Every prospect’s needs and desires are unique. In some cases, you may not want to cross-sell or up-sell at all. Other times, it may make sense to use just one method or the other. However, if a scenario presents itself in which you can employ both cross-selling and up-selling in tandem, by all means do it. Not only will you maximize revenue, but you’ll also show your prospect that you are capable of providing a more intelligent solution. You’ll set yourself apart from the average salesperson by offering a unique bundle of products or services that is customized to fit your prospect’s specific situation.
Here’s an example of a situation in which you might use cross-selling and up-selling in tandem:
A prospect inquires about a new lighting system. They’re seeking a fresher “look and feel” to modernize their space and improve employee morale. When you visit the space to do your lighting survey, you discover that the space is only 50-feet wide and enjoys ample daylight on multiple sides. Since daylight penetrates the space 16 to 18 feet, it is now obvious that photocells could significantly reduce the lighting load provided the luminaires were properly circuited, ballasted, and controlled. So what do you propose to your prospect?
Up-sell: “Since your space enjoys excellent daylight, have you considered adding photocells to the mix so you could turn off your perimeter lighting when it is not needed? In fact, you could also capture some demand-response incentives if you were to connect your lighting system to a controller that would automatically dim the lights whenever a critical peak pricing event raises your cost per kWh. If you temporarily shed a portion of your lighting load at the right times, you could realize some real savings. And guess what? The utility is now offering a significant financial incentive for each kW of controlled connected load. That incentive would offset most of the cost of the demand-response functionality I just mentioned.”
Cross-sell: “By the way, while I was in your space, I noticed that you had pneumatic thermostats, and that several of the folks in your office were using space heaters. The office manager mentioned to me that the space is frequently too hot in the winter and too cold in the summer. As long as we’re focusing on modernizing the space, have you considered migrating to a more modern approach to controlling occupant comfort?”
Stay tuned for "Part Three" of this series tomorrow.
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