Article Number: 3687
Upselling is not a dirty word - Trading up offers benefits to consumers, retailers
By Matthew Spieler
Upselling. Trading up. Whatever the term, for some reason many are uncomfortable with this sales technique even though it has long-term benefits for the consumer, salesperson and store.
“Upselling the customer will help ensure that she has a product she is proud to have in her home,” said Roy Foster, Quick•Step’s vice president of sales. “If a consumer achieves the visual she desires in her home, she will walk away more satisfied and likely to provide additional business in the future.”
In addition to a more satisfied customer, he noted “the retailer makes a greater profit on a higher-end product. Also, higher-end products like Quick•Step provide the best manufacturing warranties available, so the consumer is less likely to return or refund the product due to wear or damage.”
David Small, Pergo’s vice president of marketing, agreed and added the company regularly puts on educational programs to help retailers and their salespeople understand trading a customer up to a higher end is not a negative.
“One goal of this training is to teach the benefits of upselling premium Pergo collections like Elegant Expressions and Pergo Commercial,” he explained. “Through our training programs, we convey that upselling to premium Pergo collections has a definite positive impact on dealers’ bottom lines, and ultimately creates loyal, satisfied customers.”
George Davies, Shaw’s senior marketing communications manager, said the company’s Star Assurance program “is probably the most effective way of helping retail sales personnel show consumers the benefits of upselling. The 3-, 4-, and 5-Star system shows the features and benefits of each category, and demonstrate the advantages of better quality.”
The concept itself it simple, a salesperson helps a client choose a more expensive, higher end product than what she originally selected. And though technological advancements in laminate flooring have given low-end products a look and feel that is as real as ever, industry officials across the board point out the entire product— from top to bottom—must be taken into consideration.
Why? Because the more expensive a product is, the more benefits it offers to the consumer such as having a floor that will look like new longer, thus making her investment over the long term less than having to consistently replace a low-end product.
While low-end products no longer have that fake wood or tile look, Foster noted “with higher-end products, a much more authentic visual is achieved. Premium products include more sophisticated features and details, such as enhanced surface finishes. Higher-end products also have more intricate edge treatments such as replicating the recessed scallops usually found in handcrafted woodwork or micro-beveled edges on all four sides.”
Because style remains the top reason for buying one floor over another, many suggest starting at the top end and if it is too far out of a customer’s price range work your way down to the next best option that fits her budget. At each step, though, the salesperson should provide information regarding why the product is a better option than the one at the bottom of the display.
Know thy use
But in order to find the right product, “the retailer should take the time to ask what she is looking for and what is important to her,” Foster said. “By knowing this, the salesperson can highlight aspects of the higher-end products that embody what she is looking for.”
Knowing the area of the home she is shopping for and her lifestyle not only enables a salesman to present the best product, it opens up more selling opportunities, noted Cindy Thornton, marketing manager for the Alloc and Berry brands.
“If a homeowner is using laminate in a dining area,” she explained, “it’s effective to suggest using the product in the foyer that leads to the dining room as well. That’s why we constantly reinforce to retailers the facts about our advanced designs and performance characteristics, to remind them laminate is a viable choice for many areas of the home. We want dealers to recommend laminate for a vast array of applications in the home.”
Thornton added, beyond making her aware laminate can be used in multiple areas, retailers should include maintenance products with the sale.
“We encourage retailers to promote Alloc Free & Clean with every purchase. Of course, it’s an added selling opportunity, but it’s primarily an important enhancement that will improve her experience—hopefully leading to repeat business.”
Even in challenging economic times, Foster concluded, there is “an exciting sales opportunity unique to higher-end laminate, such as what we are seeing within our exotics where we have a steady business. In part, because there are consumers who wanted imported exotic wood and switched to laminate knowing they can get the style, look and feel of the real thing at a price that is more realistic in today’s economy.”
Upselling. Trading up. Whatever the term, for some reason many are uncomfortable with this sales technique even though it has long-term benefits for the consumer, salesperson and store.
“Upselling the customer will help ensure that she has a product she is proud to have in her home,” said Roy Foster, Quick•Step’s vice president of sales. “If a consumer achieves the visual she desires in her home, she will walk away more satisfied and likely to provide additional business in the future.”
In addition to a more satisfied customer, he noted “the retailer makes a greater profit on a higher-end product. Also, higher-end products like Quick•Step provide the best manufacturing warranties available, so the consumer is less likely to return or refund the product due to wear or damage.”
David Small, Pergo’s vice president of marketing, agreed and added the company regularly puts on educational programs to help retailers and their salespeople understand trading a customer up to a higher end is not a negative.
“One goal of this training is to teach the benefits of upselling premium Pergo collections like Elegant Expressions and Pergo Commercial,” he explained. “Through our training programs, we convey that upselling to premium Pergo collections has a definite positive impact on dealers’ bottom lines, and ultimately creates loyal, satisfied customers.”
George Davies, Shaw’s senior marketing communications manager, said the company’s Star Assurance program “is probably the most effective way of helping retail sales personnel show consumers the benefits of upselling. The 3-, 4-, and 5-Star system shows the features and benefits of each category, and demonstrate the advantages of better quality.”
The concept itself it simple, a salesperson helps a client choose a more expensive, higher end product than what she originally selected. And though technological advancements in laminate flooring have given low-end products a look and feel that is as real as ever, industry officials across the board point out the entire product— from top to bottom—must be taken into consideration.
Why? Because the more expensive a product is, the more benefits it offers to the consumer such as having a floor that will look like new longer, thus making her investment over the long term less than having to consistently replace a low-end product.
While low-end products no longer have that fake wood or tile look, Foster noted “with higher-end products, a much more authentic visual is achieved. Premium products include more sophisticated features and details, such as enhanced surface finishes. Higher-end products also have more intricate edge treatments such as replicating the recessed scallops usually found in handcrafted woodwork or micro-beveled edges on all four sides.”
Because style remains the top reason for buying one floor over another, many suggest starting at the top end and if it is too far out of a customer’s price range work your way down to the next best option that fits her budget. At each step, though, the salesperson should provide information regarding why the product is a better option than the one at the bottom of the display.
Know thy use
But in order to find the right product, “the retailer should take the time to ask what she is looking for and what is important to her,” Foster said. “By knowing this, the salesperson can highlight aspects of the higher-end products that embody what she is looking for.”
Knowing the area of the home she is shopping for and her lifestyle not only enables a salesman to present the best product, it opens up more selling opportunities, noted Cindy Thornton, marketing manager for the Alloc and Berry brands.
“If a homeowner is using laminate in a dining area,” she explained, “it’s effective to suggest using the product in the foyer that leads to the dining room as well. That’s why we constantly reinforce to retailers the facts about our advanced designs and performance characteristics, to remind them laminate is a viable choice for many areas of the home. We want dealers to recommend laminate for a vast array of applications in the home.”
Thornton added, beyond making her aware laminate can be used in multiple areas, retailers should include maintenance products with the sale.
“We encourage retailers to promote Alloc Free & Clean with every purchase. Of course, it’s an added selling opportunity, but it’s primarily an important enhancement that will improve her experience—hopefully leading to repeat business.”
Even in challenging economic times, Foster concluded, there is “an exciting sales opportunity unique to higher-end laminate, such as what we are seeing within our exotics where we have a steady business. In part, because there are consumers who wanted imported exotic wood and switched to laminate knowing they can get the style, look and feel of the real thing at a price that is more realistic in today’s economy.”
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