Upselling made easy

Posted in Sales techniques and processes.

Upselling is the art of persuading a customer to buy a product that is an upgraded version of the one they are considering. Because an upgraded product is often better in terms of features and/or benefits, it is therefore often also priced as more expensive. This, in turn, means more profitability for your business when you upsell.

If your sales team is mobile-enabled and, better still, have an electronic product catalogue in their mobile marketing kit, upselling becomes child’s play. Here are some tips on how to utilise your electronic product catalogue for upselling and ultimately increased profitability:

Side-by-side comparisons

A handy strategy for anyone trying to upsell is to display similar products side-by-side on a mobile device or in a catalogue. By showing customers comparable features and added benefits of similar products alongside each other, it encourages more informed decision-making. Customers can then compare products as they browse your catalogue.

It is advised to display products in order from basic to more advanced models. For example, display your most basic toothbrushes with a bottom of the range price alongside the more advanced plaque-busting one that is more expensive but might last longer.

Striking imagery

People buy with their eyes, mostly. Unless it’s food, then it’s mostly their stomachs that do the talking! So it should go without saying that using clear, professional photographs of each product can give your upselling game a great boost. to have an optimum effect. The products need to be displayed in a visually striking way (no blurry images!) and try to include photos that display the product from at least two different angles. For example, when it comes to shoes, people feel more comfortable buying a shoe from a catalogue when they get to see a 360 degree rotational view of the shoe. This might be extreme for some but at least try to get the gist of the idea into your catalogue. Visually striking imagery is one of the essential ingredients that helps customers identify the key features of a product and the reasons why the upgraded product is a better buy.

Be specific about specs

Aside from showing your customers professional product images in your electronic catalogue, including detailed specifications about each product further boosts your upselling power. Specifications are vital in showing exactly why the more expensive product you’re trying to sell to the customer is a better choice despite the price. You might point out that the product is better because it’s larger (get more bang for your buck) or the material used is more durable and therefore tends to last longer, negating the need for them purchase another one any time soon. It’s all in the detail, and having a list of specifications at the ready on your product catalogue can be very handy indeed.

Quick and easy access

Upselling via your mobile sales app and its integrated electronic product catalogue is both quick and effortless. Instead of using a cumbersome paper catalogue that might be outdated since your last outing, an e-version allows sales reps to quickly find alternative upgraded products and effectively show them off to potential new customers. It not only enhances productivity but also puts your business and its products in a more professional light.