By Dean Devore — Posted in Best Practices | rurallifestyledealer.com
Upselling is any activity that increases revenue on a given transaction. With higher margins, and a large inventory investment, your parts counter is the best place to upsell. As a parts professional, you may be a little uncomfortable when asked to sell. You may think, “If I wanted to be a salesperson, I would already be one.” The core skill you have developed is to solve problems. Everyone who comes to your counter has a problem, and they hope you can help. Solving customer problems motivates you, and you are good at it. That problem solving skill is exactly why you can be great at upselling.
Over the last 50 years, significant research has been done on the psychology of selling. It is no surprise that the results show customers are not open to a sales offer if they have an unresolved problem. Every time the study was repeated, researchers discovered customers are most open to a sales offer right after their problem is solved. Almost like a magical window of time opens and they are receptive to a sales offer. Simply put: “Solve then sell.”
You have two great opportunities to upsell at the parts counter. You have probably heard the term suggestive selling. Before we do that, we need to practice the other form of upselling: assumptive selling. At the parts counter, this happens during the problem-solving process.