Achieve cross-selling excellence with a CRM: Learn more in the Complete CRM Handbook<\/strong><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tGet the guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ap\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/salesforce-blog\/dist\/images\/offer-block\/offer-illustration-layout-two.png\")
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\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat we will cover:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cross-Selling vs. Upselling<\/a>
Examples of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Benefits of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Potential Drawbacks of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Steps for Cross-Selling to Customers<\/a>
Cross-Selling techniques<\/a>
Cross-Selling: Key facts and FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nCross-Selling vs. Upselling <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cross-selling and upselling are two distinct practices that involve approaching existing customers and convincing them to purchase additional products or services. In the case of upselling, your goal is to sell a more expensive, more advanced product to the customer than they had planned by conveying its added benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One example of upselling would be a cable television provider selling a premium plan with a more extensive selection of channels to a current subscriber of a basic package. Upselling may also entail approaching the customer at the point of sale for one product, offering a more advanced alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In both upselling and cross-selling, companies must effectively utilise their existing and potential customer base to increase sales by offering appropriate additional products to the right customers. However, cross-selling never involves encouraging customers to replace their current choices with more expensive ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LEARN MORE ABOUT UPSELLING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nExamples of Cross-Selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Some examples of cross-selling include an electronics retailer offering a deal on a computer case, mouse, and screen cleaning wipes to a customer who purchases a new laptop, or an insurance provider offering renters\u2019 insurance to its car policyholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\tGet fresh insights from 7,700 sales professionals.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Dig into our latest report to learn how sales professionals are driving productivity and efficiency.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tGet the report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ap\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/salesforce-blog\/dist\/images\/offer-block\/offer-illustration-layout-one.png\")
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ap\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/salesforce-blog\/dist\/images\/offer-block\/offer-accent-layout-one.png\")
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\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\nBenefits of cross-selling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The main benefits of cross-selling include increased sales revenue, improve customer satisfaction<\/a> and in B2B businesses, increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) through deeper integration in a customer\u2019s business.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen it works, cross-selling is great for both you and for your customers. The ideal situation is one where your existing customer is not aware of a product or service that would improve their customer experience. You find them on their customer journey<\/a> at the ideal point, via their preferred contact method, and they react positively and go on to purchase the recommended product. Your sales increase, and their customer satisfaction increases because the product better fits their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPotential Drawbacks of Cross-Selling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When it doesn\u2019t work, cross-selling can be annoying for customers and ineffective at generating sales. This is almost always down to a lack of planning or appropriate data. If you recommend a product that makes no sense – for instance, promoting winter clothing to a customer who just bought a bathing suit – you may drive that customer away. If you approach a customer by phone who would typically place orders via email, you may not be able to make contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And strangely enough, cross-selling is not always<\/em> a great idea, even when it works. According to a Harvard Business Review<\/em> study<\/a> published in 2012, certain types of problem customers can actually make cross-selling a profit-losing strategy. According to Denish Shah and V. Kumar, some customer types can put stress on your customer service staff, whether by returning or cancelling a large number of goods and services or withholding spending in other areas to spend on your cross-selling promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s crucial to analyse customer data and metrics<\/a> related to your cross-selling marketing campaigns to evaluate which efforts produce cross-sales without reducing overall profitability, and which customers should be left out of cross-selling or approached with different methods, such as upselling. In general, cross-selling too many options to too many customers can be a losing endeavour if you don\u2019t have a well thought out strategy in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSteps for Cross-Selling to Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Identify related products and services suitable for cross-selling<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Identify suitable customers ready for a cross-selling<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Develop a cross-selling campaign and customer journey<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Before you can convince your customers to respond to cross-selling efforts, you need to identify which products and services go together: What do customers typically buy as add-ons to their purchases? What products are usually purchased together? Or even, what products have been successful in previous cross-selling campaigns? Solid data makes all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Say your company is a fitness centre: Do some of the