When done right, upselling and cross-selling can increase your revenue and even improve customer satisfaction. Nobody wants to be inundated with random product recommendations, though.
So, how can you upsell or cross-sell in a way that keeps your customers engaged?
Simple: with a quiz!
By asking the right questions, you’ll only recommend the products or services that would actually benefit that specific customer.
So, here’s how you can upsell and cross-sell using quiz software like ScoreApp.
Upselling vs cross-selling: What’s the difference?
Because they’re both recommendations based on someone’s initial purchase idea, these terms are often used interchangeably. However, upselling and cross-selling have a slightly different focus.
Upselling
Upselling is a sales strategy that involves encouraging a customer to buy a more expensive product or service or a higher-end version of what they were originally planning on choosing.
For example, let’s say someone enquires about your £1000/month retainer with 12 graphic design deliverables. If you can tell they’d benefit from more, you could upsell them your premium package with +30 deliverables and additional support for £2500/month.
Cross-selling
Cross-selling is a sales strategy that involves recommending additional products or services that complement what someone was already planning on purchasing.
For example, if a customer is about to buy a vinyl player, you could cross-sell them a storage case for their records, too.
Understanding your customer buying journey
Upselling and cross-selling are not that different from promoting and selling your initial product or service: you need to show the right message to the right person at the right time.
That’s why it’s VITAL to know your target customers, what motivates them, and how they interact with your brand.
So, before creating your strategy to upsell and cross-sell with a quiz, make sure you’re crystal clear on:
- Exactly who you’re selling to
- The problems they’re hoping to solve and the goals they want to achieve (in other words, why they buy from you)
- Their behaviours and all the touchpoints they go through when interacting with (and eventually buying from) your brand
If you haven’t got some of these insights, you might want to run a different market research quiz and map your customer journey first. Then, you can identify exactly when to upsell or cross-sell – and how.
Types of upselling and cross-selling opportunities
There are so many different opportunities for upselling and cross-selling!
While they can change and look different depending on your business model and products or offer suite, here are some ideas and examples to get you started.
Complementary products or services
Recommend a product or service that goes well with what your customer has already purchased (or is about to buy), especially if that something fulfils a remaining unmet need.
For example:
- If a big business is buying new office computers, recommend relevant products like ergonomic keyboards and additional monitors
- If someone wants to invest in your website copywriting services, recommend a blogging package to keep boosting their SEO
Related products or services
Maybe they don’t directly complement what this customer is buying, but these other products or services could enhance their overall experience when using or accessing the original one.
For example:
- If a company is securing a corporate travel package for a conference, offer to take care of their dining and entertainment as well, including restaurant bookings
- If someone is enquiring about a wine tour during the day, recommend the evening dining experience in your vineyard, too
Bundles and kits
You can sell more products or services in one go by packaging them together around a shared theme, problem or goal.
For example:
- If a large company enquires about your SaaS options, offer them a productivity bundle including tools for project management, time-tracking, and scheduling
- If a client is interested in a massage for couples at your spa, you could upsell a full “Luxury Day for 2” experience with a body treatment, afternoon tea, and access to an outdoor jacuzzi
Accessories and supplementary products
When a customer is buying a specific item, recommend accessories that come with it or relevant products that would work well together.
For example:
- If someone is purchasing a new camera for the first time, point them towards a flash and some lenses by the same brand, too
- If you’re creating a custom outfit for a client, recommend belts, purses, and shoes that would look great with the main dress
Upselling and cross-selling with a quiz for different industries
Now you know what to focus on when recommending additional or higher-end products and services, but how can you upsell and cross-sell with a quiz?
This will depend on your industry, business and goals, and you can really get creative with it!
So, let’s start with some ideas to come up with the right quiz angle and upselling or cross-selling strategy for you.
1. E-commerce
A popular upselling and cross-selling strategy for e-commerce brands involves a product recommendation quiz.
After asking questions to understand a customer’s preferences, needs, and lifestyle, the quiz will automatically recommend the right products for them. This makes it easier to push bundles, accessories, and complementary options.
For example, a fashion brand could launch a quiz lead magnet titled “Discover your perfect summer style” with questions like:
- What occasions do you need new outfits for? Work, casual, formal, holidays (select all that apply)
- What are your all-time favourite colours?
- Do you prefer dresses or outfits with tops and bottoms?
Then, your quiz participants will receive personalised style recommendations, and you could:
- Upsell by offering a bundle discount if they purchase a complete outfit (at least +3 items) from you
- Cross-sell by including links to the best accessories for them
2. Health & Wellness
Use your quiz lead magnet to help your customers understand their current situation or map out their health and wellness goals.
For example, a fitness centre could create a “Find the right workout plan for you” quiz where the main questions could be:
- What are you hoping to achieve by working out regularly: weight loss, muscle gain or general wellness?
- How often do you currently exercise?
- What types of workouts do you enjoy the most: cardio, strength training, balance or aerobic exercises?
Then, send them valuable workout recommendations based on their results and:
- Upsell by offering a premium membership plan that includes personalised workouts
- Cross-sell by recommending relevant fitness gear so they can get started at home (perhaps offering affiliate discounts or your personal favourites)
3. Technology & Software
It can be challenging for tech customers to identify the right products or software for their needs, especially when they aren’t familiar with their features or relevant jargon. So, that’s what you could cover with your quiz!
For example, a SaaS company might offer a free quiz titled “What software would save YOU time and boost your productivity?”, asking:
- What type of business do you run?
- What’s causing you to waste the most time right now?
- How many employees have you got?
Then, you get to share helpful results and relevant software recommendations:
- Upsell by offering a SaaS bundle with multiple tools all in one transaction
- Cross-sell by recommending add-ons that’d go well with a specific platform
4. Service providers
Stop wasting so much time figuring out which offers and packages would work best for a specific client. Let a quiz do that for you and upsell and cross-sell accordingly.
For example, a marketing agency could offer a “Free marketing scorecard” quiz with questions like:
- How have you been marketing your business so far?
- What are you hoping to achieve with a new marketing strategy?
- What’s your marketing budget?
Then, the quiz will send a scorecard showing each participant what they’re already doing well and what they still need to work on, inviting them to book a 1:1 session with you:
- Work on a bespoke strategy and then upsell an ongoing retainer so that you can execute all that for them
- Cross-sell by recommending additional options like a month of 1:1 support or a set of done-for-you blog posts
Boost your revenue by upselling and cross-selling with a ScoreApp quiz
Instead of settling for one-off or cheaper sales, you can make more money and elevate your customer experience by upselling and cross-selling.
To do that successfully, you need to understand this customer’s situation and then make personalised and relevant recommendations. That’s where ScoreApp comes into play!
You get to:
- Create a compelling quiz for your target customers
- Include questions that help you get clear on their needs and preferences
- Send them valuable quiz results
- Set up different email nurturing sequences
- Upsell and cross-sell the right products or services for each lead
- Watch your sales skyrocket, all automatically
So, ditch cookie-cutter solutions, and start selling more in a way that improves your customer experience: create your ScoreApp quiz today for FREE.
