Upsell Techniques that Work Every Time

Not too long ago I was in the Boston Logan Airport at the newspaper stand, and as I was in line I noticed that the cashier asked every single customer at the point of purchase if they wanted gum, mints or candy in addition to their purchase.

Most people said no, but a couple people said yes. When the cashier asked me if I wanted gum, mints or candy, at first I said no, and then I looked down at the gum and thought to myself, “Gee, gum does sound good,” and I picked out a pack and bought it. This very simple upsell technique changed the way I’ve looked at selling. We always need to offer more.

Here are a few upsell techniques that will work every single time.

#1. Have multiple options in your proposals. Most proposals offer one solution to the prospects’ challenges. This is a huge loss of opportunity because if the salesperson had simply offered multiple options in a proposal, then the prospect would have been able to choose from one of multiple options in a range of prices—thereby increasing the likelihood of a sale.

The first option should always be the least expensive, and the third option should always be the most expensive and offering the most value.

#2. Pile on value into higher-end options. In your proposal, which will now feature multiple options from which the prospect can choose, the higher-end options should come with as much value as possible.

Make it so irresistible to the prospect to buy the higher-end option with all of its extra value that she has no choice but to choose that higher-end option. This is going to increase the likelihood that the prospect will purchase a larger sale from you.

#3. If you sell products, offer a service and vice versa. If you’re in the business of selling products to your prospects, then create a service that can be sold in addition to your product. Think of the last time you went to Best Buy and bought a TV. Whenever you go to Best Buy and buy a TV you’ll get an offer of a warranty package. That warranty package can be hundreds of dollars and is a huge upsell opportunity for Best Buy.

Think the same way as these large retailers. When you sell a product, offer a service that would complement that product so that the prospect says, “Sure, I could use that as well.”

Now, if you sell a service, offer a product that will complement that service so that the prospect will be enticed into buying it. Even if this increases sales just a little bit, over the course of a year these increases will really add up to a significant impact on your bottom line.

Apply these three upsell techniques to increase the average size of your sales and thereby dramatically increase your bottom line. After all, these techniques have probably worked on you as a customer many times over. Which of these three tips is most useful to you? Please share below in the comments.