There’s easy money to be made once you learn how to improve cross-selling for your commercial cleaning company.
The idea of easy money and running a business might not seem like they go together. We all know how much work it takes to keep a cleaning company profitable and successful. But there are ways to increase your revenue, and yes, it’s entirely ethical. Once you know how to improve cross-selling your services, the world is yours.
To be clear, cross-selling does not mean you’re trying to sell your clients something they don’t need. Nor does it mean you’re trying to chisel every cent you can out of them. Done well, cross-selling provides benefits to you and your client. It can save time and money for both of you. Your client gets a price cut on additional services, and you don’t have to expend the energy to attract new clients or negotiate new proposals.
But in order to learn how to improve cross-selling, it’s important to get a few definitions under our belts.
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Cross-selling vs. upselling: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?
Cross-selling and upselling get lumped together a lot, and in some ways, they aren’t that much different. There are, however, some distinctions between the two.
Upselling refers to a more expensive version of an item or service. For example, you’ve probably come across upselling at your favorite drive-thru when they offer to “upsize” your medium beverage to a large for just 50 cents more. In the janitorial world, upselling might be something like encouraging a client to opt for hiring you seven days per week instead of four.
By contrast, cross-selling refers to offering complementary products or services. When the drive-thru person asks if you want to add fries to your order, that’s cross-selling. And again, in the commercial cleaning industry, you are cross-selling when you offer to add on maintenance services in addition to janitorial services. Or it could be something less obvious, like asking if the client wants to include carpet stain removal in their contract.
Then there’s bundling, which can be a combination of both cross-selling and upselling. For example, you might include general cleaning, carpet stain removal, and HVAC filter care (all cross-selling) at more frequent intervals (upselling) for a slight discount compared to purchasing these services individually.
The question, then, in terms of how to improve cross-selling or upselling is whether or not it matters which you focus on. The truth is that both can be good for you and your client when you offer services that will genuinely benefit them.
How to improve cross-selling and upselling your commercial cleaning services
Recognize The Opportunity. The first step in learning how to improve cross-selling is learning to recognize the opportunity. Of course, it won’t always look the same, and some situations may offer more cross-selling possibilities than others. But whether it’s small or large, keep your eyes and ears open so you can take advantage of the moment.
Keep It Simple. If you throw too many options at your clients, they’ll get overwhelmed and may even feel like you’re being pushy. Keep your offers simple and easy to think about. Try cross-selling one or two services at a time rather than overloading all the options on someone.
Ask Questions. The real secret behind any successful sales operation is asking plenty of questions and finding out what the client really needs. Sure, they need a commercial cleaner, but why? They need a cleaner because the last company was unreliable gives you very different information than if they answer that they need a cleaning company because they are working toward LEED building certification. In thinking about how to improve cross-selling and upselling, you have to know where your client is so you can make the right offer.
Show The Value. The best cross-selling situations add value to your client’s space. But it’s your job to demonstrate precisely what that value is. With commercial cleaning operations, there’s a lot of value to be had, from healthier and happier employees to fewer sick days to improved customer satisfaction. Just make sure you’re clear with your client about what those benefits are.
Map Out The Connections. If you’re already working the cross-selling but running into dead ends, try to make the connections clear for your client. How do all your offerings work together to improve their space or environment? What do they gain by adding window cleaning or essential maintenance to their commercial cleaning contract? The more you can detail the benefits, the more successful your cross-selling will be.
If you’ve been thinking about how to improve cross-selling for your commercial cleaning company, these tips will get you started and move you in the right direction.
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