Are you using Upselling?
Upselling is the process of adding to a sale-in-progress with a premium option or a package price. You see upselling in all industries, including discounts for adding items to your order and good-better-best packages that add bells and whistles with each price increase.
Upselling examples in different industries:
- “Would you like the extra-large fries for only 50 cents more?”
- “Would you like to add a two-year warranty?”
- “Upgrade to our gold plan to add full-support customer service.”
- “If you choose our spa package, it will add a facial and custom lotion for only $50 more.”
Cross-Selling is Similar
Cross-selling is offering complementary products in addition to what they’re already buying. You see this in online carts when they show you “Customers also bought” examples. A clothing salesperson may show you accessories for the dress you are purchasing. A car repair shop will see if you also need an oil change or new tires. Cross-selling educates customers about products they may not know you have. It includes the impulse items displayed at the checkout.
It Makes Money Sense
It takes time and energy to gain a customer. Put some thought into making the most of your cost to acquire them by increasing the average sale.
- Educate current and prospective customers about your range of services/products.
- Nurture the relationships, especially your valuable, current customers
- Build packages and incentives that offer what your customers want. Choosing a premium option must be a win-win situation. Since you have no new acquisition cost, you can afford to be generous.
Your current customers are SO important. They have more trust in you and a higher average order. They provide the best advertising, “word-of-mouth.”
Customizing Cross-Selling and Upselling
Think about your sales. What products complement each other? Be sure to look at the data of what is selling, and figure out why. Your customers are already providing you clues on how to meet their needs better. Which products are your customers surprised to find out you offer? What questions or confusion pop up routinely? Talk to them!
When you figure out what makes the most sense for your customers, what gives them the most value, arrange your products and packages accordingly. Your “Best” package offers them a great deal and allows you to make the most of the cost of acquiring them.
Mix up your cross-sell items to experiment, then continue with what works. For example, it is natural for me to sell website maintenance packages with a website design, but many customers need a handout and didn’t know I could create a trifold for them. The cross-sell or upsell works as education about your services.
For more examples, read this excellent article on Zapier.com. And for ideas on your proposals, check out this article.
