Most customers aren’t cheap; they’ve adopted a mindset that most products are of comparable quality – a shirt is a shirt; a pair of jeans is a pair of jeans; an umbrella is an umbrella.
That is until the shirt buttons break when fastened, the jeans shrink after one wash, or the umbrella falls apart in a heavy downpour.
After these unsatisfying experiences, customers often turn to more expensive items in search of better value and higher quality of manufacture.
Younger salespeople are predominantly price-driven shoppers who often have yet to develop an appreciation for quality.
As a result, they feel upselling is just a way to force customers to buy something more expensive than they need.
To up-sell effectively, salespeople need to be able to challenge these notions of price to help customers understand that some products are truly superior to others and that the distinction between good enough, better and best does exist.
Salespeople guide customers to the best products by showing that they are of higher quality, which makes them more convenient, personal, and sleek and offers a wide range of other benefits.
More than a brand name
Customers naturally gravitate toward less expensive items because they view most products as disposable. Why pay for a Rolex when you can buy a Fossil?
They’ll both eventually need to be replaced, so all you’re buying is the name, right? Wrong!
Price-driven shoppers hang onto this simple misconception because they’ve never bought the best so they don’t understand what the best products offer. Rolex didn’t become synonymous with high-end luxury timepieces by accident.
Rolex did it by providing watches that are of superior quality to almost all other watches on the market. The quality of the product is what created the name recognition, not the other way around.
In other words, people only pay for the Rolex name now because of the quality of Rolex's products.
Overcoming sales misconceptions
The challenge is getting customers to associate branded items with quality instead of premium prices. While this isn’t always easy, there are some tried-and-true methods for overcoming it.
Salespeople can follow three selling tips when up-selling to a luxury or premium brand customer.
1. Understand preconceptions
If a customer is looking for the cheapest item, simply ask them why.
Get them talking about their experience with similar items and try to get to the root of their low-end buying habits.
You may find out that they’ve had bad experiences or are misusing the items; you may find out that they’ve never considered a higher-end item and don’t understand the benefits.
Whatever you learn will help you guide the customer to a higher-value purchase.
2. Establish hierarchy
Once a salesperson understands why a customer may have always purchased lower-end merchandise, they can help them see the value of high-end products.
For example, considering a shirt or a watch, the salesperson might say, “Cheap items often have a rough finish that scratches the skin, but premium items have no sharp edges, so you’ll be more comfortable.”
The staff should explain that there are differences between good, better, and best in comfort, performance, and quality.
They should also show customers that luxury brand names have earned their reputations by providing superior products and that long-term value often exceeds any increase in price.
3. Take the lead
If staff simply ask customers to look at premium items, the most straightforward response for customers to give is, “How much?” This is quickly followed by “No” when price is revealed.
When this happens, everyone loses, so it’s important to prepare customers first. Explain that buying cheaper items may save customers money; however, customers will also lose out on value they never knew existed.
Take the initiative and add some enthusiasm to get customers interested in high-end items. Let them follow your lead and use enthusiasm to create excitement.
Always stand on value
A luxury brand that has terrible quality won’t remain a luxury brand for long, and it probably won’t be available in the store anyway.
Premium brands command a premium because they look better, work better and last longer than their less-expensive counterparts.
That’s the value behind the brand name, and it’s up to salespeople to ensure customers understand that they get what they pay for.