June,
2006
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Where Sales Meets Service: Up-Selling and Cross-Selling Made Fun & Easy! |
Would You Like Fries With That Order? While navigating an online bookstore I came across the James Frey book popularized by Oprah's book club: A Million Little Pieces. As I read about this book I was informed that "readers who bought A Million Little Pieces also bought the books Lies My President Told Me and Pinocchio." Folks, I was being cross-sold, yet I wasn't cross about it. The reality of business is that customers want to be sold. They love to buy for their own reasons. Not manipulatively bombarded with sales pitches or indiscriminately pressured with endless offerings, but intelligently informed, guided and suggested with related, logical and natural purchases that further their goals. Up-selling and cross-selling are two sales techniques used by professional sales and service staffs to increase sales. Are you making the most of your suggestive selling? UP with SellingUp-selling refers to situations where your customer buys a product or service, and you encourage them to spend more for additional features or packages. They are upping the amount they are spending, albeit for more or better services or products.
Sales Crossing Ahead Cross Selling refers to situations where a customer buys a product or service, and is simultaneously sold related items that often complement their purchase.
While we think of these as advanced sales techniques, they are actually rooted in the power of suggestion. People, once they've decided to buy, are naturally swayed by more and better options, additional value, and the excitement following their initial purchase. Many customers don't know about additional items or options, or how well they complement the initial item they bought. Up-selling enhances their initial purchase, making them more powerful, capable and effective. Cross-selling similarly enhances their purchase, often maximizing its impact on their business. Suggestive Selling Salient In Our Lives Quite frankly, we've been up-sold and cross-sold every day. And it's not necessarily a manipulative process. Consider the following examples:
I've worked with customer service staffs afraid to sell, others who felt it was manipulative and smarmy to sell. Yet here's a secret: It's really a form of service! True professionals are sincerely interested in bridging the gap and delivering great results. Service Through Sales When you up-sell and cross-sell:
Remember this, when you are the rep who is selling and serving:
So, how does one UPSELL or CROSS-SELL? It's easy. When You Play Bridge...You Avoid Leaving Money on the Table After you've completed the initial transaction or gotten the initial indication your customer wants to buy, you can then bridge to the Up- or Cross–Sell: Mr. Rhorbach, while I have you on the line…were you aware you can work in multiple advanced speech manuals at the same time? Oh, by the way Ms. Kitchel, did you know…that the book you bought for new hire also has a companion CD for just $9 more? Mr. Young, I'd like to take a moment to…inform you of a new nationwide program just for businesses such as yours… Incidentally…were you aware that you are 2/3's of the way toward qualifying for a discount on shipping of your office supplies? Using BRIDGE statements allows you to transition from your initial sale to up-sells and cross-sells. Pairing Your Products; String Your Services Together Look anew at the offerings you're selling. For each, what is an up-sell? What can you cross-sell with it? Make sure your salespeople know the migration paths so they can suggestively up- and cross-sell with ease. In closing, I'd like to thank you for your engagement with this material. Before concluding, could I interest any of you in a related article on up-selling and cross-selling? Perhaps you'd prefer a training course on suggestive selling? Shall I customize that for you? Consider yourself super-sized! As Clint Eastwood would say: "For A Few Dollars More..."
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