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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nIn this guide, I\u2019ll break down cross-selling as a sales tactic, highlighting how it works, its benefits, and its challenges. I\u2019ll also share some proven cross-selling strategies you can implement today to start driving revenue growth.<\/p>\n
In total, here\u2019s what you\u2019ll learn:<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Cross-selling opportunities are available at various points of the sales process. For example, some of my favorite places to cross-sell are product pages, checkout pages, thank you pages, and post-purchase emails.<\/p>\n A 2024 HubSpot survey<\/a> of more than 1,400 sales professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia reveals that 87% of salespeople try to cross-sell customers and prospects during the sales process.<\/p>\n To start a cross-selling strategy, I first recommend identifying products that satisfy additional or complementary needs not fulfilled by the initial purchase \u2014 or that increase its value or utility. Next, encourage the customer to purchase these additional products.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Cross-selling and upselling are sometimes used interchangeably, but the approaches are quite different.<\/p>\n While cross-selling involves offering customers additional related items, upselling involves offering them an upgraded, more expensive version of the product they selected. To upsell, you need to convince the customer that the higher-priced version is worth it.<\/p>\n Returning to the customer who just ordered a burger: To upsell, I\u2019d offer options to create a more elaborate burger \u2014 adding pickles and cheese slices, let\u2019s say \u2014 for an additional fee.<\/p>\n In short:<\/p>\n Here are a few realistic scenarios highlighting the difference between cross-selling and upselling.<\/p>\n Mobile Phone Retailer<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200b\u200bWeb Hosting Provider<\/strong><\/p>\n CRM Software<\/strong><\/p>\n Project Management Software Provider<\/strong><\/p>\n Air Conditioning Sales<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Here are the main perks of cross-selling that I\u2019ve personally discovered.<\/p>\n The most direct and immediate benefit of cross-selling is an increase in sales revenue. McKinsey reports<\/a> that cross-selling can increase sales and profits by 20% and 30%, respectively. Furthermore, HubSpot research<\/a> found that cross-selling accounts for 21% of their organizations\u2019 revenues, on average.<\/p>\n This valuable source of revenue makes sense when you look at the numbers. The typical odds<\/a> of closing a sale are 60-70% with an existing customer while it\u2019s only 5-20% with a new one.<\/p>\n So, encouraging customers to buy complementary products typically boosts the average order value (AOV). If your current customers are spending more, your need to constantly acquire new customers will decrease. This is also good news because it costs 5 to 25 times<\/a> more to acquire a new customer than to retain a current one.<\/p>\n One of the biggest benefits I\u2019ve seen while cross-selling is it helps me maximize customer lifetime value (CLV), which is the total revenue generated from each customer over the course of their relationship with my business.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve found that when customers perceive my business consistently meets their needs via relevant product suggestions, they\u2019re more likely to develop loyalty and trust. This encourages more purchases over time, meaning a higher CLV \u2014 meaning more long-term revenue.<\/p>\n As a sales technique, cross-selling relies on products that enhance the overall utility, enjoyment, or longevity of the primary buy. A customer who just bought their first camera from me will probably benefit additionally from a tripod and a camera bag. Having those extra products will make their overall experience more satisfying.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m a customer, discovering relevant offerings via expert cross-selling is a pleasant surprise that makes me feel more understood and appreciated by the business. If there\u2019s one thing I know, a smooth and satisfying shopping experience breeds customer loyalty.<\/p>\n Cross-selling involves strategically placing related products in the customer\u2019s line of sight during their purchasing journey \u2014 products they might not have been aware of. From impulse buys to newbies experimenting, I\u2019m able to get more attention for my offerings and more purchases this way.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Like any other sales tactic, cross-selling comes with some hurdles.<\/p>\n A pitfall I often see is annoying the customers. The line between making a helpful suggestion and unsolicited nagging is very thin.<\/p>\n To avoid this, what I do is closely observe customer reactions and engagement levels during the interaction. If I sense any hesitation or disinterest, I immediately ease off the pressure.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t want customers to feel like every transaction is an attempt to sell them something more. If so, they are more likely to view your business as purely profit-driven, damaging their trust in the brand and reducing the likelihood of future engagement.<\/p>\n Another disadvantage is that cross-selling can ironically be less profitable, even when used successfully.<\/p>\n A Harvard study<\/a> found that the costs of cross-selling to certain \u201cproblem customers\u201d \u2014 such as people who frequently return products, overuse customer support, and primarily avoid regularly priced items \u2014 can actually overshadow extra revenue generated from them because these types of customers account for as much as 70% of the average company\u2019s customer loss (which is when the cost of goods and marketing exceeds the revenue generated).