members often buy drinks at your front desk? They might be interested in a supplementary beverage program for a flat monthly fee. Or maybe your online electronics shop has wireless headphones that could be marketed to recent smartphone buyers – these customers may even have browsed for headphones, but left them in their shopping carts without purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Identify related products and services suitable for cross-selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The next step in creating effective cross-sellingcampaigns is targeting the right audience. Identifying cross-sellcustomers starts with the data you gather from your customers at every stage of their customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use information about in-person and digital communication your company has had with customers, their purchasing and browsing histories, whether they\u2019ve repeatedly returned merchandise or cancelled services. All of this information can help you identify the best candidates for a cross-selling campaign. You can also target \u201clook-a-likes\u201d who demonstrate similar behaviours or characteristics to these customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Identify suitable customers ready for a cross-selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Organising the information you receive through customer purchase histories and interactions is infinitely more effective when you use sales and marketing software with effective tools for\u00a0CRM<\/a>, and even better when coupled with\u00a0AI-assisted sales analytics<\/a>. Artificial Intelligence tools can automatically contact customers who display interest in certain products without the need for your staff to set up a new campaign each time. This frees up your marketing and sales staff for the more personal interactions that machines can\u2019t perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDevelop a cross-selling campaign and customer journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve identified customers who are ideal candidates for cross-selling, you\u2019ve got to convert them. You then need to develop a strategy for presenting the potential cross-sales. If you have an online store, cross-selling through ads that appear during the checkout process can be effective, as can\u00a0email campaigns targeting<\/a>\u00a0those who recently purchased a product. For higher cross-selling conversion rates, test out different approaches to making contact with customers, and adjust your approach based on analytics-based results.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCross-selling techniques <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that you\u2019ve identified the customers you\u2019d like to approach and the products you\u2019d like to cross-sell, here\u2019s some advice about techniques and some cross-selling tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Offer the customer additional products and services that will genuinely provide them with added value: Think about cross-sales from your a customer\u2019s point of view, not just in terms of how much revenue you think you can generate. If you’re\u00a0utilising a CRM<\/a>, fewer well-placed offers are far more valuable than a greater range of offers that don\u2019t benefit your customer relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Find your customers at effective touch points on their customer journey: If they\u2019ve used your website to place orders, email or targeted ads<\/a> might be the best method for cross-selling. If they\u2019re more likely to visit a store in person, a salesperson is more likely to cross-sell additional products and services to them in person or on the phone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use your existing inbound marketing campaigns to promote supplementary products and services: If you have content targeting an audience that buys luxury cars, for instance, you can include ads for car accessories on your blog posts and product descriptions to encourage cross-sales.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make effective use of the data your customers provide: The new generation of consumers expects personalised service, even when it comes to upselling and cross-selling, and the tools for providing that through solid data are out there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Encourage cross-sales by creating spaces for interaction between customers: An online community for skateboard buyers may be as effective at encouraging sales of additional wheels and other parts as your direct marketing efforts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make use of social selling<\/a> techniques: For example, social media influencers<\/a> are a valuable tool for reaching the widest possible audience in the current, predominantly digital sales environment. Offer incentives for influencers who already promote your products to mention supplementary products on their social media channels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat we will cover:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cross-Selling vs. Upselling<\/a> Cross-selling and upselling are two distinct practices that involve approaching existing customers and convincing them to purchase additional products or services. In the case of upselling, your goal is to sell a more expensive, more advanced product to the customer than they had planned by conveying its added benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One example of upselling would be a cable television provider selling a premium plan with a more extensive selection of channels to a current subscriber of a basic package. Upselling may also entail approaching the customer at the point of sale for one product, offering a more advanced alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In both upselling and cross-selling, companies must effectively utilise their existing and potential customer base to increase sales by offering appropriate additional products to the right customers. However, cross-selling never involves encouraging customers to replace their current choices with more expensive ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LEARN MORE ABOUT UPSELLING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some examples of cross-selling include an electronics retailer offering a deal on a computer case, mouse, and screen cleaning wipes to a customer who purchases a new laptop, or an insurance provider offering renters\u2019 insurance to its car policyholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dig into our latest report to learn how sales professionals are driving productivity and efficiency.