Replacing the Smile

Spiderman, Marvin the Martian, Ghostface from Scream. What do they all have in common? You can’t fully see their faces, yet somehow, they manage to pump a little joy (or fear!) into our lives. They are able to create emotion without using their mouths. COVID-19 has changed the way we experience beer. No longer can we easily and safely interact with strangers, customers, friends, and family - a huge part of the community created in a taproom. No longer can a bartender flash a quick smile as a welcoming gesture or a subtle way to thank a guest.

While COVID-19 has changed the way we interact, it has not changed the ultimate goal. You are in it to sell beer. You have already dealt with taproom closures, and what did you do? Bootstrap it and learn how to sell online. Find ways to offer curbside and delivery. You made the most you could out of an unfortunate situation. With taprooms beginning to reopen, we are now faced with another challenge. How to replace the smile.

Before we discuss how you can replace the smile, let’s look at other examples of when you’re unable to actually use a smile and employ unique methods to replicate the emotion. Think sending a text message to your best friend, followed by your favorite emoji demonstrating your feelings. Does this help? Yes. Is it the same as seeing an actual face? No. How about on Halloween? This is an occasion we’re accustomed to dressing up and wearing masks. These masks are quite a bit different than those worn for protection, but they can also serve as an example. When we wear a Halloween mask, we are playing a character. It is our job to portray that persona through all our non-facial behaviors.

As a disclaimer, the smile is near impossible to replace; however, we will discuss methods you can use to recreate the power of a friendly face. So how can we make up for the feelings that the smile creates? We can do this by utilizing your ability to heighten your guests’ five senses.

Let’s start with smell. When referring to smell, I don’t mean picking out the most floral body fragrance you can find (it goes without saying that you and your staff should always keep personal hygiene a top priority). I mean creating the best overall scent in your brewery that is pleasing to the guests. Typically, guests don’t like to walk into an establishment and get punched in the face with bleach from fresh mopped floors. However, with cleanliness and sanitation top priorities, a clean aroma can be desired in non-overwhelmingly levels. Even more desirable are the smells straight from your brewhouse. Guests love to smell your brewers in action. I know I get excited when I get a nice whiff of the mash. Your guests do, too, and this makes them a little bit happier. If you’re a brewpub, the smells from your kitchen dishing out delicious offerings can also benefit your guests’ experience.

This practice actually has a name: scent marketing. According to FragrenceX, a company that specializes in perfume and cologne, scent marketing is the practice of using a pleasant aroma to enhance a company’s brand image, improve customer experience, and increase sales. The fantastic aroma coming from your local bakery or even the peppers and onions at your local stadium’s concessions stand aren’t just for the customers already in line. They’re to help drive traffic and convince potential customers to make a purchase. Make the most of the smells in your brewery, and utilize not just scent marketing, but sensory marketing as a whole. The sense of smell leads directly into your guests’ sense of taste, which needs no further explanation in its role at your brewery.

In a world before COVID-19, many breweries encouraged guests to touch products prior to buying. People love holding things and it gives them the sense of how their life would be if it were theirs. Imagine the feelings of driving behind the wheel of a fancy sports car, if that’s your thing. The adrenaline, the joy, the sense of power. All of these emotions drive you to potentially make that purchase. At a brewery, it’s always nice for a customer to touch your merchandise before buying. Is your 10th anniversary t-shirt as comfy as they’d like? How does your limited-edition glass feel in their hand? Are the super cool brewery socks warm enough for a trip to the mountains? The ability to touch can lead to a purchase.

So with the objective of less contact, how can you utilize touch to benefit your taproom? Think comfort. What at your brewery helps create a greater sense of comfort? Let’s start with your bar stools and seats. Guests like to sit down where they feel comfortable. Give them a seat that hurts, they may not have that second beer. Present them a place to hang out where there’s an inherent joy to just being there and they’re more apt to spend more time.

You can also utilize single use items to play on their sense of touch. Have a staff member come by and safely hand guests hop pellets that are being currently used in the boil. Give your guests a small dash of malt. Let them feel the grains. These touch points, all pun intended, add to their experiences. Be sure to provide guests an easy way to dispose of them after. They’ll appreciate you going the extra mile to make their experience more hands on.