<\/p>\n To overcome this problem, Harvard suggests thoroughly examining your business practices, identifying any that may unintentionally attract or encourage problem customers, and making adjustments.<\/p>\n Additionally, analyzing each customer\u2019s transaction data can help determine whether they fall into one of the problematic categories. Depending on what I find out, I tweak my sales strategies, like upselling them instead or choosing to focus on other customers.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Effective cross-selling begins with thorough preparation. Specifically, you must take time to learn about your customers, map out their buying journey<\/a>, and know your products inside and out. Here\u2019s how to go about it.<\/p>\n You may already know about buyer personas<\/a>. But one area I think is often overlooked is getting to know your audience after<\/em> they have purchased your product. Their needs and expectations may evolve significantly after the purchase, so it\u2019s crucial that you keep up with them if you want to do business with them again.<\/p>\n I recommend you create updated personas for post-purchase customers with:<\/p>\n Service software<\/a> helps you easily deploy, manage, and gather data from customer feedback surveys. Plus, it can give you additional insights regarding your audience\u2019s main pain points by learning how customers interact with your knowledge bases and service agents.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve found that taking time to get to know my audience helps me identify not only which cross-sell products are most likely to appeal to them, but also how to communicate the offers in a way that resonates.<\/p>\n The customer journey<\/a> refers to the path a person is most likely to take from initial awareness of your brand to purchase and beyond.<\/p>\n According to Up Inc.<\/a>, mapping out the customer\u2019s journey is one of the most effective cross-selling strategies, leading to increased customer retention and fewer complaints \u2014 plus higher revenue.<\/p>\n Cross-selling can happen at any point in the customer\u2019s journey; it\u2019s just easier to cross-sell at some points than others.<\/p>\n Mapping the customer\u2019s journey helps me identify the sweet spots of cross-selling. For example, I find that customers are most receptive to my cross-selling pitches after they\u2019ve seen results from my products. Plus, they\u2019ll naturally talk to other people about it, potentially driving referrals.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t be an effective salesperson if you\u2019re not an expert on your entire product range. Identify each offering\u2019s respective strengths and weaknesses. How do they address specific customer needs? Most importantly, learn how different items complement one another.<\/p>\n If I tried cross-selling without comprehensive knowledge and understanding of my products, I\u2019d risk suggesting combinations that don\u2019t make sense to the customer and don\u2019t bring any value. That would erode customer trust by leading them to believe that my primary goal is to increase sales rather than meet their needs.<\/p>\n In contrast, since I thoroughly understand how my products interconnect, I\u2019m able to make informed recommendations that genuinely enhance the customer\u2019s initial order.<\/p>\n Sometimes, opportunities to cross-sell can arise unexpectedly, such as during an unrelated phone call or email exchange with a client. Therefore, another move I recommend is identifying receptive signals from customers. This involves active listening.<\/p>\n These are the best practices I employ when speaking with customers:<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Now that you know how to prepare for cross-selling, let\u2019s explore a few top strategies to use once you\u2019re ready. These are tactics I\u2019ve personally used with tremendous success.<\/p>\n According to Forbes research<\/a>, 81% of modern customers expect brands to deliver a personalized experience \u2014 with up to 70% of people expressing frustration when a company doesn\u2019t know their history with the company.<\/p>\n When it comes to cross-selling, ensure that you tailor your recommendations to each customer based on their preferences, purchase history, and behavior. Just be sure not to violate customers\u2019 data privacy.<\/p>\n Data analytics tools and AI have made that much easier to do. In fact, HubSpot research<\/a> reveals that 86% of U.S. salespeople say leveraging AI helps them suggest the right products and services to customers at the right time.<\/p>\n Personalized cross-sales make your clients feel understood and appreciated by your business, which increases the likelihood of acceptance. But don\u2019t just take my word for it.<\/p>\n Lisa Richards<\/a>, CEO and founder of Candida Diet, tells us that sending automated, personalized product suggestions to customers (based on their initial purchases) is one of their most successful cross-selling strategies.<\/p>\n \u201cPaying customers who received our personalized recommendations were 37% more likely to add at least one additional product to their basket and 25% more likely to increase their average order value,\u201d she shares.<\/p>\n Richards further notes that these customers typically return to make subsequent purchases more frequently than general website visitors. The result is an impressive 12% more CLV from those who get personalized product recommendations.<\/p>\n I think segmenting your customers is an important step in personalizing your offers. Different selling strategies work better for different customer segments. Ryan Miller<\/a>, founder and CEO of Etna Interactive, uses Sales Hub<\/a> to segment his customers so he can better reach them with timely and relevant product recommendations.