Suggestive Selling - Retail
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: The terms upselling and cross-selling can carry a reputation for convincing customers to buy something more expensive or just more items for the sake of increased sales. However, effective suggestive selling combines empathy, understanding a customer's unique desires, and excellent product knowledge to deliver an outstanding sales experience. This subject will cover not only what employees need to know to upsell and cross-sell but it will also feature useful scenarios to manage common hurdles to making the sale so your people are better prepared to meet the needs of your customers.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: The terms upselling and cross-selling can carry a reputation for convincing customers to buy something more expensive or just more items for the sake of increased sales. However, effective suggestive selling combines empathy, understanding a customer's unique desires, and excellent product knowledge to deliver an outstanding sales experience. This subject will cover not only what employees need to know to upsell and cross-sell but it will also feature useful scenarios to manage common hurdles to making the sale so your people are better prepared to meet the needs of your customers.
Languages: English
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: The terms upselling and cross-selling can carry a reputation for convincing customers to buy something more expensive or just more items for the sake of increased sales. However, effective suggestive selling combines empathy, understanding a customer's unique desires, and excellent product knowledge to deliver an outstanding sales experience. This subject will cover not only what employees need to know to upsell and cross-sell but it will also feature useful scenarios to manage common hurdles to making the sale so your people are better prepared to meet the needs of your customers.
Topics
Upselling / Cross-Selling: Best Practices
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Upselling and cross-selling is an effective way to increase revenue as well as enhance the customer’s experience and loyalty. In this topic, we cover the basics of what upselling and cross-selling are, how becoming an expert on your products can help you sell better, and what some of the common challenges associated with upselling/cross-selling are.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Upselling is trying to convince a customer to purchase a more expensive, premium, or upgraded version of the product they originally wanted to buy, in order to increase the revenue from the sale.
Become an expert about your store’s products and their features, so you know what you can upsell for each product type and match them with a customer’s unique needs. This will help increase your confidence and credibility with the customer since you don’t have to look up product details.
Compare the products side-by-side, so you can show the customer the added value of the more expensive product. This will allow the customer to see the product’s value for themselves, instead of just listening to you list features.
Upsell products within a reasonable price range of the original product, typically no more than 25% of the cost of the original. If the price difference is too high, the customer will be more hesitant to make a purchase.
Make sure you mention the products you could upsell at the start of the sales process, so that customers are aware of all their buying options and the price of features. This helps make the customer more receptive to the upsell offer and increases your chances for success.
Cross-selling is when you try to persuade the customer to purchase additional, complementary products once they’ve already decided to purchase a product.
Make sure you know which items in your store pair well together. This will help you make better recommendations when cross-selling because you’ll already know which additional products from each category will add value to the customer’s purchase.
When cross-selling, make sure your suggestions are relevant to the customer’s needs. If the product is too different from the customer’s interests or original purchase, it will be more difficult to convince them to purchase additional products.
Display commonly sold complementary pairings near each other or together on the sales floor. This will make them easier to cross-sell since customers will be able to see how the products work together.
Using Empathy and Questions in Upselling / Cross-Selling
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A personal connection can go a long way in helping encourage customers to respond positively to upsell or cross-sell offers. In this topic, we’ll cover what you can do to empathize, learn from, and understand the needs of a customer to better match them with a product that will enhance their purchase.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Try to use personal language such as ‘you’, ‘your’,’ I’, or the customer’s name to make your suggestions feel more personalized and genuine.
Build a rapport with your customer; ask them about their experiences and what they hope to gain from the product to determine their needs. This will help you show the customer how the upsell / cross-sell product provides more value and better fulfills their needs, and they will be more inclined to purchase it.
Don’t overwhelm customers with too many products or upsell/cross-sell offers. Too many choices could prevent them from making a purchase or make your interaction feel less personal, if it seems you’re only trying to make a sale and not trying to help them find the best product for their needs.
Don’t be too pushy or aggressive when upselling or cross-selling as this could deter customers from making a purchase.
Once you’ve made your suggestion, give the customer time alone to decide, and be prepared to accept ‘no thank you’ as a reasonable answer.
Frame upsell and cross-sell offers as helpful information that the buyer can use to make their decision. This will help the customer view your offer in a positive light, rather than as just an attempt to make a larger sale.
Be genuine, demonstrating real interest and concern for the customer’s needs when upselling or cross-selling products; otherwise, the customer may feel you are just trying to make a bigger sale and be discouraged from making a purchase from you.
Upsell or cross-sell on the sales floor while customers are browsing/touching the merchandise, before they reach the sales counter. Most customers will be less willing to hear about upgraded or additional products when they are ready to leave the store.
How to Turn “Returns” into Sales Opportunities
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Returns are often seen as a lost sale, but they actually present a great opportunity for upselling and cross-selling. In this topic, we’ll cover how to handle returns and exchanges, what questions you can ask to learn why a customer is dissatisfied with the product, how you can use this information to provide a great customer experience, and how to use all of this to turn a return into a potential sale.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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This topic is currently available in English.
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Start each return by listening closely to the customer’s concerns. This makes them feel heard and gives you a chance to understand their needs, so you can determine the best solution to their problem.
Express empathy for the customer’s situation and express that you’re sorry that they had to come back to the store. This will help you create a positive customer experience and encourage the customer to shop at your store in the future.
Without prying, ask the customer any unanswered questions you have that will help you provide a good customer experience. Some questions to ask include:
Was anything wrong with the product?
Why is the product being returned?
Was the product a gift?
What need/expectation did the product not meet?
What outcome are they seeking?
Based on the information you’ve gained from asking the customer questions, try to suggest a new product they can exchange for the old product. This allows you to encourage a sale without seeming pushy or unhelpful.
When trying to turn a return into a sale, consider what you can offer the customer in exchange for the returned product:
Is there a different style, size or color?
Is there a better product they could use instead?
Focusing on the benefits of the suggested product and how it could fulfill the customer’s needs, will increase your chances of success.
If you’re having trouble deciding what product to offer as an exchange, ask the customer if they would like to browse the store before completing their return. This will allow them to look for a replacement product on their own, without thinking you are being pushy or trying to make a sale.
If an exchange is not possible or the returned product was a gift, try offering the customer a gift card or store credit. This will encourage the customer to make a future purchase instead of simply completing the return.
If the customer only wants a cash refund, smile, be polite, and give it to them, thanking them for their time. Though it doesn’t result in a new sale, the good customer experience will encourage them to return to the store.
Make sure you issue refunds, store-credits, and/or gift cards according to your store’s return policy, and remember that the goal of a return is to give the customer the best experience possible.
