Sold a chair? Did you sell an ottoman?  Sold a sofa?  Did you sell accent pillows?  Sold a patio dining table?  Did you sell placemats and dinnerware?

See where I’m going with this?  Add-ons! This all adds up to a huge amount of revenue that you may be missing out on.

Do your salespeople do this with every customer?  Do they do it in the correct manner?  If not, they need to.  It’s more money for you and more money for them.  You may even upset the customer if you don’t.  Let’s look at that patio dining table.  The client is ready for that first meal on the patio with their new table and chairs.  They set the table and realize they have the wrong dinnerware for outside, the glass tabletop needs placemats and it looks terrible.  Who’s to blame?  Are they going to come back to you for help or have they lost confidence in your staff?  Your staff needs to be trained in add-on selling, not only to increase revenue, but for great customer service.

However, it’s very easy to suck at add-on selling. If a salesperson is not properly trained , they can miss opportunities and come across as pushy and offend customers or show a lack of expertise in the industry.

To avoid this, here are some of the common sources that cause salespeople to fail at add-on selling. You’ll want to avoid these mistakes, like the plague.

• Mistake #1: Rush The Add-On Sell: Selling is all about timing. You’ll want to close the first sale before you start trying to add on. Many times, salespeople rush the add-on sell, which results in a lost sale.

• Mistake #2: Get Greedy: Remember the saying: Greed is the root of lost sales. You need to understand that every customer has a mental dollar limit. Try to figure out their limit and stay within it when selling.

• Mistake #3: Don’t Try To Sell An Ottoman With A Recliner: If you’re going to add-on to a sale, make sure the product you proposing is complimentary to the product they originally intended to purchase. You’re going to confuse the customer and lose the sale if you try to add on items that make no sense.

• Mistake #4: Sell Them Junk: On occasion, you may feel the urge to sell old or discontinued inventory. This is okay as long as it meets the customer’s needs and the customer is aware that it is old, clearance, whatever. If you don’t mention it, you’ll regret it later.

• Mistake #5: Unfamiliar With Products: If you’re not fully familiar with your products, you can’t put them together to enhance the final product. Be sure to train all of your salespeople on all of your products.

• Mistake #6: Ask, “Would you like anything else?”: This is one sure way to end a sale with a whimper instead of a bang. Be suggestive, proactive, look for ways to add value to the sale. Have your salespeople ask pointed questions that help them understand the wants and needs of their customers.  Show how the add-on items improve the look and compliment the original items.

• Mistake #7: Wait Until They Have Their Credit Card Out: When the customer reaches the register, it’s way too late. This is not customer focused behavior. It’s simply a desperate last minute attempt to sell more and the customer realizes this.

Train your staff in product knowledge, how to increase sales with add-ons by showing the enhancements and benefits and you will increase customer satisfaction and your revenue.