Management & Consulting

Learn more about the concepts and differences between Cross Selling and UpSelling!

Discover the main features of Cross Selling vs UpSelling and increase your sales with eight simple practices!

Alicia Soares
Published on May 23, 2022  ·  Updated on Aug 29, 2022
Cross Selling vs UpSelling: how to choose the best one to increase your sales? Freepik.

Cross Selling and UpSelling are sales strategies that exploit the customer's purchase potential. They offer added products or an upgrade of current products, improving the customer's experience and increasing their average ticket.

This type of strategy emerged with the aim of increasing revenue and retaining active customers from the base. Both strategies are a great opportunity to monetize with established customers who already use your product.

Let's better understand the difference between them to know how to increase revenue in your company? Continue on this post and learn:

  • What is Cross-sell?
  • What is Upsell?
  • Cross-sell and Up-sell strategies to increase sales
  • Be a leader!

What is Cross-sell?


Cross-Sell happens when we offer products or services that complement a customer's purchase. He has the option of taking only their initial product or it plus a complementary product.

In our daily lives, we present a lot of cross sold situations. When we go to a restaurant, and at the end, we are offered dessert. Or when we buy a cell phone, we are offered the cover and the protective film.

The best way to plan cross-sell is to think about which products people can be intended to purchase together. These have to satisfy both the customer and the company's revenue.

To carry out a good cross-sell strategy, it is important to analyze these complementary items at product pages:

  • What additional product or service makes sense to sell together?
  • Which customers are suitable for cross-selling?
  • How does the customer journey work to make an assertive cross-sell offer?

What is Upsell?


Up-sell encourages the customer to buy a more expensive product than previously desired. It is very important to identify what the customer's needs are and how they receive offers as they are presented.

In addition, it is worth remembering that insisting too much can have the opposite effect and make your customer run away.

Let's take as an example a consumer contracting a cable TV service. Initially, he asks for a budget for a basic plan, but the salesperson presents a better expensive plan.

When the customer compares the advantages and benefits, he ends up hiring the larger plan.

For the Up-sell to be effective and bring the desired results, it is necessary that:

  • Build a relationship of trust between the customer and the consumer;
  • Identify needs before the customer asks;
  • Recommend the correct product.

Up-selling products are an interesting strategy. When the customer has already made the decision to buy, it is much easier to offer an upgrade to him.


Cross-sell and Up-sell strategies to increase sales


UpSelling and Cross-Selling strategies bring several benefits, mainly to increase your average order that the customer can place. The other ones are boosting revenue and the possibility of exposing products with high margins.

Setting goals is essential to obtain good business results. However, for professionals this means having more tangible financial results, motivation and willingness to improve their sales skills.

Check out some other techniques to boost your sales below!


1. Plan your routine

Planning is the bottom line for hitting goals and succeeding in any strategy. It is necessary to list the main actions and rank them according to the urgency. This allows you to achieve the goals established for the day.

Another interesting action is to determine the most pertinent times to make important contacts, send emails and review priorities.

With planning, it is possible to minimize distractions, which inhibit — or delay — the achievement of objectives and goals. So focus on daily plans, but design them according to context—monthly plans, for example.


2. Improve your standard of care

If you only think about hitting targets, you will never be able to dedicate yourself professionally to your duties. Or even ensure a closer and more friendly relationship with your customers.

In the sales segment, customer loyalty is essential to favor the recurrence of consumption and, consequently, the achievement of salespeople's goals.

Focus on providing exceptional service tailored to your persona's characteristics and desires. Use the same language and provide information relevant to their stage in the consumption journey.


3. Awaken the sense of urgency in customers

The sense of urgency is suitable for many consultative situations.

However, the customer is demanding, intelligent and capable of perceiving when the salesperson is telling the truth. Or even sales efforts do not respect the consumer's time or moment.

Nonetheless, you need to maintain sincerity and transparency in all your communication with your audience.


4. Eliminate bottlenecks

Some obstacles inherent in the process of hitting sales goals can also be minimized. So that, you can maintain productivity and hit goals without sacrificing your free time or moments of rest.

With a readjustment of your pipeline, you can optimize processes.

In addition, you reallocate the time needed to carry out all the actions that turn into conversions. Frequently check the established objectives and goals, analyze deadlines and map possible barriers that can compromise or delay the desired results.


5. Grow your network of contacts

Increasing your network of contacts can be a good alternative to hitting your target.

Go to places where you can network and promote productive conversations for your business. Some examples are workshops and other types of events.

Some communication channels can favor this strategic relationship, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Therefore, have a profile on these networks and create publications with valuable content for your segment.

This way you become a reference, and with authority it is possible to increase the visibility of your work model.


6. Have a Digital Marketing Strategy

The importance of Digital Marketing is not limited to increasing the network of B2B contacts. This is an essential strategy nowadays, since the change in consumer behavior has favored the increase in the online consumption model.

Therefore, it is interesting to have knowledge and put into practice some Inbound Marketing actions. Such as maintaining your own website to provide valuable content for the profile.

Presence on social media is also very important. Define the profile of the audience that most consumes the products or services you sell. After, see which of these platforms the target audience of your strategy is most present on.


7. Learn to sell value beyond price

Selling value beyond price is a major branding challenge. It consists of raising people's perception to the point where they prefer products and services over their direct competitors. This is related to the confidence that their needs and consumer desires will be met.

Some elements that influence this perception include personal experiences, affective bonds, market trends and the seller's profile.

Results are also leveraged through content strategies and influencer marketing. The quality of contact and sales focus builds consumer preference, brand equity in the market and customer reliability.


8. Evaluate your results

Review the goals set with periods, but consider the goals as a daily achievement. This checkout process is important to determine how hard you need to work to hit the goal. Keeping your performance and motivation.

Also define the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that should base this analysis. Some of these are conversion rate, volume of leads generated in each campaign and average sales ticket.

However, know that to hit a goal there is no specific formula. Planning and correctly defining sales objectives — often based on the SMART tool — is essential for the success of the strategy.


Be a leader!

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Alicia Soares
Written by
Journalism student at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). Content Writer at VAVEL UK. Experience in Institutional Communication at the UFJF Communication Department and …

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