Upsell: Standard, personalized or perfect. Which one does your team do?

I keep facing clients who keep not really having clear what an upsell is. Upsell is not getting money from the client. Upsell is to add value. Increase loyalty. To make sure that the guest leaves more satisfied having paid more money. That is the perfect upsell.

Standard upsell

An upsell is, according to the dictionary, “to persuade a client to purchase something additional or more expensive”.

Why? Purely to obtain more revenue per client, some say. However, if that is the only reason, that’s a very short-sighted view of the upsell, and that’s the usual standard upsell: “if I offer something extra to every client that comes by my shop/restaurant/bar/hotel, a fair number of them will say yes”. The question here is: will all those clients appreciate the offer? Probably not. Some might feel upset. Or intimidated. Or might end up saying yes due to lack of assertiveness, pure peer pressure. And that client might feel upset with himself, as if he was cheated to. And that will probably mean that client will not return to that place. And in some cases, he will even criticize it online. And all because of that upsell, an standard upsell that was adding no value to the client.

Upsell, why not?

This standard upsell I’m talking about is the one usually done in shops: The usual buy-3-pay-2 is an standard upsell. You had in mind purchasing a product, and spending, say, 10$. But in the shop they offer you 3×2. And you thing “That’s good, a free one. Why not?”. And you buy it. And the shop manager thinks “this person was going to spend 10$ and has ended up spending 20$”. It’s a win-win situation. That’s a better upsell.

As soon as you place on the customer mind the question “why not?”, and the customer feels that there is added value in that option, it’s an almost done deal. And that’s the key for an upsell well done, that everyone involved get something positive out of it.

There are endless examples:

• The burger menu, that costs just an extra $2 more than the burger alone, but includes fries and a drink.
• The internet deal you have at home, that for a little bit extra, includes the “Sports + TV deal” with it.

And the thought that comes to mind is a recurring one:

-As it’s a one-off…

-Since it’s a good value for money opportunity….

-As it’s a special occasion…

Why not?

Personalized upsell

There is a different way of doing upsells, and that’s the personalized upsell. In this case, it will only be offered to a few clients, not all. Because you need to qualify them. And to be able to do that, you need to know your customer, interact with her. Know her needs. And that’s why it’s so important that the client-facing staff is well trained. That they are extroverts.  They love to deal with people, to talk. And depending on the location, area or type of business, hopefully they can speak languages too. Because only that way you’ll be able to know if the guest has booked (if it’s a Hotel) or ordered (if it’s a bar or restaurant) whatever fits her needs best.

But if they ordered that, is because they want it (?)

And that’s another big mistake. Assume that all customers order knowing all the info needed. How many times do we order a wine just because the region rings a bell, but not really knowing much about the grape, or the other way around? How many clothing brands do we not know, and we just pass by in front of that department store, or window on the street, just out of ignorance?

How many tastes are unknown to us, and we let delicious flavours escape in restaurants because we just don’t have a clue? And how many guests leave a hotel without ever knowing about that special package at the SPA, or that available room with an amazing sea view?

Maybe if that shop assistant, waiter or receptionist would have inform us, we would have asked ourselves the question mentioned earlier….and why not?

That is why is so important for that person working facing customers to feel at ease with them. That they are not “scared” or concerned to ask open questions, to know the needs and preferences of those customers and, based on that, recommend whatever fits those preferences.

Because only if I know what moves that guest or customer, what made them visit our outlet if it’s the first time they visit; only then will I be able to recommend or suggest something that I’m certain fits their preferences. And knowing also that, if the clients accept the proposed option, they’ll be delighted. Because I’m enhancing their experience. And, as I was saying before, adding value is the key.

And that will make the guest leave more satisfied, which is the ultimate goal of every business. And that might end up helping them return. Or recommend us. Or both. At that point, I’ll have managed to find the cornerstone of the business: guests leaving the premises more satisfied after having spent more money. And that is the perfect upsell.

#upsell #upselling #hoteles #ahoraturismo #onehospitality #torresconsulting

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