tactic. Other pairings, of course, can include certain wines with steaks, cigars with bourbon and many other combinations.
Assume refills. “Would you like to keep going with the Guinness or would you rather try one of our classic martinis?” Importantly, this assumes that the guest will want a refill (which is offered at 1/3rd full, never empty) and does not offer the guest the option to say no. Instead, they are only offered two premium options.
Dancer drinks. “Do you think your favorite dancer here likes red or white wine?” Selling a guest on buying drinks for dancers is easy because their ego will generally not allow them to turn you down in front of them. Moreover, they’re unlikely to be a poor tipper in front of a lady. While many clubs do not offer commission on dancer drinks (they should), accepting that larger tabs equate to larger tips still makes them a worthwhile endeavor for any bartender.
Play matchmaker. “If you’re into blonde dancers, Sally enjoys white wine and knows a lot about the city.” Don’t forget that guests are not your only source of tips. Dancers are likely to tip those who help them sell dances. Further, if a dancer knows that you’ll refer her business or if she needs a seat to socialize with a guest, she’ll pick your section, thereby increasing your sales and tips.
These are just some generic sales tips that I’ve seen many “startenders” employ over the years. Naturally, you likely have many of your own techniques and have developed your own sales style over time. What’s important for any successful bartender is that you never forget that, like most positions anywhere, bartending is a sales position first and foremost. Remember that, and your guests, the club owner and your bank account will thank you!
Ryan Carlson is the retired CEO of Deja Vu. His family still owns many adult clubs and bookstores nationally.