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The main benefits of cross-selling include increased sales revenue, improve customer satisfaction<\/a> and in B2B businesses, increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) through deeper integration in a customer\u2019s business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it works, cross-selling is great for both you and for your customers. The ideal situation is one where your existing customer is not aware of a product or service that would improve their customer experience. You find them on their customer journey<\/a> at the ideal point, via their preferred contact method, and they react positively and go on to purchase the recommended product. Your sales increase, and their customer satisfaction increases because the product better fits their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it doesn\u2019t work, cross-selling can be annoying for customers and ineffective at generating sales. This is almost always down to a lack of planning or appropriate data. If you recommend a product that makes no sense – for instance, promoting winter clothing to a customer who just bought a bathing suit – you may drive that customer away. If you approach a customer by phone who would typically place orders via email, you may not be able to make contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And strangely enough, cross-selling is not always<\/em> a great idea, even when it works. According to a Harvard Business Review<\/em> study<\/a> published in 2012, certain types of problem customers can actually make cross-selling a profit-losing strategy. According to Denish Shah and V. Kumar, some customer types can put stress on your customer service staff, whether by returning or cancelling a large number of goods and services or withholding spending in other areas to spend on your cross-selling promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s crucial to analyse customer data and metrics<\/a> related to your cross-selling marketing campaigns to evaluate which efforts produce cross-sales without reducing overall profitability, and which customers should be left out of cross-selling or approached with different methods, such as upselling. In general, cross-selling too many options to too many customers can be a losing endeavour if you don\u2019t have a well thought out strategy in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you can convince your customers to respond to cross-selling efforts, you need to identify which products and services go together: What do customers typically buy as add-ons to their purchases? What products are usually purchased together? Or even, what products have been successful in previous cross-selling campaigns? Solid data makes all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say your company is a fitness centre: Do some of the members often buy drinks at your front desk? They might be interested in a supplementary beverage program for a flat monthly fee. Or maybe your online electronics shop has wireless headphones that could be marketed to recent smartphone buyers – these customers may even have browsed for headphones, but left them in their shopping carts without purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step in creating effective cross-sellingcampaigns is targeting the right audience. Identifying cross-sellcustomers starts with the data you gather from your customers at every stage of their customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use information about in-person and digital communication your company has had with customers, their purchasing and browsing histories, whether they\u2019ve repeatedly returned merchandise or cancelled services. All of this information can help you identify the best candidates for a cross-selling campaign. You can also target \u201clook-a-likes\u201d who demonstrate similar behaviours or characteristics to these customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organising the information you receive through customer purchase histories and interactions is infinitely more effective when you use sales and marketing software with effective tools for\u00a0CRM<\/a>, and even better when coupled with\u00a0AI-assisted sales analytics<\/a>. Artificial Intelligence tools can automatically contact customers who display interest in certain products without the need for your staff to set up a new campaign each time. This frees up your marketing and sales staff for the more personal interactions that machines can\u2019t perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve identified customers who are ideal candidates for cross-selling, you\u2019ve got to convert them. You then need to develop a strategy for presenting the potential cross-sales. If you have an online store, cross-selling through ads that appear during the checkout process can be effective, as can\u00a0email campaigns targeting<\/a>\u00a0those who recently purchased a product. For higher cross-selling conversion rates, test out different approaches to making contact with customers, and adjust your approach based on analytics-based results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you\u2019ve identified the customers you\u2019d like to approach and the products you\u2019d like to cross-sell, here\u2019s some advice about techniques and some cross-selling tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Benefits of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Potential Drawbacks of Cross-Selling<\/a>
Steps for Cross-Selling to Customers<\/a>
Cross-Selling techniques<\/a>
Cross-Selling: Key facts and FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nCross-Selling vs. Upselling <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Examples of Cross-Selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get fresh insights from 7,700 sales professionals.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\nBenefits of cross-selling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Potential Drawbacks of Cross-Selling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Steps for Cross-Selling to Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Identify related products and services suitable for cross-selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Identify suitable customers ready for a cross-selling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Develop a cross-selling campaign and customer journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cross-selling techniques <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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