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