Would You Like Fries with That? The Benefits of Cross Selling by Doba

Article from Doba's Dropshipping Blog

If you’ve ever stepped foot in a fast food joint, you’re intimately familiar with cross selling. Think about it… who among us hasn’t been asked, “Would you like fries with that?”

If used correctly, cross selling can be a valuable revenue-generating tool for any online business. To get started, think of yourself as a consultant and not a sales person. What additional products, services, or information can you give your customer that will truly help them? The key here: Don’t be pushy; be helpful instead.

Successful cross selling starts with getting to know your customer. When the sales person from my example above started talking about plasma television sets, he might as well have pulled some sushi out of his pocket and asked if I was interested in buying a tuna roll. I could tell he just wanted to make a sale.

Small businesses especially have to work hard to compete in a crowded marketplace. Buyers need to look to you as the guru of the products you sell. Recommending an relevant product or two is a great way of showing your customers you know what you’re talking about. By doing so, you provide a richer experience for your customers, which ultimately increases the chances of them coming back.

In the world of drop-ship retailing, you have a wonderful advantage to group products together and cross sell without having to purchase or keep inventory on hand. If a certain combination is really taking off, then great! More revenue for you and your customers are happier. If not, all businesses have ups and downs, and you don’t have a warehouse full of products you can’t seem to move. Research additional products and try again. Remember, your goal is to be helpful, and if you are, your customers will sense your sincerity.

One word to keep in mind while you are looking through Doba’s catalog of suppliers and products is “accessories.” Does the product you are currently selling have any accessories that would make sense to offer your customers?

For example, I can’t wait for spring and the BBQ season. I just found a Smokeless Indoor BBQ Grill (ID 17409 in the Doba catalog) that I really want to buy. At the same time, I’m guessing there will be other people out there who would like it, also. If I sell the grill for the listed MSRP, I could make about $10 a sale, which is a pretty good little profit margin.

Taking it a step further though, I now notice that the Doba catalog provides a list of recommended related products that I might want to offer when selling the grill in question. Bingo… can you say “cross sell!”.

Good luck and happy cross selling!

This article has been condensed. To read the full article click here.

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Doba is a product sourcing company connecting eBay sellers and small online retailers with drop ship distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers. Doba is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has been an eBay Certified Service Provider since 2004.