Published August 17, 2022
You know that the key to success is finding new clients and keeping the ones you have. But did you know that one of the best ways to do both is to upsell and cross-sell your products and services?
Upselling is offering a client a better, more expensive version of what they were going to purchase. Cross-selling is offering them a related product or service.
Let’s say you own a software product for B2B client management. Upselling would be offering your client more functionality to manage the client journey, such as an advanced version of your software that turns call transcripts into action items. Cross-selling would be offering them other products, such as an AI assistant app or revenue intelligence software.
Both upselling and cross-selling can be effective ways to boost your sales and profits. But how do you do this without being pushy or annoying your clients?
Here are some tips on how to upsell and cross-sell:
Make sure your employees are trained on upselling and cross-selling techniques. Each team member should be working towards upselling and cross-selling in a similar fashion, using tried and tested methods.
This doesn’t just mean working from an upselling and cross-selling script, though a standard template can be useful. It means knowing the best ways to talk your specific clients into a sale, what their interests and motives are, how your products can benefit them. There are plenty of upselling strategies out there, and your team should pick the ones that work for you.
Let your clients know about all of the products and services you offer. It may well be that they don’t know about your full range of services, and that they would prefer to buy from you given the choice.
Be clear about what your services could do for them, and how related products and services will enhance their revenues. Nothing seals a deal like showing how it will benefit the bottom line.
Special offers on upsells and cross-sells can grab clients’ attention. This might mean providing an improved service, a cheaper upgrade, or bundling together a useful set of software.
Give existing clients a certain level of preference. This will make them feel special, give them a reason to buy more from you, and provide an incentive to do it quickly while the offer’s still there.
Make sure that the upsell or cross-sell is relevant to the client’s needs. They don’t want to waste their time listening to a pitch for an irrelevant service, or to pay for a product that won’t help them.
Be genuine in your recommendations and ensure that what you are offering will actually benefit them. This sort of behaviour not only garners trust between you and your client, but helps them to perform better, meaning the client will stay in profit and stay with you for longer.
By following these tips, you can start successfully upselling and cross-selling to your clients today.