What is upsell and how to apply this technique to improve sales?

Have you already tried offering a more complete product or service to a customer while making a purchase on your sales page? Known as upsell, this is one more strategy to promote products or services and generate more income with a sale.

Learn in this post what upsell is and how you can use this technique as an opportunity to add value to what your customers buy and also increase the average ticket of your business.

What does upsell mean?

Upsell is an English term that does not have a literal translation into Spanish, but that we can define as “sell something else”. This is a sales strategy that focuses on improving the buyer’s experience with your brand, product or service, and even increasing your sales.

Basically, an upsell consists of improving the initial purchase of your client. It is as if you created an opportunity for the person to acquire a more complete item than the one they had already chosen.

For example:

Imagine that you are in the supermarket and you need to buy powdered detergent. First, you see a package that costs 9 euros and lasts 50 washes and you decide to take it.

But, when you keep walking, the seller offers you a product of the same brand that lasts 100 washes and costs 15 euros. You realize that it is worth spending more to have a longer-lasting detergent and you decide to buy a more expensive product.

This is an upsell: increase the amount of the purchase!

When to use an upsell strategy?

Now that you have understood what upselling is and how important this technique is to increase your sales, you must be wondering: When should I upsell?

From now on, we will show you the ideal time to offer a more complete product or service to your customers. Know these strategies!

1. Upsell with real consumers

The first observation to make to be sure that you are applying an upsell at the ideal time is to know if the person to whom you offer another product or service is really a consumer who already had the intention of making a purchase on your site or on your website. store.

Upselling occurs when you convince a consumer to buy a higher value product. Therefore, do not try to sell something more expensive to someone who is not even interested in being your client.

2. Understand the relevance of the product or service

After being sure that the person to whom you want to apply the upsell technique is your client, think about what you will offer. Is the new purchase option interesting and relevant for the consumer? Or will it just increase your average ticket?

Always think about people’s experience and offer an upsell only if it adds value to your customer’s purchase. Remember to create a new offer that is related to the item that you already wanted to purchase and that is useful to you.

Also, pay attention to the value of the product you will offer. The new purchase has to be worthwhile for your customer and not just for you.

3. Identify an unmet need

Have you ever been to a fast food chain and, when you were about to pay for your purchase, the clerk offered you a larger size of fries for a ridiculous value?

It is very likely that, at that time, you did not need any more potatoes. However, the value of more seemed so small to you that you ended up accepting the offer.

You have to use this strategy with your customers. Show them that there is a need they haven’t realized yet.

How to do an upsell successfully?

If you have come this far, you know what upsell is, you have understood that this technique is important to increase your sales and you have already learned the best time to apply the technique. So, it’s time to get to work.

Thinking of helping you find the starting point to start applying the upsell in your sales, we will teach you what is necessary to make a new offer to someone who is already your client.

So let’s go? We are sure that, at the end of this post, you will be well prepared to apply the upsell in your sales.

1. Analyze each client

If you are offering a more expensive product to a customer, you must know him well to offer him something that is really valuable and useful.

Imagine, for example, that you have an online clothing store. If a shopper is looking at a casual beach dress and you offer her a party dress just because it’s more expensive, she sure as hell won’t buy it, right?

Your goal is, as we said before, to increase your sales. But you must also focus on the good experience of the buyer.

Therefore, analyzing preferences not only for products but also for prices and quality of what is desired is essential for greater conversion.

2. Highlight the advantages

When you are going to upsell, always offer advantages and show your client why it is much better to buy a more expensive product.

You can offer him, for example, a product/service similar to the one he wants, but with more functions.

The important thing is always to show the buyer that if he opts for the most expensive purchase, he will have advantages that someone else who buys the simplest product will not have.

3. Use references

Have you noticed how we accept a certain brand better if it comes recommended by someone we know?

This usually happens because we believe that if something worked for someone close to us, it may also work for us. And if this recommendation is made by someone famous or an expert on the subject, it is even better, because it shows that a certain product is good for people who know that niche well .

That is why referrals are so important when it comes to upselling. When you have testimonials from clients or professionals who have already used your product/service and liked it, you manage to increase the reputation of your brand.

Most buyers like to hear success stories that show how well what you offer works.

So when you upsell, focus on the stories of customers who have purchased the most expensive product and achieved even better performance.