Page 26 - AVN Intimate Winter 2017

FEATURE By Allison Travers
The Upsell Upside Boost sales when you offer more options
Cross-Selling
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, claims that 35 percent of Amazon sales are a
direct result of cross-selling. Notice every time you go to a page on Amazon,
there’s a “Frequently bought together” suggestion underneath your product?
That suggestion is cross-selling.
Cross-selling gives you the opportunity to educate your consumer about
all the other products and services available in your store and how they go
together. With every sale, try and use a “you want fries with that?” approach.
Every gadget or product in your store pairs well with other novelties, so
make sure you point out these complementary products when your customer
is ready to make a purchase.
When customers buy vibrators, steer them toward the appropriate lube
they’ll need for that particular vibrator. If they buy bright pink lingerie, find
matching bright pink fur handcuffs to go with the outfit. There are hundreds
of ways these products can come together to make for an exciting intimate
encounter.
Samantha Holton works the floor at xxxToySpot and insists that cross-
selling is her favorite thing to do.
“If someone buys a vibrator, they’re going to need batteries,” Holton said.
“So keep batteries close by. And also educate them on refresh powder. Refresh
powder will keep that expensive toy looking brand new.”
Stewart also enjoys the concept of cross-selling.
“I always encourage my retailers to put products together that make
sense,” he says. “Some people are intimidated by an entire wall of BDSM
products. Instead, take a few products, like a feather tickler and a blindfold,
and put them next to lingerie. Giving them a different context makes them less
intimidating.”
Impulse Buying
Another way to get additional revenue is through impulse buying. This is
when your customers purchase products or items on a whim in addition to
the product they originally came shopping for. While most retailers assume
impulse buying occurs mostly at the register, Stewart has a different take.
“When people are purchasing a sex toy, they’re ready to get out of there by
the time they’re checking out,” he said. “So it’s better to stock impulse items
around the store.”
Your Employees
Both Stewart and Holton agree that the success of upselling and cross-
selling really comes down to the sales clerk.
“Successful selling is finding out what the customer’s needs are and then
you can sell them anything,” says Stewart. “People need more direction and
information these days than ever.”
Holton adds, “I always start out asking what they’re looking for. Is it a
vibrator? Is it for clitoral or anal stimulation? Alone or with a partner? Always
find out the purpose.”
Holton recommends the VeDO line as the perfect vibrator for the newbie.
“I don’t always go for the upsell if it’s something completely new to them,”
she cautions. “Start lower grade first. If you start too high and it’s too intense,
you may scare them off.”
In conclusion, it all boils down to your floor employees when it comes
to bringing in additional revenue. In addition to teaching them the skills of
upselling and cross-selling, make sure your employees are also experts in
the field of sexual health. Eldorado offers a free online course, Elevate U,
for retailers who want to become a valuable information resource for their
customers. The more knowledge, advice and product-purchasing direction
they can provide to customers, the more they’ll keep coming back.
come to you because of your selection, your knowledge
Your loyal customers are your bread and butter, right? They
and your general awesomeness. But if you aren’t upselling
and cross-selling to your customer base, you are missing
out on a huge growth opportunity.
So let’s talk about what “upselling and “cross-selling” means and
how you can apply it in your store.
Upselling
When a customer is interested in a particular product or service,
this is your opportunity to upsell a higher-quality product to
enhance their experience. This upsell will increase revenue just from
simply convincing the customer that the higher-priced upgrade is
worth it.
If a customer is shopping for a vibrator, educate them on why the
high-end vibrator is better than the mid-level vibrator. Take it out of
the box and let them hold it. Give them a demo vibration. And then
tell them the higher quality means there’s a lesser chance they’ll
need to replace the vibrator, which will help justify the higher cost.
Boom—you just upsold a vibrator.
Carrying a spectrum of products across price ranges can really
help your upsell. Tom Stewart, founder and CEO of Sportsheets
International, carries tiers of products in each category: Sex &
Mischief (entry level), Sportsheets (main category) and the Edge line
(high-end leather products).
“As a manufacturer, upsell is where we shine,” Stewart says.
“We have good, better and best offerings so our retailers can offer a
spread of products for their customers, which entices them to spend
This article by Allison Travers, Eldorado Trading’s director of marketing communications, originally appeared in the adult distributor’s monthly newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, email
a little more.”
marketing@eldorado.net.
26 | INTIMATE | WINTER 2018