Cross-Promoting On-line Coaching Prime Actions
How to improve cross-selling online training with innovative activities
Salespeople have a gigantic task. They have to convince them to part with cash when you probably don’t want to. It’s not that you aren’t interested in their product or service. It is just painful to pay for everything. So the job of a seller is to convince you. You have to prove that the pain of paying will be dwarfed by the joy and value you get from your purchase. And then when you buy a product or service, they have to win you over to companion products. It can be a cross-sell or an up-sell. Either way, it’s piggybacking from the first sale. But what is cross-selling online training? More importantly, how does it help you equip your sales team with the skills and tools they need to maximize their purchase amount and increase customer satisfaction?
5 creative ideas for cross-selling training
1. Up-Selling vs. Cross-Selling Video Demos
The cross-selling online training technique used in these two sales pitches is the same. You want to convince your customers that this additional purchase will make their lives even better than what they originally bought. A cross-sell is a product or service that works well with the first one. For example, a cell phone could be accompanied by a cell phone case, headphones, a speakerphone, or a screen protector. You can also sell a data plan or phone insurance.
Up-selling is about updating what you already have. They want them to upgrade their basic subscription to a premium package. Or you want them to buy the latest version of the phone they already own. You need to convince them that the extra features are worth the extra cost. Either that or persuade them to trade in, although they still have to top up the credit. Develop video demos that highlight the differences between these two techniques so that staff can understand their nuances. Just as one “reads” the customer and evaluates the transaction in order to choose the right approach.
2. Role reversal scenarios
Start by walking employees through a cross-sell online training script template. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and think of all the reasons you would give for not buying a product. Salespeople need to be prepared to respond to the inevitable protests of customers and address each other. List your objections, then turn around and counter your own arguments. Develop these into a script that you can offer to your sales team. You can even include them in the process. Before you give them access to the script, do an exercise. Have them quote their own rejections and responses. This prepares them for the approach to come.
Some common examples are: “I don’t really need the product.” They can respond by offering easy, fun scenarios in which they need the product. It can be a completely ridiculous scenario. If you can make them laugh, they will be more receptive to your pitch. Ask your sales reps to learn the script. They should memorize it first, but later you can invite them to tweak it for their own context. This will help them internalize and own the cross sales pitch.
3. Simulated sales calls
Armed with the right words, let your sales team try out the new guidelines for cross-sell online training. You can “talk” to a simulated character that is programmed for different levels of difficulty. Start with the “simple” customer and move on to more and more stubborn ones. The character is designed to react differently based on what the seller is saying or typing. In later phases, they can practice with each other via messaging apps or web conferences. Moderate the exchange and let your sales force play both roles – buyer and seller.
You can also train your team in sales preparation. Before contacting a customer, they should fix bugs. Teach them to spend half an hour (or more) listing every possible protest the client might have. ‘It is too expensive.’ “I already have a competing product” or “I don’t like the color”. And so on. Get them to write down these rebuttals and write a workable answer next to each one. This trains your bargaining power and makes you second nature.
4. Employee-created troubleshooting library
Develop an aggregator that will fill up over time. It is a kind of portal for ‘general objections’. Pre-program it with standard customer claims and invite your sales reps to add their own. Every time a seller comes across a new apology, they can add it to the database. You will also pass on tips and tricks on how they solved the problem on the job. Then other sales employees can log in to practice and randomly generate a list of customer counter arguments. It helps with pre-sale prep, and it can also be an easy way to pass the time and calm your nerves.
5. Games to match product knowledge
Knowing what products and services are associated with the original item is critical. What better way to help employees make perfect pairings than with a matching game. This serious game enables employees not only to select the ideal cross-selling online training courses, but also to identify the needs and preferences of customers. For example, the employee must read the customer’s body language, use their active listening and assess their purchase history in order to find a suitable supplementary product.
Conclusion
Closing a sale is hard work. Trying to sneak in a second one may seem impossible. It all depends on your view of the world. The second sale might be more difficult because it feels like pushing customer boundaries, like bothering each other. Or it could be easier because they’ve already shown a willingness to buy. With a little training, you can help your sales reps secure that second sale, maybe even a third. Give them a cross-sell template that they can remember and change. Run simulations so they can explore and try out the script for themselves. Offer them a glossary of potential customer comments and effective sales responses. Then round off the cross-selling online training with serious games that convey product knowledge.
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