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Often times marketers pass up obvious opportunities to up-sell and cross-sell products and services. When someone buys your product you are handed a perfect way to introduce other products or other ways to get more from your products.
I’m always amazed when I open a shipment from someone and it doesn’t have a catalog or flyer in it. You’ve already put a stamp on the invoice, why not drop a little sales incentive in there too. What about those coupons you get on the pizza box delivery? Couldn’t you do something like that as well?
Here are two great examples:
1) Brown lures - Theses fishing lures are packed in a bag with a retail header card on top. When the customer opens the package, the header card becomes a postcard with an offer of free samples of new colors. They tell me they get an astonishing amount of these back and build a great database of buyers who purchase at retail.
2) SCOTTEVEST - This clothing line aimed at techies features tons of pockets for gear. Each pocket has a card suggesting uses for the pocket and vestimonials from happy customers. The card also makes subtle hints about gifting and has all the contact info. By the time you are done going through all the coat pockets you’ve got about 20 cards to give to admiring friends. (And yes, the shipment includes a catalog.)
BONUS Idea: Only sell one product? What about using this as a tool for your strategic partners to promote each other’s goods and services?
Comments
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 31st, 2008 at Jul 31, 08 | 2:09 pm and is filed under Lead Conversion, Lead Generation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Even professional service companies can use this. Everyone sends out invoices! Let your customers know what ELSE you do. It can be low-cost, and still highly-effective. Put your message on a bright sheet of paper and tuck it into an envelope with the invoice.
Up-selling is a must in just about anything that is being sold. There are ways to upsell EVERYTHING. Even if you sell just one item, you find a way to upsell. What about two of them? What about custom solutions?
One big problem people have with upselling is they don’t want to be pushy. You can be pushy if you try to hard to upsell, but there is nothing wrong with suggesting additional sales.
I use upselling now, and I have a marketing and design firm. I have always upsold. I learned the technique when I waited tables years ago. Someone orders a drink, “Why not top shelf?”
Don’t miss this marketing opportunity!!!
thanks for the great tip!! I’ve written on this topic from the sales/retail point of view which I term The Complete Sale; however I’ve never thought about it from the marketing/brand point of view and how the sale isn’t the end point, but is another opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell at a later date to someone who already likes/wants your products.
thanks again
Paul
The bottom line is that every little bit counts, and something as simple as including a catalogue or a pamphlet featuring current specials you’re running, with every order shipped can bring unexpected business. Your best client is a current, satisfied one and marketing to this base via simple means like this can be very rewarding.
In addition there’s the branding value of the catalogue. Everytime your customer see’s it they remember you, your product and your service.. As long as you endeavour to make these 3 important factors positive memories they’ll have no need to look further than your pamphlet/catalogue/flyer when they’re next in need of services you provide.
Upselling is so easy that I’m surprised more people don’t do it. My first experience was as a kid when I was instructed to ask, “Would you like fries with that?”
My biz is just in its infancy so I don’t have a lot of opportunity to upsell, but I’m adding fliers and promotional info to everything I send out beyond just the purchases: market research surveys, pattern testing, my orders to suppliers, etc. Business is picking up its pace and it’s all from my upselling efforts.
I should clarify: I’m so new that I haven’t had a lot of sales yet where there has been a lot of opportunity to upsell with purchases. That’s why I’m including my upselling materials in everything else that goes out my door. It sure works, though!
One more thought. And this has to do with a noticeable drop in upselling at fast food restaurants. More than once I have ordered a sandwich and immediately the voice tells me my total and asks me to drive around to the first window. Have they stopped offering fried and/or drink because of a McDonald’s “Supersize Me” backlash kind of thing?
Since reading this post I have been thinking about upselling and realize that I like it when I’m upsold to. I’m in a hurry if I’m ordering lunch at a drive thru and by the time I realize I didn’t order a drink I’m driving away from the window with my lonely sandwich in the bag on the seat next to me. Had they offered a drink, I would have bought it.
Yeah. Still surprising to me when businesses fail to upsell. They’ve already got my wallet open.