The sense of hearing is one that should always be utilized, and even more so when the mouth isn’t visible. Science teaches us that speech sounds that are hard to hear, like a “p” in “sphere,” are easier to pick up visually. Thus, your mouth’s movement helps others hear you better. Without the visual from the mouth, we must make sure we’re listening extra close. Speaking to a guest in a loud and busy taproom can be difficult, and the ability to read lips can help understand their order. No longer able to do this, please focus even harder on listening. Lowering the music volume just a tad in your taproom may also help with this.

In addition to paying more attention to what your guest says (and this isn’t to say you shouldn’t always pay attention!), also keep your eyes on them. Visual distractions can hurt your ability to hear what your guests are saying. Your sense of sight is vital to show taproom guests that they matter. Give them your undivided attention.

From your guests’ perspective, make sure everything they need to see, is easy to see. This includes general signage of where to order, where the restrooms may be, a clear view of the menu, and a calendar of upcoming events. With human interaction reduced, let visuals tell your story in situations where it can still provide the relevant information. Moreover, we are all experiencing new procedures at not just breweries, but all businesses in general. The more clear you make your guests visit, the more positive the experience will be.

While all of these senses can greatly contribute to your guests’ experiences, the smile is the true heart of all customer facing businesses. Ever had someone thank you profusely for visiting their business with a frown? Weird, right. It doesn’t go over well. A smile can make someone’s day and provide the perfect reaction. A smile can convey happiness and appreciation without any words to accompany. Make your guests feel welcomed without facial expression. Below are five strategies, centered around typical mouth functions, that you can pivot.

1.       Use your words. When a guest’s visit begins with a sincere greeting and ends with a thank you, that guest is 32 percent more likely to recommend and return to your brewery than when they don’t receive either. Let your guest know how much you value that they chose to visit brewery. Your personality can radiate in a similar manner to your smile. Let is shine.

2.       Don’t just use your words, use your voice. Let your excitement be heard through the way you speak. Simple changes in your intonation, the rise and fall of your tone, can express different emotions. The phrase “It’s great to see you today” can be spoken with various levels on energy. When said flatly, it is lacking in sincerity. When spoken with a little gusto it can be an expression of excitement.

3.       Use your hands. Often, I get told that I move my hands a little too much when I speak. Well, guess what? If you can’t see my enthusiasm through my smile, I’m definitely going to let my passion speak through my gestures. Get animated when explaining your current beers on tap. Point at different places in the brewery when explaining the brewing process to a guest. “This is where we brew the beer” and “this is where our quality control experts test each batch to assure quality.” Actions can speak louder than words, and unfortunately are much more visible than your smile. Additionally, something as simple as placing a guest’s drink or flight in front of them carefully as you introduce it can demonstrate your happiness to serve.

4.       Your face isn’t all about just your mouth. Everyone has different movements that accompany your mouth when it speaks. Some people’s eyes open wider when surprised. A person’s forehead may wrinkle when confused or sad. A face may lengthen as a result of a person opening their mouth wide when in awe. Eyebrows move, too, depending on your mood. Don’t forget those cheeks! Many peoples’ cheeks get a little raised when they’re happy. While not fully visible behind a face mask, the movement can still be noticeable. Facial expressions can help convey emotion when your smile cannot.

5.       Ok, this one is kind of a cheat. Draw a smile on your face mask with a non-toxic marker. Safety is your personality. Even consider ordering branded face masks for your brewery. These could also be a potential merch item. Has anyone attaching a red beard to face mask yet?

Do not let face masks scare you and your guests. They are merely another hurdle we must face in the quest to normalcy, or whatever that may end up being. Use the face mask as motivation to create new streams of creativity. Challenge yourself and your staff to discover non-traditional methods to communicate and connect. Guests appreciate your ability to innovate their experience just as much as they do your skill to constantly strive to brew the best beer possible.

We would love to offer any brewery that reaches out after reading this article one free Secret Hop*. Please email andrew@secrethopper.com to schedule. Cheers!

*1 free visit per brewery per calendar year