By Jacklin Altman
Most of us recognize up-selling in its most basic form: ÂWould you like fries with that? Cross-selling too, “would you like to pair that with a soda?” Sticking with that same example, if just half of the people asked say yes, think about that bump in revenue.
Seems pretty nice, doesnÂt it?
Up-selling and cross-selling are valuable skills that you should engrain into all of your sales and customer service representatives. If a customer comes to you looking to buy a certain item, there is no harm in suggesting an upgraded version or attempting to cross sell an item that would pair nicely with it.
Who knows, they might love the pairing and always buy both from now on. They might recommend those items to their friends and so on. Now youÂve started a chain reaction that is sure to boost revenue.
Now, you see the benefits of up-selling and cross-selling but how do you go about it? Train your people. Have your customer service representatives be as well-versed in sales as your sales people. You will increase the efficiency of your workforce while simultaneously increasing your bottom line. There are many ways to go about educating your employees, and what you choose is entirely up to you.
You could go the old-fashioned route and hold a seminar where you, a sales rep, or a hired professional could teach up-selling and cross-selling tactics.
You could distribute reading material (though there is the chance that it will be ignored).
You could also try to pair your customer service reps with your sales reps to have your salespeople teach some of their best tips and tricks to your customer service employees. This will help foster healthy inter-workplace relationships, while also cross training your employees.
Additionally, your customers benefit. Their needs are better met when they receive better products and upgraded services, and more satisfied customers mean more customers, period.
A word of caution; avoid being too sales-y. People are quick to catch on when theyÂre being fooled, so donÂt lie to your customers. Give them honest facts as to why your product is superior to others, and why they should buy an upgraded version or another item with it. If they politely refuse, donÂt push it. You risk upsetting customers and scaring away business if you push too hard, so learn to suggest rather than force. Still not quite sure how to up-sell? Check out these up-selling and cross-selling tactics that work.
With you, your employees, and your customers all potentially benefiting, don’t delay. Train your customer service operators (as well as your salespeople) to up-sell and cross-sell to ensure that your company stays profitable and your customers receive the best products and services possible.
