Cross-selling

Cross-selling is a sales technique involving the selling of an additional product or service to an existing customer. In practice, businesses define cross-selling in many different ways. Elements that might influence the definition might include the size of the business, the industry sector it operates within and the financial motivations of those required to define the term. The objective of cross-selling can be either to increase the income derived from the client or to protect the relationship with the client or clients. The approach to the process of cross-selling can be varied to include two teams within the same organization or two organizations partnering to cross-sell or co-sell a client. Unlike the acquiring of new business, cross-selling involves an element of risk that could disrupt the relationship of existing clients. For that reason, it is important to ensure that the additional product or service being sold to the client or clients enhances the value the client or clients get from the organization. In practice, large businesses usually combine cross-selling and up-selling techniques to increase revenue. For the vendor, the benefits are substantial. The most obvious example is an increase in revenue. There are also efficiency benefits in servicing one account rather than several. Most importantly, vendors that sell more services to a client are less likely to be displaced by a competitor. The more a client buys from a vendor, the higher the switching cost. Though there are some ethical issues with most cross-selling, in some cases they can be huge. Arthur Andersen's dealings with Enron provide a highly visible example. It is commonly felt that the firm's objectivity, being an auditor, was compromised by selling internal audit services and massive amounts of consulting work to the account. Though most companies want more cross-selling, there can be substantial barriers: A customer policy requiring the use of multiple vendors. Different purchasing points within an account, which reduce the ability to treat the customer like a single account.