Become Better at Cross-selling and Solutions Selling(1 / 2)

BecomeBetteratCross-sellingandSolutionsSelling

Insteadofsaying:“Whatelsecanwesellourcustomers?”youshouldworkbackwards.Createauniquevalueproposition(mixofproductsandservices)andthenpresentthattotherightdecisionmaker.Thisisagreatfoundationformoregrowth.

Cross-selling

■Whycross-sellingfails—Onthesurface,cross-sellingsoundsdeceptivelyeasy.Youconvinceyourexistingcustomerstodomorebusinesswithyoubybundlingproductsandservicestogetherintoniceofferings.Yetthebusinesslandscapeisfullofcross-sellinginitiativesthathavefailedbecause:

Customerswerenotgivenacompellingreasontobuymore

Therightsegmentswerenottargeted

Salesforcestendtospecializeinsellingtheirownproducts

Tomakecross-sellingwork,youneedtoworkbackwardsfromthecustomerratherthanforwardsfromyourorganization.Inotherwords,youneedtocreateavaluepropositionthatthecustomerunderstandsandthatwillappeal.Untilyouunderstandthecustomer'sprioritiesandneedsinfinedetail,youjustwon'tbeabletopredictwhatanappealingvaluepropositionwilllooklike.

■Developingagoodcross-sellingvalueproposition