How To Upsell: 16 Tactics That Work

Updated:
December 3, 2024
Created:
December 12, 2022

Upselling and cross-selling methods are essential to increasing a company's revenue. Upselling should be optimized with strategies that work. Read on to learn how targeted upselling strategies can substantially increase your revenue.

What Is Upselling?

Upselling is a sales strategy in which you try to convince customers to buy a premium version of the goods or services they are currently using or considering. Generally, upselling techniques require you to take on various needs instead of focusing on one idea.

Upselling vs. Cross-Selling

Contrary to cross-selling, a sales strategy designed to promote complementary, non-competitive items, upselling is not the same. Upselling, for instance, is persuading a customer to buy a better television model than the one they are considering when you are selling them a television. Cross-selling involves recommending a sound system to go with it.

Why Is Upselling Important?

  • It's a great way to strengthen ties with satisfied customers and boost sales.
  • It's far simpler to sell more to your current customers than it is to get new ones.
  • Upselling results in higher Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).
  • You get returning customers by providing quality products and services that guarantee customer satisfaction.

Benefits of Upselling

Here are some benefits of upselling:

Boosts Revenue

Using an efficient upsell approach may significantly boost earnings. Upselling allows customers to offer more value, which causes your customers to upgrade to higher-priced plans or items from your brand.

Increases the Value Proposition for the Platform

The credit for any upselling offered to customers by an intermediary channel belongs to that particular channel. However, having a direct channel will strengthen your value proposition and enable you to compete with intermediaries. Please keep in mind that your customers will associate your brand name with your direct channel.

Increases Trust and Commitment

Suppose a consumer decides to purchase one of your upgraded or premium version services or products and is satisfied with their purchase. In that case, they will likely become more loyal to your company in the future. They enjoy re-engaging with a brand when they receive a product that is relevant to them and offers genuine value.

Raise Your Brand's Value With Each Sale

It's crucial to remember that the chance of sales is roughly [60–70%] higher with an existing customer base than with brand-new clients. It's evident that focusing on current clients is the smarter choice, and upselling makes that possible. Additionally, providing value-added services and upgrades can increase the order value more quickly.

Increases Client Retention

Customers typically seek out goods and services that can solve problems rather than making impulsive purchases. When a company successfully upsells, it enables customers to receive beneficial assistance above and beyond their expectations. As a result, it has the potential to increase revenues by 43% while also improving customer retention.

How to Upsell in 4 Steps

You've already built trust with the lead; now is the time to turn it into maximum sales. Here's how to accomplish that.

Support the First Purchase

You cannot expect to upsell without first attending to the client's initial needs. Therefore, focus on selling the initial item of equipment or merchandise before attempting to sell the client an addition. The upsell happens after the sales cycle and, in certain circumstances, even after the first transaction.

Introduce the Add-On

You should then introduce the add-on item or service. Your choice of goods or services will determine whether or not add-ons receive a positive outcome. Add-on products should be relevant, valuable, and closely related to the original item or product.

Outline the Benefits

Explaining the benefits is the third phase in add-on selling. So, you should tell the customer why they need that supplementary product. However, you should concentrate on its value or the business benefits it will get as a result rather than listing its features. Ensure you are prepared with the necessary proof, such as case studies, client testimonials, or photos.

Complete the Sale

The fourth and last step is to complete the transaction. The good news is that if you explained and demonstrated the benefits and reasons the client should buy the add-on item, you should have a relatively simple time persuading the client to do so.

Types of Customers You Will Interact With

Customers are crucial to every business. Customers in the retail sector can be divided into five categories:

Loyal Customers

These clients are a minority of the customer base, yet they contribute most of the revenue. As the name suggests, loyal customers are devoted, highly value a product, and are likely to suggest the company's products to others. As a result, it's crucial to ask for their opinions and involve them in the decision-making process within the company.

Impulse Customers

These buyers don't have anything in particular in mind and simply buy whatever strikes their fancy. The best customers to upsell to are impulse buyers, and they are the second most desirable segment to target after loyal buyers. Impulsive buyers are typically open to product recommendations.