<\/p>\n Justin Mauldin<\/a> from Salient PR<\/a> is also a Sales Hub user and emphasizes the value of the data and analytics HubSpot provides for segmenting his customers:<\/p>\n \u201cWe focus on creating personalized campaigns by utilizing CRM data and setting up automated feedback loops for continuous sales insights, which help us tailor relevant offers to specific client segments, and integrating these elements provides us with a cohesive sales message.<\/p>\n \u201cOur company traces patterns through HubSpot\u2019s data-driven insights allowing us to identify high-opportunity areas and improve cross-sell strategies. This data-driven approach makes our campaigns more dynamic and impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n HubSpot research<\/a> from 2024 shows that 37% of U.S. sales reps who cross-sell cite offering discounts and promotions as one of their most effective cross-selling techniques.<\/p>\n Furthermore, 82% of online shoppers<\/a> are more likely to complete a purchase if they have a discount code and coupon. Who\u2019s surprised? Everyone loves a discount.<\/p>\n While I absolutely recommend you highlight the cost-saving benefit of your promotional offers or discounts<\/a>, I think it\u2019s even more important to emphasize how the add-on product enhances the customer\u2019s experience and provides extra value.<\/p>\n Another top cross-selling strategy is creating special packages and bundles that combine the principal product with complementary items. Often, the bundle is cheaper than ordering items separately.<\/p>\n One thing I like to do is position the bundle as a special offer available only to customers who buy a particular primary product. I\u2019ve found that this often provides an extra incentive for customers to take advantage of the bundle.<\/p>\n Joel Popoff<\/a>, CEO of Axwell Wallet, uses Sales Hub\u2019s deal-stage automation to offer deal bundles before the transaction is completed. He asserts that the timing makes all the difference.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, when a consumer adds an aluminum wallet to their cart, we don\u2019t wait until they finish checking out,\u201d he explains. \u201cInstead, HubSpot sends them an email while they\u2019re still browsing, displaying the \u2018most popular bundle\u2019 featuring our RFID-blocking cash clip. It feels like a natural decision, not an afterthought. That small change resulted in a 27% increase in AOV.\u201d<\/p>\n To use this strategy effectively, I think it\u2019s key to find the sweet spot in your bundle discount. A research study appearing in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management<\/a> found that if a discount is only 20%, customers still prefer to buy individual products. If it\u2019s 45% or higher, the preference for bundles is higher than for individual products.<\/p>\n Another great cross-selling strategy, particularly for ecommerce businesses, is to show products that other customers frequently buy alongside the main item.<\/p>\n I know when I see the \u201cFrequently bought together\u201d items on an Amazon page, I naturally hypothesize why it\u2019s the case. If I determine the additional product has relevant value, I\u2019ll probably add it to my purchase as well.<\/p>\n The key to keeping your cross-selling efforts sharp is to constantly monitor and analyze your performance. Personally, I track metrics like conversion rate, average order value, and customer satisfaction. Google Analytics<\/a> helps me here.<\/p>\n Once I have that data, I analyze it to identify patterns and areas for enhancement. From there, it\u2019s a matter of brainstorming ways to fine-tune my cross-selling tactics and optimize my offers.<\/p>\n Even when your current strategies are doing well, there\u2019s room for improvement. Test different offers, messaging, placements, and bundles to see if there are more effective combinations.<\/p>\n Personally, I conduct A\/B testing<\/a> to measure the impact of variations and iterate based on my findings.<\/p>\n Another cross-selling strategy I\u2019ve found to be effective is using social proof<\/a> to build confidence and trust in my offers. Display ratings, reviews, and testimonials from satisfied customers who have benefited from complementary products.<\/p>\n This increases the perceived quality and usefulness of the product, which will boost your customers\u2019 willingness to accept the cross-sale. The Medill Spiegel Research Center<\/a> found that displaying reviews can increase a customer\u2019s likelihood of buying a product by up to 270%.<\/p>\n Empower your sales and marketing teams with the knowledge and tools to maximize cross-selling opportunities. This includes providing comprehensive training sessions that focus on understanding customer needs, product knowledge, and effective communication.<\/p>\n Additionally, offer ongoing support and feedback to help your team refine their cross-selling approaches.<\/p>\n When I work with a sales team, I like to give them some autonomy within established guidelines. This allows them to personalize their approach to cross-selling, which I\u2019ve found leads to more authentic interactions with customers, increasing the likelihood of success.<\/p>\n I spoke with two sales leaders who leverage tools in Sales Hub<\/a> to empower their teams for effective cross-selling.<\/p>\n Fineas Tatar, co-CEO of Viva<\/a>, says that using the call review feature<\/a> in Sales Hub \u201cmakes it easy to listen to recordings with reps and pinpoint moments where a customer mentions a need that could align with other services we offer. We also use tracked terms to automatically find the calls where specific keywords related to cross-selling opportunities are mentioned and even automatically trigger the workflows that follow.\u201d<\/p>\n He says the tool helps them catch opportunities that might otherwise fall through the cracks while training reps to be more attentive in future calls.<\/p>\n Leon Huang<\/a>, CEO at RapidDirect<\/a>, uses HubSpot\u2019s playbooks<\/a> for his team. The customized playbooks \u201cfacilitate cross-selling by turning our sales conversations into guided explorations of our client needs. We offer technically complex products, and the Sales Hub helps our team make sense and simplify so we can spot more cross-selling opportunities as they crop up.