How to Train your staff to increase profits

Training your team to effectively execute a sale and gain the maximum sale from their customer will overall add to the business success and profit.

Training your employees about the average value of sale, can be done through the education of up selling and add-on selling.

It is important for the employee to know the following:

• How to up-sell and cross-sell
• When to up-sell and cross-sell
• Techniques and sales tools to up-sell and cross-sell
• Recognising an opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell
• What products or services they can up-sell and cross-sell
• What to do if the sell is rejected
• How to present the customer with all information so they fully understand the benefits, and
• The benefits to the business through up-selling and cross-selling

To assist your team during or after their training you may implement sales scripts, running sheets, incentives or any other motivational and/or sales tool that will ensure the employee uses their best knowledge and skills in gaining a successful sale.

For instance, if your employees know how to up-sell or cross-sell your other products and services such as suggesting a printer with the computer or personal tax return with the business tax return, you are going to potentially gain a long-term customer due to the amount of helpful service and gain the most amount of profit at that point of sale.

Camera House Example

A camera house is a good example of being able to up-sell or cross-sell.

Normally the customer will require film, batteries, photo processing, possibly a photo frame or album, accessories such as a camera bag, strap, etc, or requires a more powerful camera or from film to digital.

If your employee was only to sell the camera and not suggest the other options, you are only making a profit from the camera.  While this maybe a good profit, the employee is not maximising the opportunity with the customer and giving them alternative options.

The purchase of up-selling and cross-selling by your customer normally prompts the natural buying habits of the customer and generally isn’t seen as being exploited by the salesperson.