Discount Customers

These are regular shoppers whose purchasing decisions are mostly influenced by price reductions. Discount customers tend to be the least loyal group of customers, are resistant to upselling, and generally leave when better price reductions are available elsewhere.

Need-Based Customers

These customers make purchases based on a pressing need. These customers are difficult to upsell because they buy for a specific purpose or event. It is significant to note that customers with needs can easily be attracted to other businesses. To keep this customer loyal, starting a positive personal relationship with them is crucial.

Wandering Customers

Most of the company's traffic is generated by wandering consumers, yet they account for the smallest share of sales income. They are more interested in the visual shopping experience and don't have any particular needs or wants in mind. Although this market segment generates the least amount of sales revenue, educating these customers about the products can pique their interest and eventually lead to a purchase.

What is CLV and How Do I Calculate It?

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a metric used to describe how much money a company can expect to make overall from a typical customer for the duration that person or account stays a customer. It's best to consider both the total average profit and the total average revenue that a customer generates when calculating CLV. Each offers crucial information about how customers engage with your company and whether your overall marketing strategy is performing as expected.

How to Calculate Customer Lifetime Value

You can use the steps and formula listed below to calculate customer lifetime value manually.

Calculate Your Average Order Value: Start by calculating the average sale value. If you haven't been keeping track of this data for very long, you might want to consider using a one- or three-month span as a stand-in for the entire year.

Determine The Average Number Of Transactions Per Period: Do people come in a few times a week, like they might at a coffee shop, or once every few years, like they might at a car dealership? Visitation rates are a key factor in customer lifetime value.

Measure the Retention of Your Customers: Finally, you should research the typical duration of a customer's loyalty to your brand. Loyalty to some brands may last a lifetime, especially among consumer electronics and automobile consumers. Others may have much less devoted customers, such as gas stations or retail chains.

Customer Lifetime Value Formula

The calculation for customer lifetime value is as follows:

Average Transaction Size x Transaction Volume x Retention Period = CLV

These factors all contribute to the expansion of your CLV and may be adjusted as needed. Nevertheless, every decision your company makes could have unintended consequences that affect CLV. For instance, a price increase may increase your average transaction size, but it may also cause customers to make fewer purchases or seek out less expensive options.

What is CRR and How to Calculate It?

Customer retention refers to a range of actions taken to maintain clients for the long term and convert them into loyal consumers. Harvard Business School research shows that even a 5% increase in customer retention rates can boost a company's profits by 25–95%. The ultimate objective is to increase first-time customers' lifetime value and turn them into returning customers.

Why is Customer Retention Important?

Higher revenues - According to data, existing customers account for 65% of a company's revenue, and increasing customer retention by 5% can boost profits by anywhere between 25% and 95%.

Lower Cost Compared To Client Acquisition - According to Econsultancy, 82% of businesses say that customer retention is far less expensive than customer acquisition.

Advocates for Your Brand - Loyal consumers are great because they will talk positively about your company to others.

Increased AOV – Retaining current customers is not only much more cost-effective, but these customers are also willing to spend more money over time.

How to Calculate Your Customer Retention Rate

The customer retention rate (CRR) demonstrates the proportion of customers that a business has maintained over time. To get your CRR, subtract the number of new customers gained from the number of customers still in your customer base after the period. To compute the percentage, divide this figure by the initial total number of clients and multiply by 100. Which is:

CRR = ((Customers at the end of a specified period - New customers during this specified period) / Total customers at the beginning of the period) x 100

Customer retention rate is the opposite of customer churn, the proportion of customers a business has lost over a certain period.

Retail Selling Techniques

Retail selling techniques interact with customers to introduce them to items and establish a relationship. If you're a retailer looking to boost sales, consider implementing any of these strategies:

SPIN Selling

The acronym SPIN stands for Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need payoff. This technique is useful in retail since it increases the chance of closing complex and challenging deals. When you and your employees use SPIN selling strategies in retail, you can adapt to each customer's unique stage in the purchase process using four distinct approaches.

