Suggestive Selling

"Suggestive Selling." It's a lot more innocent than it sounds. It's about making suggestions -- not being suggestive.

You can really increase your profits with a little suggestive selling. It’s the same technique the magenta-haired cashier at the fast-food joint uses when she asks if you want fries and a drink with your buffalo burger.

Only in your business, it's probably much more sophisticated and requires more in-depth product knowledge.

Perhaps a better analogy is the black-tie waiter at a white tablecloth restaurant suggesting a red wine to go with your meal.

One way to do this is to ask meaningful questions to determine your customers’ needs.

I once had a client that direct-marketed rebuilt cylinder heads. It was basically a mail order operation. His telephone reps took orders and shipped crated cylinder heads across the nation. What made my client especially successful is how he trained his phone reps to diligently ask if the customer needed a head gasket or head bolts or other add-ons. If I remember right he actually made a higher margin on these add-ons than he made on the initial sale.

And add-on sales don't just just add a few more dollars of profit to each sale; they make for more satisfied customers. That translates to more repeat business and referrals. No one wants to be in the middle of an engine overhaul and find they don't have the right gasket in stock or that the old head bolt is stripped or broken.

So, do yourself and your customers a favor and be sure you finish the job. Ask them for the add-on sale. Don't just ask"will there be anything else?" That question begs a "no." Be specific. They may not be thinking of the whole process and your questions are probably more helpful than you realize.

Remember, you’re an expert in what you sell. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge by making meaningful suggestions.