EPoS Software: Encouraging up-selling and cross-selling

Up-selling and cross-selling are established methods of improving sales and increasing customer loyalty. Up-selling is the practice of offering customers a product in addition to the product they are currently purchasing. Cross-selling refers to selling items that are related or can be integrated with the item being sold. Both techniques can increase sales volume and provide a valuable service to your customers.

A common barrier to up-selling and cross-selling is motivating staff to do it. Computer systems can track ‘average customer spend’ or ‘average number of articles purchased’ and provide reports by sales person.

Average customer spend should have an upward trend and some retailers will constantly look for ways to improve this figure. Up-selling is one of the main ways. Measuring average customer spend regularly for each staff member can identify training needs and allow managers to operate target driven incentive schemes. If the sale of big ticket items gets in the way of this, it may be possible to run the reports only on accessory ranges.

Another method retailers are using is ‘average number of products sold’. It works on the basis that incentivizing staff to sell one more item is better than a looking at average spend. It doesn’t matter how much the additional item sells for, the result in increased profit can be significant. Some feel this approach is easier for the staff to get to grips with, it helps them be creative about what to add on to the sale and gives better value for the customer who has purchased matching accessory that they had not considered.