Situation: In this phase of the purchase process, you inquire about the shopper's present conditions. Don't try to close any deals just yet. For instance, if you own a skincare store, you would want to find out what draws customers in. Do they want to try something new, or do they want to restock their favorite products?

Problem: Here, you should inquire about the customer's concerns and offer reassurance that you are there to assist them.

Implication: This is the point when you may present your items and explain how they are the answer to the shopper's problem. Deliver product demos and explain how your products will solve the customer's problems.

Need Payoff: Closing the deal is the primary goal during this final step. The goal is to finish the transaction and express gratitude for their patronage.

SNAP Selling

The goal of SNAP Selling is to keep the customer's attention throughout the whole buying process by streamlining and speeding up the sales process. Four components make up the SNAP sales framework:

Be "S"imple: These days' consumers have less time and more information coming to them than ever before. Your goal should be to streamline your customers' decision-making process so they can quickly and easily purchase what you're offering.

Remain i"N"valuable: Given the plethora of options available, it is essential to inform consumers about the unique selling points of your products and how they will address their needs.

Always "A"lign: Seventy-one percent of customers say they are more likely to purchase from a company that shares their values. The more compatible your values are with those of your target audience, the easier it will be to win them over and keep them as consumers.

Enhance "P"riorities: Those who have limited time to go shopping typically make a list of what they need to get in order of importance. Don't lose sight of what the consumer wants, and don't waste your time attempting to offer them something they aren't interested in.

Solution Selling

Solution selling refers to a method of doing business that prioritizes satisfying the customer's needs over generating a fast sale. To do this successfully, you must first learn about the customer's problems and goals before making product recommendations.

Suggestive Selling

Suggestion selling consists of two parts:

  • Cross-Selling: You recommend that customers make secondary purchases that complement the main one.
  • Upselling: You steer consumers toward a more expensive and advanced version of the product they plan to buy.

If you want to succeed in suggestive selling, you need to ensure the goods you offer 

help your customers and satisfy their demands.

Best Practices to Encourage Customers to Engage

The term "customer engagement" refers to any effort made to influence a customer's attitude or behavior in favor of your company or brand, whether online or offline. To create a loyal customer base, consider the following consumer engagement strategies:

Improve Customer Experiences

First, you must list all the methods you use to engage with consumers to ensure that you give remarkable customer experiences. Examine your customer service channels, whether physical stores, online forums, social media, email, a call center, or something else entirely, to find out how you can make them better.

Put Push Notifications to Use

An important part of consumer engagement is sending gentle reminders of what you provide. Thankfully, push notifications are a fantastic tool for just that purpose. Through push notifications, customers can be alerted to sales, events, or news. However, it's important not to spam clients with frequent notifications.

Use Conversational Marketing to Your Advantage

Customers want the freedom to interact with their favorite brands, online store, and eCommerce businesses whenever and wherever it's most convenient for them. Conversational marketing solutions, such as chatbots, may be a tremendous benefit for businesses that can't always give that kind of interaction at all hours of the day. If the conversation goes smoothly, the consumer won't care that they're conversing with a bot. The fact that the customer's needs are being met is what really counts.

Concentrate On Customer Retention

Existing customers are invaluable since they spend more money, make more purchases, and spread the word to their friends and family, many of whom end up buying the product or service themselves. Customers are more likely to be loyal to a company if they enjoy a series of good, reliable, and beneficial experiences with that business.

Improve the Effectiveness of Your Social Media Promotion

There is a lot of competition for consumers' attention on social media platforms. Businesses should take the time to thoroughly and correctly respond to customer concerns since they are also chances for engagement. Posting frequently and consistently is also crucial.

Win People Over With Videos

Without a doubt, video is one of the most effective promotional tools out there. Successfully engaging an audience with video storytelling is a challenge. People's minds are hardwired to follow stories. Brand films that tell compelling tales will go much further in helping businesses attract and retain customers.

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16 Proven Strategies for Upselling

Every retailer strives to increase its sales income. To increase sales, however, it is necessary to learn how to approach clients in a persuasive way without being aggressive. To help you close more sales, we've compiled a list of 16 key retail selling strategies:

  1. Create a Positive First Impression

Our natural tendency is to lead the conversation and direct the topic, but that approach doesn't work out so well when trying to understand your customer's needs. To encourage shoppers to engage in conversation, ask a question that compels the customer to speak about themselves. It's a great method to start a conversation with your consumers.

