Cross-selling: Definition, translation, examples

What is cross selling?

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Definition and translation

The Cross-selling Is a sales technique Crossed allowing to considerably increase the Average income generated by a customer by offering the latter products or additional services. This sales technique is widely used in many areas, especially in the B2B SaaS universe, and B2C e-commerce via marketing automation strategies. It quickly proved its effectiveness and remains very popular among sales and digital marketing professionals.

It is a classic taught on the Akimbo Bootcamp to become a Business Developer.

Cross-selling is often compared to up-selling, as will be seen later.

Cross selling or cross selling?

Both terms refer to the principle of cross-selling. However, it is more common to use the term cross-selling rather than cross-selling to talk about The additional sales technique.

Examples of cross selling

Many examples of cross-selling can be highlighted, we decided to show you the main ones.

Example 1: B2B cross-selling in a CRM solution

As part of customer relationships, you sell a CRM solution to your customer. This sale will result in other questions from the prospect:

“Do your teams have the internal technical knowledge to implement the solution in the company?”
“Who will be in charge of monitoring and updating the CRM solution in the company in the future?”

Thanks to these questions, the salesperson can offer a additional offer and therefore a new service or product to its customer such as team training concerning this new CRM solution. Cross-selling makes it possible to increase sales considerably.

Example 2: B2C cross-selling at Yves Rocher

Many brands use it constantly, especially on their websites or by offering loyalty cards. The group Yves Rocher represents a perfect example of cross-selling. With each purchase, this brand also offers low-cost products by sending emails and messages to its customers. The low cost of the complementary items offered further encourage the purchase, which makes it possible to significantly increase the average customer basket.

Example 3: Amazon B2C cross-selling

On websites such as that of the Amazon group, cross-selling takes place from the shopping cart page in the form of modules. The latter offer “recommendations” new products that may arouse consumer interest. The recommendations often have a logical link to the purchase.

When you buy a shampoo, the platform will make sure to offer you, among other things, a conditioner and a shower gel. Cross-selling is based on the expectations and secondary needs of customers, which makes it possible to have an effective impact in the buying process.

In summary, cross-selling can be used in all types of sectors. Even the hotel industry uses it on a daily basis. Coffee at the end of a meal is a good example. This lengthening takes place in a subtle way and works perfectly with consumers.

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What is the difference between up-selling and cross-selling?

What is up-selling? Definition

Up-selling corresponds to an upgrade. This sales technique consists in offering, instead of the purchase initially planned by the consumer, a product or service of greater value that meets more problems and has more advantages. This technique in turn allows you to increase the average basket in order to achieve a higher turnover. It's also a great way to improve the buyer experience.

Other up-selling technique, sell more licenses. You planned to sell 10 licenses to your prospect, why wouldn't he buy 20 after all?

In summary, up-selling offers a second purchase option and consists of increase interest in the same product at the prospect.

To know : Compared to cross-selling, up-selling is more difficult to implement. Offering a more expensive product can be an obstacle to buying.

Differences between processes

The two processes are very similar but in reality they have many differences. Unlike cross-selling, which offers the customer a related product at any price, up-selling attempts to encourage the consumer to buy a product with higher added value. To do this, the seller highlights the qualities of its product and if possible, its technical superiority.

In other words, upselling consists in offering a more expensive version of the original product, which makes it possible to quickly increase the value of the order while cross-selling offers a product that is complementary to the product purchased but may be totally different from the latter.

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Why cross sell?

Cross-selling brings a number of significant advantages. Like many other sales techniques related to web marketing, it mainly allows an increase in the average customer basket and therefore allows, at the same time, better profitability by further increasing the company's turnover.

Cross selling in sales and marketing

Cross selling allows you to offer your customers complementary products that meet their expectations. It is a good way to develop a complete range of products around your flagship product or service.

However, even if increasing the average basket remains the main objective of cross-selling, many other advantages are aimed at:

A strong interaction between the various products of your site which allows a better sale of complementary products. Offering offers and packs to your customers allows you tosell accessories more easily who have a harder time getting visibility
Offer a wider range of items and highlight all of your products.

Thanks to this cross-selling technique, it is thus easier to offer visibility to products that do not have one. It is a considerable saving of time and money to promote your new offer. Let's illustrate this observation!

A site sells toys that don't have batteries. Internet users buy toys without necessarily thinking about buying the necessary batteries. At the time of purchase, you can suggest that they add batteries to complement the products. This will allow you to inflate the basket. Especially since the least visible products are often the ones on which you make the most margin, so it would be a shame to hide them!

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How do you cross-sell?

Method and application

Cross-selling, or cross-selling, is a particularly effective sales method. For it to function optimally, it must be used at the right time in the buying process. Steps must be followed to ensure derive maximum value.

The use of this technique is most effective prior to purchase. For example, placing a module directly on your product pages can allow your customers to add additional items to their basket.

As noted above, cross-selling, in order to be particularly effective, must follow a few steps:

Carefully select your products : offer your customers items related to their purchases. By doing this, you will better meet their expectations and needs. Suggest complementary items at a lower cost to attract more consumer interest.
Act at the right time : Start cross-selling before buying and continue as much as possible during the buying process and after the purchase. Online, don't be afraid to multiply offers at several stages of navigation. In stores, personalized customer support by the seller is essential in the process of additional sales.
Choose the right location : To allow an additional sale, it may be wise to offer additional items at the time of payment.
Don't overlook your commercial speech : Listen carefully to your customers and show some empathy for them. By doing this, you will gain more consumer trust and sell your items more easily. Online, recommendations with specific titles like “You might also like” can be effective in encouraging sales without forcing the customer's hand.
Use the right tools : especially if you sell your items online! Our advice would be to use a marketing automation tool that would allow you to best segment visitors to your website while tracking their buying behaviors.

In summary, establish the Plan of attack Of your cross-selling strategy before embarking on this sales technique. This will allow you to act at the right time with the right products and thus to make the most of the potential of this strategy.

The best times to cross-sell

To be fully effective, this technique must continue during the purchase process, especially on the shopping cart page of your website. Implementing this technique just before the switch to payment encourages customers to consume more.

However, contrary to what many believe, cross-selling is not only limited to the time of buying a product or service!

Some retailers sometimes use Pop-up windows when the potential consumer visits the online store. It's a particularly effective way to sell new items. It may also be possible to offer cross-selling after the purchase, in particular by means of e-mailing. Offering new offers to your customers following their purchases allows Loyalty. If they are satisfied with their items and you offer them complementary products later in connection with their purchases, there is a good chance that they will consume again!

In summary, there is no better time but several to use the cross-selling technique:

Before the sale : setting up a module directly on your product pages is very effective in allowing additional sales;
Right after the sale : You should take advantage of this moment to sell additional items to your customers. If they are happy with your products, they will trust your brand more. They will therefore possibly be interested in your additional offers if they are well targeted, i.e. in line with their needs;
A few months after the sale : Don't overlook customer relationships. Retain your customers as much as possible. Come back to them frequently to get their feedback on your products and to know their satisfaction. At the same time, take the opportunity to offer them additional items related to their previous purchases.

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