Ethical Up-selling - How to generate more sales from existing customers.


As a wholesale professional, ensuring a healthy stream of sales is vital to your success. Without sales, a business loses the oxygen it needs to survive ($cash$).


Sounds like a lot of pressure, it's as if the business depends on you, and you only. However a responsibility that's this strong doesn't need to be a burden, it can be a blessing instead. We all know a clear way to generate more sales is through up-selling, but so many people avoid asking the question like it's dodgy, or even a bit cheeky to ask for more from your existing clients. 

However, we often avoid asking for that very thought alone. If this is how we see up-selling, we're looking through the wrong lens, and inevitably that's why they don't see up-selling as a valuable act.

Below we've outlined five key ways you can improve your up-sell game. Importantly, these five key tips will help you up-sell in a way that you can be proud of while strengthening your relationships with existing clients.

Even if you take one or two of these tips away, I'm sure you'll see a positive result. 

1: Listen

We repeat this throughout our blog consistently. The importance of truly listening to your customer is the number one way to boost your success as a wholesale professional. When you listen carefully to your customer's problems, you have the chance to help them as a professional, recommending your products knowing exactly how they will help, and the problem you're solving. 

2: Nurture the relationship

Between sales calls and meeting with a customer, make sure you reach out to them at least once in between. Ask them questions about themselves, the business and how what you sold them is going. When you speak with clients in a way that has no agenda - or dollar value tied to the conversation - you're showing the customer you actually care. 

3: Go easy on the sales-spiel

If you've had the courage to work out how you can provide more value to the customer, and they say no, don't fight the objection like a used car salesman. An initial sale and up-sell are two different sales situations, and they require two different approaches. Every connection you have with a client is either strengthening the relationship or devalue it. 

Make your move on the up-sell, but don't fight for it too hard if the customer isn't on board.

4: Don't clutter your customers' warehouse

If you try and up-sell with clutter, discounted goods, junk and things a customer doesn't need, you're once again weakening the relationship. The chance to up-sell to a customer is the chance to transfer more value to them, not offer them last years' product at a discounted price. Once again, this is the difference between a salesperson and a professional.

5: Invest in your sales platform

Yeah yeah, I know, we're plugging our platform here, but forget about us for a second, think about yourself. Do you have an easy to use sales system that helps you generate more sales, save time on paperwork and present your point of value beautifully? 

I'm sure we can agree that having a system like this is a sure-fire way to increase your success? If you'd like to learn more about our platform, you can organise a free, no-obligation demo below. 

Up-selling is a sure-fire way to build on your existing customer relationships and grow your sales income. Hopefully, the tips above have got you thinking about how you can up-sell with more purpose, confidence and clarity. 

If you've taken the time to read this, we appreciate your time. We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments. 

Matthew Kripp - Inzant Sales. 

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