I have seen so many missed opportunities from businesses that I purchase from…opportunities to serve me better and for them to make more profit at the same time. 

In my opinion, every call that is made to a business is an opportunity for an up-sell.

Did you ever purchase anything from an infomercial that you viewed?  Because of the increasing media costs to advertise, the immediate telephone up-sell has evolved from an extra profit center to a necessity. When it is done properly, preferably with a live person taking the order, probably 20% plus of all calls can yield one or more up-sells.  From individuals I know in the business, that is often the profit that keeps an infomercial on the air.

If you call and order from any successful, sophisticated mail-order/catalog company, after your order is taken, the order-taker will talk you through one or more up-sells.  If you want to hear what these sound like, call up and buy things from one of these companies.

You have the same opportunity whenever a customer calls you, seeking any questions to be answered, to now have your operators ,or anyone else answering the phones, be trained with a canned statement about up-selling to something that they will benefit from.

Notice I said, “Something THEY will BENEFIT from.”  You don’t want to up-sell something that is useless to them and that isn’t of benefit.  They will be cheated and you will lose them as a customer.  So do it with honesty and integrity.  Only up-sell something you know they will benefit from using.  If you are in the service business, it’s the same.  Only offer something that they will benefit from.

That means you have to take the time to figure out ahead of time all the ways you can help your customers accomplish their goals better, faster, and cheaper. Then when they call, don’t just fill the order; find out their ultimate reason for calling, then help them do it better, faster, cheaper with up-sell packages you’ve created.

Where can you create up-sell offers in your business that will benefit both you and your customers?  What are some noted examples of up-sells you’ve come across?

Technorati Tags: profit, telephone up-sell, up sell

A few weeks ago I wrote a Marketing Tip issue on using upsells. Because it’s such an important topic for your business, I wanted to give you a few more examples here in the blog.

I live on the Jersey Shore and there are a lot of boat rental places. A friend of mine owns one. Unfortunately the rental season is only about 4 short months—if the weather is good. Here are a few suggestions I gave him.

People travel hours and hours from upper New Jersey and New York State to visit the Jersey Shore.

For about $300 you can rent a ski boat for 8 hours. Perhaps more for more exotic boats!

I can just picture what is happening within the family. They have already had about $2000 out of pocket, at minimum, for the rental of the unit they are staying in. Their kids are going crazy and bouncing off the walls because they want to go to the beach or go swimming.

Here’s what the parents are probably hearing—

“I want to go tubing like those kids.”

“I’m bored, can we go to the boardwalk.”

“I want to go jet skiing like those kids.”

There are probably dozens of other things parents are hearing.
So one of the things they will do is to rent a boat. Here’s what I told my friend about how to upsell the boat rental.

He could say: “So you want a boat for the day—or do you want it for a week? I can save you more money by the week.”

“Do you want to rent skis, tubes, or would you prefer wake boards or knee boards?”

These are just a couple of the questions I created for his sales people to ask. There are a lot more items he rents out.

Just one more example—

A lot of the women, and some of the children, don’t want to go on the boat, so while the father and other children are out, what do Mom and the remaining children do? They sit on the beach where they can watch dad in the boat.

My friend says this: “Are all of you going to go on the Boat?” When the husband says, no she won’t and one of my children won’t, the sales person says, “Would you like to rent a chaise lounge so that you are comfortable while you are watching from the beach?”

Another upsell.

Can you think of others? I’m sure you can. Let’s hear what you come up with in the Comment section below.

There are always ways to upsell your prospects, but you have to figure out what works best.

I believe upsells work for all businesses. Every business can offer, and should offer, upgrades or upsells.

Here’s a few more examples:

1. Better levels of service or access to the experts.

2. More exclusivity than others will get.

3. More additional bonuses.

4. A “members-only “get-together, privately held and exclusive.

5. Perks for purchasing more and more often.

Add a couple or more to this list in the comments section.

See my Marketing Tip of The Week article about the proper mindset to have about upsells. It’s not just about making more profit; it’s about helping your customer get a greater outcome from the transaction. See the article here: http://www.aweber.com/archive/kenvarga/VwyW/h/6_Ways_To_Get_Your_Customers_To.htm

After refreshing your mind about the proper mindset, come back here and give a suggestion for another upsell.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Technorati Tags: up sell, upsell, upselling

In my last post, I talked about seasonal tie-ins.  Here are more ideas you can use for this Spring season, later seasons in the year, or upcoming holidays, like July 4th, etc.

Now and every day, you need to be out there in front of your clients, showing them exactly why they should shop or visit you again.

Here are a few more ideas for Holiday Promotions.

Create a package of your products or services that your customers can’t refuse. Why should you do this?  Since the Economy is tanking, your customers and clients are looking for ways to save money and are also looking for deals.

