Selling insights that will explode your sales volume!
Part 20— by Scott Morris
Scott Morris presents sales practices to share with your sales team in 2025 to increase add-on sales, up-selling
and
cross selling.
There are many great ways to increase sales volume in furniture retail stores. In this Next Level Training
installment,
we will focus on things you can do individually and collectively to drive your sales to unexpected new heights.
It will
pay to frequently review these insights with your team to reinforce their importance and always keep your sales
team in
a selling frame of mind!
Down Time is for Learning!
It’s common sense that the more your salespeople practice, the better they will be able to perform in front of
customers. Taking time each day to practice presentations on their own or role-playing with other salespeople is
one of
the most important things they should do to improve sales performance. Each day comes with its opportunities and
challenges, so this type of practice helps to ensure that each salesperson is primed and ready to go when their
next
customer comes in.
Downtime is also usually the only time most salespeople have to study new products, learn more about existing
ones, and
study the sales floor for natural step-ups and step-downs. It also presents the most likely opportunity to ask
managers
for private mentoring from managers and fellow expert senior salespeople. You’ll notice that the very best
salespeople
never sit around waiting for their next up. Instead, they are on a journey of constant self-improvement.
Conversely,
those who end up getting ‘let go’ for poor performance are those who sit around all day and frequently engage in
fruitless personal conversations.
Two Ways to Improve Sales Performance!
One of the best ways to increase your company-wide close ratio is to hold sales meetings where salespeople are
asked,
“Could you please share your favorite ‘close’ and tell us exactly why and when you like to use it?” When I first
asked
this question, every salesperson in the room came to life, and each answer provided tremendous insight.
Some salespeople prefer to use closes that fit better with their personalities. It’s a good idea to ask each
salesperson
to write down their favorite close. That way, you will have a complete list to pass out and discuss with your
team at
your next sales meeting. You will find that nobody will leave the room without that list!
Another excellent way to increase sales is to teach salespeople how to create their own customer traffic! Every
truly
great salesperson must cultivate a steady stream of repeat buyers. The ones who do this well provide customers
with lots
of genuine customer assistance that is remembered long after an initial sale. The best way to duplicate that is
to
become the type of salesperson who renders special help and insight to every customer. But exactly how do they
learn
that skill? By transforming your sales meeting into your store’s training university!
Here’s another question to stimulate the feedback that will benefit the whole group: “Who here gets a lot of
repeat
customers, and exactly why do they keep coming back to you?” You might also ask, “What can you do as a
salesperson to
lock in all of your customers’ future business?” This will generate great feedback and serve as a wake-up call
for
almost everyone to be more proactive about inquiring about a customer’s future needs!
Building Tickets
We will now look at three really great ways to help your salespeople increase the size of their sales. The first
is
“Add-on Selling,” the second is “Up-selling,” and the third is “Cross-selling.”
“We will now look at three really great ways to help your salespeople increase the size of their sales!
The
first is
‘Add-on Selling,’ the second is ‘Up-selling,’ and the third is ‘Cross-selling.’”
Add-on Selling: Add-on selling, simply means adding something extra to a sales order, such as a
complementary piece or
item. Examples are an additional nightstand or two, an appropriate lamp for an end table, two extra dining
chairs, and
so on. Some customers might be characterized as minimalists who prefer uncluttered looks. Others are quite the
opposite,
preferring fully decorated looks. Most people have preferences that fall somewhere in between.
It’s very important to always sell to every individual’s particular needs. The best way for your sales staff to
find out
where customers fall on the minimalist/maximalist scale is by simply asking, “Do you prefer a fully decorated
look, a
sparsely decorated one, or something between the two?” Their answers will often announce hidden add-on sales
opportunities!
Up-selling: Up-selling to a higher-quality item or set can be achieved by steering customers in the right
direction by
appealing to their desire for durability, quality, style and craftsmanship. Many salespeople I’ve worked with
over the
years have had success up-selling dining or bedding sets by saying something like, “Betty, if you get the better
set
now, it will only cost you $400 more, but it will likely last twice as long compared to the less expensive one.
If you
decide, however, to go with the less expensive set today and replace it in 10 years, with inflation factored in,
your
total cost will end up being way more. In other words, you will only spend $1,400 for the better set now and be
done for
a very long time. But if you don’t, you’ll be paying $1,000 today plus about $1,400 in the future, for a total
of
$2,400, and miss out on all the advantages the better set will give you over that same 20-year period.”
Another up-selling approach that works with some customers is to point out that they can make a ‘legacy purchase’
by
spending a little more. For example, say, “John and Mary, the better set you also like, for just $500 more,
would
actually be an heirloom purchase. Its better quality ensures it will last and can be passed down to the family
as a
great reminder of both of you for generations to come! These last two up-selling techniques can work like magic!
Cross-selling: Every sales associate should aim to cross-sell items unrelated to purchases customers have
already
decided upon. The best example is suggesting the addition of a mattress. As a sales associate, cross-selling
mattresses
accounted for 25% of my monthly sales and 25% of my compensation due to mattress spiffs and bonuses!
Cross-selling a mattress to someone who didn’t come in to buy one requires a different sales approach. The main
difference is that the presentation should be shortened quite a bit, and it usually takes an enticing invitation
to get
them to try one out. Something like, “Since you’re already here, you really owe it to yourself to take a minute
to try
out the new space-age materials our mattresses are made of. If you do, you’ll remember it forever!” Instead of
space-age
materials, “technology-enabled smart beds that provide a better night’s sleep” or other inviting mattress
features can
be substituted.
Four Most Versatile Add-ons!
Many versatile items present your salespeople with opportunities to create add-on sales and cross-sell. Dining
chairs
are a prime example. There are about a dozen places in homes where extra dining chairs can be used. Here are
just a few:
In a bedroom, as a dressing chair; by an entryway to change shoes and put boots on; and for extra seating in a
home
office.
Another versatile item is the dining set bench. It can be placed under a window for people to enjoy the view, at
the end
of a bed, in entryways or mudrooms for putting on shoes, and basically in any room where seating is required
when
company arrives.
Nightstands provide great looks and convenient storage in entryways. With a lamp on top, they can fill awkward
spaces
and corners. They can sometimes be placed in large closets to provide additional drawer storage or in front of a
large
window next to a chair.
Last but not least, ottomans can be placed in front of sofas, sectionals, or large chairs to provide convenient
seating
for guests and extra storage. Easy to move to other rooms, customers can use them to change diapers and fold
clothes. An
ottoman can turn any large chair, loveseat, sofa, or sectional into a chaise longue.
Conclusion
Encouraging salespeople to use their downtime productively is one of the most important things an owner or sales
manager
can do. However, significant progress cannot be made if salespeople don’t focus on sales basics every day with
every
customer.
They must focus on improving their close ratio and setting the stage for repeat business. They must also
remember the
three ways to increase their tickets and the four most versatile add-ons presented in this Next Level Training
installment, which should be kept in mind when waiting on customers. Happy Selling!!!