For small businesses, learning how to raise the amount each client spends per purchase is an excellent way to increase overall cash flow. This might sound complex in theory, but there are actually some relatively simple sales strategies that can be used to make it happen.
Upselling and cross-selling are two sales techniques known to boost sales by eCommerce giants like Apple and Amazon, and for good reason!
Amazon credited cross-selling for more than a third of its sales and reported that 10% to 30% of eCommerce revenue is generated through upsells.
With vcita, there are quite a few features that can be used to help small businesses create more upsell and cross-sell opportunities. Here we will discuss these features and provide some tips on how to best implement both upselling and cross-selling into your business model.
Create a service menu
Let’s start with the basics. We suggest you start by creating a service menu, which is basically your opportunity to showcase all the different services your business offers.
No need to overcomplicate your menu with unnecessary text or images, in fact, the simpler the better. You want it to be easy for your clients to understand all that your business provides, without any friction.
However simple and user-friendly it may appear, you do want to make it clear that you have invested time into building the service menu. Providing well-written descriptions of each service and choosing quality photos will display your business in the best possible light.
How is this an upselling tactic, you ask? Think of your service menu as a window of discovery for clients to see everything your business has to offer. If the client initially planned to book one service, they will likely be interested in additional services that they may not have known about prior to viewing the service menu.
On vcita, your service menu can also be organized into categories, making it even easier for the client to find exactly what they’re looking for. Categories are also a great way to expose the client to different types of services.
For example, keeping one-on-one appointments in one category and class or group-based events in another will both make it clear to the client that your business offers a variety of services, avoiding confusion about which services are which.
Sell packages
While including a service menu is a very basic principle of upselling, offering packages is a bit higher on the list of upselling tactics. On vcita, packages can be promoted through a banner next to your service menu.
When users click on the banner, they will be taken to a page in which they are shown different “combos” or “bundles.” Each of these offers a number of different services or products grouped together as one package.
When clicking on the desired package, the client will see a more detailed description of what to expect upon purchase. They will be able to see exactly what services are included in the package, how long it’s valid, and the discounted price along with the original prices of each of the services on their own.
Packages provide a classic upsell opportunity. Rather than pay for a single service, clients will be able to see the clear value of purchasing a package instead. Receiving a discounted price on the package will encourage clients to elevate their spending.
Another way packages can be utilized is by offering a punch-card or “class pass” type of deal. This is different than a combo in that the client is not purchasing multiple services for a discounted price, but the same service multiple times for a discounted price.
In other words, your business is offering a discount on a higher volume of services. For example, a yoga studio could offer a package in which a client can buy a pass that includes 10 classes, but they will only be charged for the price of nine classes.
This is another way to upsell because instead of paying for one yoga class, clients will end up paying for nine at one time. This is a win-win for the client and the business. The client gets a great discount and the business secures a somewhat long-term commitment from the client.
Try selling products
For businesses that sell products that complement their services, the “products” feature on vcita makes it super easy for businesses to offer them to their clients. For example, a spa may offer essential oils and candles for sale in addition to the services that they provide.
Creating a list of the products you offer is easy and intuitive.
Once you have your product list created, you will then be able to charge clients for these products, the same way that you charge them for services from within the CRM.
It is important to note, however, that the “products” feature on vcita cannot be used for eCommerce purposes. These products will not be listed in the way that services are; clients cannot discover and purchase them online. They will need to be manually added by the business to the invoice upon collecting payment from a client.
For example, before a client at a spa pays for their massage, the business owner can offer them a scented candle and easily add it to their bill from within vcita.
Offering products that are connected to a service that clients already love is another way to increase the per transaction total.
Try out group events
In the service menu section, we touched on categorizing services into one-on-one sessions and group events. Let’s go into a little bit more detail about what group events are and how they can be used to drive sales.
Group events are services that businesses deliver to more than one person at once. While meeting clients one-on-one generates more revenue, group events can be viewed as a foot-in-the-door tactic.
For newer clients or clients with a limited budget, they might prefer taking part in a group event and paying less than they would for a one-on-one session. Think about fitness classes, for example. Paying for a personal trainer will cost much more than taking part in a group class.
This can also be applied to coaching and consulting, in which one-on-one sessions are expensive compared to workshops or master classes.
An upselling tactic that consultants often use is hosting a large event that does not cost very much to attend, and then following up with the attendees afterward to let them know that the consultant also offers one-on-one sessions.
By inviting people to attend a more economical version of the service you offer, you are generating potential leads that you can later upsell to the one-on-one sessions that generate more revenue.
Don’t worry about the technological logistics. Offering group events and the ability to follow up with the clients who participate in them is a cinch on vcita!
Test out marketing features
vcita offers two main marketing features that can be used to help small businesses upsell.
Campaigns
The first allows businesses to create text message and email campaigns that can be sent to their client base with just a few clicks.
There are many templates to choose from, and the personalization process is super straightforward. Small businesses know the importance of putting a unique spin on marketing campaigns, and vcita doesn’t compromise.
vcita also makes it simple to upload client emails so businesses can send the campaigns directly from the CRM.
Campaigns can be used for any number of reasons, but the main goal is to communicate with and engage your existing client base. This could be offering them a discount code, inviting them to discover a new service, or highlighting a new team member.
These kinds of campaigns aim to convert one-time clients into repeat, loyal ones. The more clients learn about your business and feel that you care about them as clients, the more likely they are to work with you again.
Automated campaigns
The second vcita marketing feature is automated campaigns, which is another classic upsell tool. Automated campaigns are different from the campaigns mentioned in the last section in that they do not have to be manually crafted and sent out to clients.
Instead, they will automatically be sent to specific clients for a reason, called a trigger. For example, businesses can set up automated campaigns to be sent out to clients that have been inactive for 30 days. If they’re inactive for a month, the trigger sounds an internal alarm and sends the re-engagement email automatically.
The purpose of this automated campaign is to give the dormant client reasons to work with your business again. It’s important for small businesses to ensure that one-time clients do not just disappear, and keeping them engaged will help transform them into repeat clients.
On vcita there are many automated campaigns to choose from, including birthday campaigns, and welcome emails for new clients. Automated campaigns are central to upselling and retaining clients in general.
Businesses often include coupons in their marketing campaigns, which is another way to re-engage clients by incentivizing them to make a purchase from you. vcita has a coupon feature you can implement right into your campaign.
Use data with vcita Reports
The “reports” feature on vcita is not a direct upselling tool but can be used to identify upselling opportunities. Through the many business reports available, small businesses will have insight into the data that can help them improve their upselling.
For example, through client reports, businesses can easily determine who their most valuable clients are and who they haven’t worked with in a while. They can then better personalize campaigns for these different types of clients, to increase chances of engagement.
In short, reports can be used to help businesses identify trends and understand where they might have untapped potential to create more upsells.
Upsell like a boss
Learning to utilize the features that vcita offers can make a huge difference for businesses that are not currently utilizing any upselling tactics. It doesn’t have to be complicated in order to be effective! Use the features listed above to master your upselling and you’ll see that bottom line grow in no time.
