Anytime someone walks in to your store you have an opportunity to make a sale – even when they say they’re “just looking”. And you don’t have to be an extroverted “born salesperson” type to convert a browser into a buyer. Nor do you have to be pushy and aggressive to up-sell or cross-sell your merchandise to increase the sale.
What you do need is to genuinely want to help your customers find products or services they’ll appreciate. That, plus a few sales techniques, will help you maximize both the customer’s experience and your receipts in the till.
Describe your products in a way that entices shoppers. Explain what makes an item special – its ingredients or materials, who made it (and how they made it), how the product can be experienced. Print in-store product cards, post descriptions on your website, and train staff to explain your products in detail. Use colourful words and phrases that help customers imagine using the product.
Build trust with sincere compliments. People love to be acknowledged. The simplest compliment to a person about their look or manner can make their day. With customers, complimenting their choices in-store is a great segue to explaining the features, benefits and uses of the product (see above), which in turn leads you to up-selling and cross-selling (see below).
Offer incentives that motivate customers to purchase. Everyone wants to feel like they’re getting a great deal when they buy something. Freebies like a gift-with-purchase, cash rebates, samples, and Vicinity rewards points help convince customers to make that ultimate decision to buy.
Up-sell or cross-sell without being pushy. The classic up-sell / cross-sell is this: “Do you want your meal supersized? Would you like fries with that?” Having the right attitude about selling will improve your chances of increasing a purchase. Think about customer service, not sales figures. When you offer customers an upgrade or complementary products, you’re not trying to squeeze more money out of them. You’re giving them detailed information so they can make an informed purchasing decision.
And you can use Vicinity to up-sell or cross-sell via text message. For example, customers who had a meal in your café get a text offering “buy one appetizer, get one for 50% off”. Or they had a haircut so you text them to offer a free manicure if they get colour or highlights with their next cut. It’s a great way to keep in touch with active customers and keep them coming back with appealing offers.