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Connect with Your Customers by Cross-Selling and Upselling
Are you maximizing the use of the data you have in-house? Customers who have already
purchased from you are your best avenue for additional sales. How could that data be put to the best use?
This was the question asked by U.K. retailer Carphone Warehouse.
When customers signed up for cell phone service, it had been sending out a generic welcome kit. But Carphone Warehouse gathers a lot of information at the time of purchase. It wondered, why not personalize the welcome kits and use the information to cross-sell and upsell additional products and services?
From Generic to Personalized
Instead of a generic welcome pack, it began creating personalized booklets with dozens of variables. When customers signed up for car phone service, it began sending a 16-page personalized booklet containing reference information and instructions on how to operate the phone. Each booklet was customized to the individual’s choice of phone, network service provider, mobile phone number and more. The booklet also contained cross-sells and upsells based on the customer’s purchase.
This was more than a hard sales pitch. The booklet acted as a reference guide, with details of the calling plan, pricing for various services, instructions for accessing voice mail and more. One customer’s mailer might say, "Making the Most of Your Samsung D500," with how-to guides teaching the customer how to take and send snapshots on
their new camera phone. Then it might offer a discount on Bluetooth devices to enable them to send those pictures to more places.
Far from being annoyed by the additional personalization, Carphone Warehouse’s research showed that customers felt that this was a valuable reference guide. And since the cross-sells and upsells were directly relevant to their purchase, they generally felt that these offers were a service rather than an intrusion.
Carphone Warehouse is now producing about 4,000 of these welcome packs each day.
What Are You Selling?
How can you do the same in your own marketing? You might not be selling highvolume
cell phone service, but the model itself applies across the board.
1. Gather information. When your customer becomes a customer, use that initial contact as an opportunity to gather data. Get each customer’s name, address, e-mail address and other information that will help you tailor product and service preferences in later
communications.
2. Start a regular, personalized communication program. Use these opportunities to educate your customers in ways that matter to them. Cross-sell and upsell appropriate products in subtle ways that are helpful rather than intrusive.
3. Create a Two-Way Dialog. Ask questions. Do customer surveys. Make your customers feel valued and, at the same time, continue to gather data to further personalize your communications.
Opportunities to develop customer relationships and personalize your communications confront you every day. Don’t let them pass you by.
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