profile

Nudge Newsletter

Why does a dessert trolley boost sales by 300%? | Nudge Newsletter

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Showcase Operational Transparency

​Read online​

In Will Guidara's book Unreasonable Hospitality, he talks about a dessert trolley.

It's a small anecdote in a book about the "world's best restaurant".

He took Eleven Madison Park from zero to three Michelin stars.

And yet, the dessert trolley story sticks in my mind.

Will stacked the trolley with pies, cakes, and tarts and pushed them by the table.

He did this during lunch when even the most ravenous diners avoided dessert.

Before the trolley, dessert sales were close to $0.

After the trolley, dessert sales went up by 300%¹

Why?

Operational transparency

Customers behave differently when they see the goods.

Ryan Buell set up a study² in 2015 to test this.

He redesigned the university canteen to make the sandwich counter visible.

For the experiment:

  • Some students could see sandwiches being made
  • Some students couldn't see sandwiches being made

Those customers (who waited longer) but saw the sandwiches being made:

  • Perceived the value of the sandwich at 45-55% higher.
  • This is surprising as they waited 4x longer!
  • Since the sandwiches were pre-made, transparency didn’t make the food or service objectively better; it only changed customer perceptions.

I think the same happens with Will's dessert trolley.

Sales increase simply because seeing the fresh desserts will boost perceived value.

The takeaway is simple: show your products, don't hide them away.

Speaking of which ... big thanks to today's sponsors!

Sponsored by: The Rundown.ai​

Start learning AI in 2025

Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI. It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day. Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

​

Cheers Phill!

P.S. My Nudge Unit kicks off in just over a week.

Want to apply behavioural science to your business problems? Sign up here.

¹Guidara, W. (2022). Unreasonable hospitality: The remarkable power of giving people more than they expect. Optimism Press. Page 174.

​

²Buell, R. W., Kim, T., & Tsay, C.-J. (2015). Creating reciprocal value through operational transparency (Working Paper No. 14-115). Harvard Business School.

​

As a behavioural science practitioner, I believe in the peak-end rule*

​Tune into Nudge | Advertise here | Unsubscribe

Nudge Newsletter

Phill Agnew

I spend 18 hours each week turning marketing psychology into readable newsletters.

Read more from Nudge Newsletter

Give Bonuses Upfront? Read online What would happen if bonuses were paid upfront? Almost every company pays out bonuses AFTER targets are hit. But why don’t companies pay bonuses BEFORE and withdraw the money if targets are missed? I accept that it could be a logistical challenge, but the potential benefits are huge. On page 71 of The Influential Mind, Tali Sharot¹ shares an eye-opening study. One group of teachers were given $4,000 and told that the money would be taken away if their...

6 days ago • 1 min read

Never Lead With Negativity Read online Last week, a student enrolled in the Nudge Unit asked me: Should I show my negative reviews? The answer is yes but with a heavy caveat. Studies show that consumers prefer a 4.8-star rating to a 5-star rating¹. The 4.8 rating feels more believable and trustworthy. So, you'll need to include a few negative reviews. In fact, an analysis of New York Times book reviews found that negative reviews increased sales by 45%² for unknown authors. A poorly reviewed...

13 days ago • 1 min read
Me talking at iMark conference.

Distinct But Not Different Read online Last week, I gave a keynote speech in Reykjavík for the ÍMARK conference. Want me to speak at your event? Email me (I'll give you mates' rates) I spoke about standing out and why marketers are obsessed with differentiation. It all starts with the Von Restorff effect. Distinct images stick in our minds 👇 Distinct items stand out in our minds. Not only are distinct things 30x¹ more memorable, they bend our perception. That's why the heavy metal band Party...

20 days ago • 1 min read