Do You Want Fries With That? - Using Suggestive Selling to Increase Your Sales

Suggestive selling is a powerful tool that can increase your revenues-and your bottom line-significantly. We are all used to the order taker at a fast food place asking if we want fries with our burgers, or if we would like to "Jumbo-Size" our orders, but suggestive selling can work in any business.

Shoe stores suggest socks or polish to go with your new sneakers, hair salons recommend styling products, and stores selling electronics offer an extended warranty on the gadget you just bought. In each case, the business encourages the customer to add on to the purchase they are making.

Upselling can be done in person, on the phone or over the Internet. Many online shopping carts allow you to set up a product-specific upselling page. That means that when someone orders Product A, they get the suggestion that goes with that product. Someone who orders another product receives a recommendation appropriate to that product.

Here are some tips to make suggestive selling work for you:

Make the suggestion after the customer has made a commitment to buy. Don't try to add on to the sale before the customer has made a firm decision and is in the process of buying.

Upsells should be related to the original purchase. An upgrade, a warranty, accessories, or something else that adds on to what the customer is buying can be effective. The customer is more likely to see such a suggestion as helpful than as simply a sales ploy.

Consider making the upsell a "two-fer" offer. Because the customer bought one item at regular price, they are able to get a second at half price.

The add-on product should have a lesser cost than the base purchase. Suggesting batteries to go with a radio works. Recommending a radio to go with a battery purchase doesn't.

Don't hit customers with a lot of upsells. One (or possibly two) is enough. Badgering them to buy more can backfire and maybe even kill the sale completely.

Make sure employees and order takers are making upsell offers to customers. Remind them of the importance of doing so, and consider rewarding them for great results, or even when you "catch" them upselling. Give telephone order takers a script that includes a suggestive sales offer.

Done properly, an upsell is helpful to the customer and builds your profits as well.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free marketing tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/. Cathy is also the author of The Mystery Shopper's Manual.

---

Sell Yourself - Sell Anything!

Each of us sells every single day. We are all... Read More

Nine Common Mistakes Salespeople Make

1. They talk instead of LISTEN. Too many salespeople monopolize... Read More

How to Spellbind Your Prospects in 10 Seconds!

You've got yourself 10 seconds to HOOK your prospects or... Read More

7 Steps to Selling Artwork

Selling arwork is easy when you follow a road map.... Read More

How Business Coaches Avoid the Yearly Training Feeding Frenzy

What is it with appraisals? In September and October there... Read More

Get More Clients Now!

Although David has been a graphic designer for a decade,... Read More

Increase Sales - Overcoming Barriers

Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would... Read More

Humanize the Sales Process

Q & AQ. Sometimes when I'm presenting to clients, I... Read More

4 Easy Ways to Boost Your Sales

Here are 4 easy ways you can boost your sales... Read More

The Choice between Yes and Yes: A Psychological Revelation

Three year old Kara was throwing a tantrum. She didn't... Read More

Sales 101: Asking for the Order

"Ask, and you shall receive", a biblical principal that offers... Read More

How To Write A Killer Sales Letter

I sit down and look at my notebook. Then, I... Read More

Quick Tips On Handling Rejection

Looking for a way to handle rejection?Edward W. Smith, motivational... Read More

In Sales You Get What You Expect

If your mind is set, you will be unable to... Read More

Seven Critical Qualifying Questions

Training your salespeople to not waste time working unqualified accounts,... Read More

Are You a Sales Professional?

Many sellers like to describe themselves as professionals, but what... Read More

Nine Competencies of the Complete Sales Professional

Have you ever tried to explain to someone what you... Read More

9 TIPS: Dont Sell Me - Persuade Me

We all have something in our past we believe someone... Read More

Get Over Your Resistance to Sales

I have found that there are two best ways to... Read More

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that... Read More

How To Master the Art of Super Salesmanship

Mastering the "art of selling" is simply knowing how to... Read More

Unleash Your Inner Sales Superstar & Win More Business Right Now!

It's a rainy afternoon on a typical mid week afternoon... Read More

Prospecting: Not A Wild Goose Chase... Its A HUNT

Prospecting for future customers can be fun if you approach... Read More

Sales Discipline: Five Steps To Recover From A Lost Sale

Ever lost a sale? Of course you have, we all... Read More

Three Secret Keys to Persuasion Magic

Just a few critical distinctions can supercharge your communication skills:1... Read More

You Dont Love Your Kids if You Dont . . .

"You don't love your kids if you don't buy my... Read More

8 Sales Lead Generation Methods

I've been getting lots of email from my readers lately.... Read More

Closing the Sale - It Doesnt Have To Be Uncomfortable

"The Close" is sales jargon for the bit where you... Read More

Increase Your Influence, Increase Your Sales

Selling is everyone's lifeblood whether they realize it or not.... Read More

Sales Trap - We Love to Talk, But Need to Listen

My research has clearly shown that, when it comes to... Read More

How To Stop Chasing Prospects Forever!

Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by salespeople is the problem... Read More

Sales Marketing: 10 Explosive Strategies To Amplify Your Sales

Marketing is a skill. Once you master it, you can... Read More

Knowing Your Customers; Closing the Sale

Just because your business is based in your home that... Read More