In every call center company, increasing revenue and profit is as important as achieving great customer satisfaction. But doing that should not only be limited to driving new sales. It must go beyond to increase the average transaction value or the average amount every customer spends in each call. An effective way of doing that is through cross selling, a method of offering a complementary or related product to a customer’s original purchase.
Cross selling can bring significant benefits to a call center company which includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Revenue generation. Incorporating cross-selling in the process can help generate more sales and higher revenue as it maximizes every call made with the customer by offering him/her any possible products that can go with his/her original purchase.
2. Efficiency. Call center companies should train their agents to do sales to reduce the cost of hiring sales executive. In return, it can help improve the overall efficiency of the call center.
3. Customer loyalty. When cross selling, an agent should take into consideration the customer’s actual need which seeks to improve his/her experience with the product. That process can be comprehended as a commitment to provide a more personalized service than a tactic to increase the profit; hence increasing customer loyalty.
4. Cost reduction. If the call center has already gained loyal customers—who are willing to listen to the product offers—through cross selling, there will be a higher chance of successful sales. That also means the costs of calls spent to people who are unwilling to listen will be greatly reduced.
In cross selling, there are techniques that should always be considered. Always remember that a poorly handled cross selling can irritate customers, which is detrimental to the company.
1. Wait for cues and right timing. Listen enthusiastically to what the customer is saying about the product he/she is planning to purchase. Determine the product that he/she would likely need and desire then suggest it with him/her. It is also better to wait for the right timing before making the recommendation. The customers might not like it if the agent suddenly stops them from saying something only to introduce a new product.
2. Limit the recommendations. Never recommend a product that is not related to the purchase of the customer because it might annoy him/her. Instead, keep the choices limited. By doing so, the customer will not be too confused and overwhelmed and can, therefore, select a more appropriate product among the choices.
3. Justify the suggestion. Elaborately explain to the customers why they must also purchase the suggested product to persuade them to buy it. For example, if a customer wanted to buy a new laptop, tell them how a laptop fan would be useful to the product.
4. Be patient. A customer might need some time to think about the additional product offer. If they say they will search the product on the Internet, give them time to do it. Furthermore, calmly answer every question they have to help clear their doubts. Never ever rush them in making a decision because it might lead to call abandonment instead of a sale.