It doesn’t have to be the cheapest price.  It means the most attractive offer that appeals to them. Do you have multiple products and/or services? List every product, service, report, package, or incentive you have for your clients.

Then package products that fit together.  For example many advisors have three levels of help.  A Silver, Gold, and Platinum level.  Create your own Silver, Gold or Platinum package arrangement that could go from inexpensive to a high-end price tag. 

For example if you were in the health field, say chiropractic, you can offer an adjustment, a book on stress relief, soothing music to relax your client, and whatever else you can add to the package. This could be your silver package. This could be a $100 dollar package.

For a Gold package, you could have 6 months of adjustments, candles, aromatic oils, and all of the above. This could be a $500 package.

Your Platinum package could be one year of adjustments, plus a facial and pedicure every other month, (done with someone you Joint Venture with), plus all of the above.  This package could go for $750.

Try massaging this idea to your business and create packages.  Joint venturing other businesses’ products and packaging them with your products/services can create a win-win situation for everyone.

Most of all, put a time limit on the availability of the package.  Make sure that they know that each package is only available for X days.  Anytime you can create a deadline and scarcity situation, you will immediately increase your response rate.

You might also think of giving your customers a Platinum membership and upgrade for Free.  Give them a gift for being a devoted customer.

If you are in the real estate business or insurance, think of joint ventures you can do with restaurants, accountants, and others.   The list is almost endless when you start thinking about it.  This not only keeps you in touch with your client, but it also allows you the opportunity to get them involved in thinking about the need for insurance or investment real estate.

As usual, let me know your thoughts.

Technorati Tags: holiday sales, increasing sales, promotions, seasonal promotions, seasonal sales

The question was asked how to raise the transaction level of my customer.

This could be done in a number of ways.  The first suggestion I can give is for you to have a few levels of service that you make available to your client.  The first level would naturally be an introduction level, at a minimum cost to them.

The results that they achieve will now get them interested in the next level, and so forth and so on.  Each level will be a greater investment on their part.  Again, I must stress the GUARANTEE that you must include with each level.  Take the risk away from them, and put it onto yourself.

Before you can move your clients into other levels of service you must nurture them over a period of time.

Ask yourself this question: “What do you do, on a regular basis, to show your clients you really value their business, or to make them feel special and appreciated?

Many business owners send calendars, birthday cards, or a newsletter once in a while. What about you?

If you mail birthday cards to your clients, do you also call them on their birthdays?

You probably answered, “No,” right?

If so, why not? (If you do, you’re in the minority. Most business owners never have thought of doing that.)

Think carefully about it for a minute. If you really wanted to make your clients feel special, in addition to sending them birthday cards, why wouldn’t you take a minute to phone them on their birthday to congratulate them personally?

Doing so would show your clients you really care about them, wouldn’t it? Of course!

Because your clients have received few, or even no, birthday calls from the other business owners that they are also currently doing business with, when they get one from you they’ll be extremely excited and appreciate your kind thoughts very much.

For some of your clients, your call may be the only one they receive on their birthday, making you stand out even more.

Reflect back on your last birthday. I bet you still remember all the people who phoned you on that special day to congratulate you personally, don’t you?

And for those who actually took the time to call you as well as sending you a birthday card, didn’t you appreciate their actions more than the ones who just sent you a card?

I’m sure you did. And your clients will feel the same way.

Unfortunately, even though sending calendars and birthday cards to your clients, even calling them on their birthday, are good ways to get them to remember you, it won’t be enough to gain their loyalty for the long term.

Please listen closely. To make your clients remember you and compel them to do business with you for years to come…

You Must Astonish Them Several Times A Year!

That’s right, four to eight times a year, you must do something for your clients that will astound them, making them say, “Wow, I can’t believe the person I do business with  is doing all this for me!”

The great news is, it doesn’t take a lot of money, time, or effort to make your clients feel special. It’s the little things that make a big difference. You simply do something that most or all of your competitors don’t do, won’t do, or don’t know how to do.

For example, you can send them a special report (or a series of special reports) to teach them how to improve their health, to save money on their credit cards or gasoline, to make their homes safer, and so on.

Whenever you come across an article you think one of your clients would enjoy reading, send it to him or her, with a note that says something like this:

Linda,

I saw this the other day, and thought you would enjoy reading it.

Your Name

If you have a system for keeping in touch with your clients regularly and providing them with good information that has a highly perceived value, they’ll consider you more than just another business. Instead, they’ll think of you as a friend, and will do business with you for a long time, as well as give you lots of referrals.

Technorati Tags: increasing sales transaction, sales and marketing funnel, Sales Funnel Approach