Whatever your business you will encounter opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling every single day. Whether you have a restaurant and offer larger portions or side dishes, or run a shop and promote warranties on gadgets or additional “must-haves” at the till, these occasions should be taken seriously.
We have seven top tips to help you create extra opportunities for additional sales, and make the most of them.
1. Be natural. A lot of selling opportunities arise naturally. For example, when you sell a tennis pair of running shoes, also offer socks, a water bottle, a hat and nutrition. It can be as simple as mentioning that other products are available in order to make the sale.
2. Give expert advice. Making customers aware that an expert recommends a particular product is a great way to make extra sales. Customers will look for things such as chef’s recommendations and endorsements from celebrities and athletes and use them when deciding between options. If you sell something that has recently been endorsed then make a song and dance about it in your store.
3. Train your staff. All employees should be trained in cross-selling techniques. But these skills must be based on serving the customer and tending to their needs (even if they don’t realise they have a need) and not simply selling more stock. Ensure they can talk about how an additional item would complement the purchase.
4. Get the timing right. Selling additional or bigger/more expensive products can happen at different times, depending on the product/service and situation. If a customer is looking at a laptop but is unsure whether a cheaper model offers the right features, suggest a higher-priced gadget. While trying a pair of jeans on, an assistant might suggest a pair of shoes that would look great. On the other hand, things such as warranties and batteries can only be offered once a decision has been made.
5. Make the most of your website. Your online presence can be a great way to easily encourage additional purchases. Have a “customers also bought” or “similar items you might like” box to highlight items similar to those a customer has viewed or placed in their basket.
6. Offer variety. When you offer extra items be sure to include a variety of price points. Lower-cost things are more likely to be bought on impulse, but higher-cost things can still appeal if they meet customer needs. custom baseball stirrup socks