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of a rep simply taking an order for a sheet metal fabrication, for example, the playbook gives them pre-built questions to uncover their related needs. Regardless of knowledge levels, reps can ask follow-up questions like, \u2018Have you considered the cost savings of using die casting for high-volume components? There\u2019s real potential to save money here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Huang appreciates Sales Hub\u2019s playbooks because they\u2019re interactive, allowing reps to learn rather than regurgitate templated answers. He says they\u2019ve seen an increase in cross-sells, with a roughly 15% uplift in quotes that include multiple service lines since implementing the playbooks.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n While cross-selling is a legitimate practice, you still need to approach it with caution. Here are a few guidelines I follow to stay within ethical boundaries.<\/p>\n When cross-selling, the focus should always<\/em> be on the customers and their needs<\/a>. Don\u2019t cross-sell just for the sake of it \u2014 make sure that every recommendation genuinely adds value to the customer\u2019s purchase. Natalie Hogg<\/a>, President and Head of Marketing at Method Q, says:<\/p>\n \u201cIf the cross-sell products\/services bring additional value and enrich the customer outcomes, then it is less \u2018selling\u2019 and more \u2018solving.\u2019 The focus should be on what the customer benefits from, not what the salesperson needs to sell.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree with me: There\u2019s nothing more annoying than a sales rep trying to sell you a product you\u2019re clearly not interested in. Always respect your customers\u2019 decisions when they decline cross-selling offers.<\/p>\n Whenever I\u2019m cross-selling, I look for any verbal and nonverbal cues that indicate disinterest or discomfort. If I start a pitch but realize the customer isn\u2019t receptive, I switch my focus to delivering excellent service and building rapport. This approach paves the way for future cross-selling opportunities based on trust and mutual respect.<\/p>\n When taking advantage of a cross-selling opportunity, be transparent about the situational value of the product. Don\u2019t say that a product does more than it does. If there are limitations or drawbacks associated with the additional product, mention them and offer workarounds.<\/p>\n As business development manager Yaz Hanley<\/a> explains, being transparent about the value and costs of additional products \u201cbuilds trust and helps establish a long-term relationship with the customer, which is far more valuable than a one-time sale.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay in touch with your customers consistently throughout the year, not just when there\u2019s an opportunity to cross-sell. Sienna Quirk<\/a>, CMO at Invisory, explains the importance of maintaining long-term engagement:<\/p>\n \u201cIf your customer only hears from you during renewal season, you\u2019ll come off as shallow and money-driven. If you continue a fairly steady beat of sharing content \u2026 you won\u2019t seem as desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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<\/p>\nCross-Selling vs. Upselling: What\u2019s the difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\n
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<\/p>\nExamples of Cross-Selling vs. Upselling<\/h3>\n
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Advantages of Cross-Selling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Increased Revenue<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Higher Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Greater Customer Satisfaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n
More Product Visibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Disadvantages of Cross-Selling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Annoying Customers<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nCatering to \u201cProblem Customers\u201d<\/h3>\n
Preparing to Cross-Sell<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Get to know your audience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Build out your customer journeys.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Learn your products.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Enhance your listening and analysis skills.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nEffective Cross-Selling Strategies<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Personalize your cross-sale offers.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSegment your customers.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Offer discounted add-ons.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Offer exclusive bundles and packages.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Show products frequently purchased together.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Monitor and analyze performance.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Test different strategies.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Leverage social proof.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Train and empower your team.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How to Cross-Sell Ethically<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Focus on the customer and their needs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Respect customers\u2019 choices.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Be transparent.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Maintain long-term engagement.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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