Upselling involves adding another product or service to a sale. It differs fromupselling, which consists in increasing the value of the product sold.
Benefits
- Easy to use
- You can easily make the first sale at a low price and then increase the total value of the sale.
- We’re not taking any risks, because we’ve secured the initial sale.
Sales method
The classic method is to sell the basic product or service first, then offer additional options.
Another solution is to proceed in three stages:
- Selling the basic solution
- Offer complementary products
- Come back with a larger, but more advantageous package. This is the menu versus a la carte technique. Sometimes, this package is more expensive. For example, if a customer decides to order a starter and main course for $30, we offer the menu for $40, but this includes dessert and a drink. The overall price is higher, but the overall offer is more interesting for the customer.
Sales stages
- Preparation
- Customer welcome
- Listening to your needs
- Proposed solution
- Sale of complementary products or services
- Answering objections
- Bundle, also known as special offer or menu
- Closing the sale
Conclusion
Complementary selling isn’t always appropriate in business, but it’s the simplest and most widely used sales technique in personal selling: the salesperson secures the sale, can improve it, and quickly get back on track if necessary. It’s a must for every salesperson, and every company should train its customer relations agents.
