One last comment here on sales’ reps suggesting the purchase of additional products (my two previous posts.)
The only “upsell” in Buzzy’s Country Store is something that he taught me years ago when I was a young kid working behind the counter: always ask folks heading to Point Lookout if they need ice.
Amazingly enough, the majority of folks I ask this will invariably say yes and add a bag of ice to their order. Many will even thank me for reminding them about it. Some will even laugh and say things like “Wow, that’s the main reason we came in here. Thank you.”
Ironically though, I never once thought of nor viewed Buzzy’s tip as an attempt to up sell people until a young lady confronted me about it one day. I had just finished totaling up her purchases and had asked her if she needed ice when she responded “I know what you’re doing – suggestive selling. They taught us that working in the fast food industry. At the end of every transaction always try to upsell people by asking them if they’d like fries with their order or wanted to supersize it.”
Guess I didn’t really appreciate the fast food comparison because I debated responding “Yeah? Well my old man taught it to me 50 years ago before it was called anything.” Instead, I just smiled and said to her “Well, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Video from the all time best movie about selling both professionally and personally. Lots of great lines in this movie including Cuba Gooding’s “Show Me the Money” and “A real man wouldn’t shoplift the pootie from a single mother.” But Rene’s was the best (shown here) when she says “You had me at hello.” Now that’s some suggestive talk isn’t it?