  1. Be Careful What You Say

Avoid bad-mouthing your competitors. Customers are turned off when a business openly criticizes a competing brand or product. Acknowledge the customer's remark or comment and turn it into a chance to tell them more about your own products rather than your competitors.

  1. Remember the Importance of Body Language

The success of your business depends on your ability to engage with consumers, making this a crucial skill in retail sales. Make an effort to be welcoming, kind, and well-presented at all times.

  1. Never Forget That Little Is More

Some shops believe expanding customers' range of options is crucial. Many of us experience decision fatigue due to the increased number of choices we are required to make daily. As a result, it's preferable to provide fewer high-quality options as opposed to a wide variety of products.

  1. Form the Habit of Attentive Listening

The key to increasing sales is listening attentively to consumers to tailor your approach to their needs. You and your team should practice active listening to better connect with customers and make them feel as though they are being heard and understood.

  1. Tell Stories to Convince People to Buy

Storytelling can be a powerful tool in sales because it allows you to connect with customers on a personal level and maintain their interest. Humans are naturally drawn to stories, as I said before.

  1. Make Product Demos and Testing Available

Providing customers with hands-on opportunities to try out your items is a great approach to boosting sales. You could have testing stations around the store so customers can test things independently, or you could set up a demo station and have an employee supervise it.

  1. Educate Customers

Customers will be more inclined to purchase your items if they have more information. You can hold in-store gatherings or workshops to impart knowledge and how your goods address specific issues. In addition to a monthly newsletter and social media, you can start a blog and post informative articles on the benefits of your products.

  1. Add Clienteling to Your Sales Strategy

Clienteling is a technique used to interact with customers and tailor services to their needs. For this to work, you'll need to keep track of your customers' purchase histories and get to know each customer better so that you can maintain a relationship with them and keep them coming back for more. Apps for virtual shopping and clienteling allow you to accomplish this as well.

  1. Create a Feeling of Urgency through Scarcity

People place a higher value on items that are rarer and a lesser value on those that are easily accessible. This tactic can artificially reduce a product's supply so that it appears unique and limited. In this way, you'll stimulate buying and create a sense of urgency.

  1. Be Persistent but Non-Obtrusive

Never make a consumer feel like they are helping you generate money; instead, make them feel like you are assisting them and offering value.

  1. Be Honest

Shoppers can detect when you are not being truthful with them. If you run an honest business, people will trust you and return to buy from you. This involves being honest about any potential flaws of certain items and avoiding giving inaccurate information about products, features, or advantages.

  1. Get the Most Out Of Your Sales by Focusing On Value

Explain how a product will help the buyer and give value to their life, not just how much it will cost. With a value-based approach, you can better educate customers on the advantages and benefits of each product without having to resort to deep discounts merely to get rid of stock.

  1. Encourage Referrals

In retail, customer recommendations are vital. Focus on developing rapport with consumers in-store to create a more memorable experience, and they will inevitably tell others about their experience. You may encourage customer referrals by offering discounted prices or freebies in-store or by creating a referral program where consumers can earn points toward future purchases.

  1. Maintain the Quality of Your Products and Displays

Changing up your store's visual merchandising and product displays can keep things interesting for customers. Repeated exposure to the same items might drive clients away and result in a drop in revenue.

  1. Achievement Requires Effort

After each day, make a record of which sales methods were successful and which were not. Finding the retail sales strategies that work best for your company and your customers takes time. You can learn why clients purchase or don't buy by keeping track of your successes and failures. You can then use this knowledge to improve your future efforts to meet your sales targets.

Anthony Xiques

Anthony Xiques is a Product Manager at Deadline Funnel with a knack for blending technology and business strategy. He shows teams how to drive innovation and efficiency through a proven, results-driven approach. He’s passionate about developing systems, mentoring future tech leaders, and exploring the latest industry trends (but not all at once)

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