Summary: Upselling is designed to increase transaction value. It is a way of encouraging consumers to choose a higher-end product. There is more than one way to do it, and this guide shows you how by way of five proven techniques.
Upselling is a standard sales technique in retail. But did you know it is less about pushing higher prices and more about maximizing customer value? Consider a shopper already considering premium swimwear. Positioning higher-tier products or complementary add-ons, like OE-branded sunglasses, feels natural if it's done correctly.
Whether you operate a brick-and-mortar store, an online shopping destination, or a combination of both, leveraging structured upselling techniques can increase average order value (AOV) significantly. It should also improve customer satisfaction. To that end, we have put together five proven techniques to effectively upsell branded OE sunglasses.
1. Cross-Selling as a High-Margin Accessory
You likely have customers visiting your physical or online storefront looking for anything but sunglasses. That's fine. You can present sunglasses as accessories that go hand-in-hand with whatever they are purchasing. Bundling branded OE sunglasses along with a pair of flip-flops, a beach towel, and a hat leverages impulse purchasing behavior.
Shopify loves cross-selling so much that they heavily promote it. Nonetheless, they recognize that upselling and cross-selling are two different things. We mention it here because cross-selling can be used as a tool for upselling. When you do so, you are not just trying to get customers to purchase more products. You're also encouraging them to upgrade to higher-value products.
How to Implement the Strategy
Implementing a cross-selling strategy depends a lot on how you currently sell products. Here are two suggestions:
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Checkout Offers – Direct your sales staff to offer eyewear upgrades during checkout. Note that sunglasses are easier to recommend alongside certain types of purchases, like swimwear and sporting goods.
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Buy Together – 'Buy together' promotions work well, especially with online sales. Have your web development team create 'frequently bought together' widgets that include eyewear upgrades when branded OE sunglasses are combined with other products.
Cross-selling as a tool for upselling takes advantage of impulse purchases. It is a great way to steer your customers to the designer sunglasses you have purchased wholesale from us.
2. Tiered Comparison Anchoring
Retail anchoring is a strategy rooted in presenting a high-end option to create a psychological baseline. Then, when customers compare a standard product against that baseline, they see how much more value they get by spending a little more.
A 2004 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that while anchoring success can be influenced by buying and selling decisions, a general rule remains consistent: thoughtful comparison anchoring helps improve sales by establishing value.
How to Implement the Strategy
One of the best ways to implement this strategy is to create displays featuring 'good', 'better', and 'best' tiers. Highlight 2-3 key functional differences between products but avoid throwing too many technical specifications at customers. The differences should be practical and easily understood.
3. Need-Based Consultations
The third strategy requires a bit more interactive effort between your sales team and your customers. It involves need-based consultations, scenarios in which the sales staff engage with customers more deeply than just asking if they found everything they were looking for.
According to experts, the most successful sales professionals are problem solvers. They talk with their customers to find out what each one is thinking. Maybe one of your customers is purchasing new sunglasses because she is struggling with sun glare as she drives. Once you know this, you have an opportunity to upsell a high-end pair of branded OE sunglasses with polarized lenses and a specialized tint.
How to Implement the Strategy
Implementation begins with training sales staff on how to have conversations. Emphasize lifestyle questions like, "Will you be using these sunglasses for daily driving, outdoor sports, or something else?" Staff should also be trained in how to match lens technologies and features to customer activities.
Perhaps the hardest part of implementing this strategy is teaching sales staff how to get the conversation started. Associates rarely want to seem pushy. So sometimes it is better to start with casual conversation while looking for an opening for discovery.
4. Strategic Bundling With Volume Discounts
Bundling is part of the cross-selling strategy, but it can also be paired with volume discounts. For example, encourage multi-pair purchases by offering incentives on additional pairs of sunglasses. You might offer a 30% discount on a pair of branded OE sunglasses when your customer buys two unbranded pairs.
The great thing about bundling is that you do not have to sell designer sunglasses exclusively with like-kind transactions. You can still offer volume discounts when sunglasses are paired with two or three additional items in a similar category.
How to Implement the Strategy
Strategic bundling with volume discounts highlights the transaction value in the customer's mind. You can implement the strategy by promoting things like 'his and hers' packages, an 'always have a backup pair' promotion, or any other kind of message that causes your customers to think outside the box. Always display combined savings clearly so that customers understand the tangible value of your offer.
5. Social Proof and Customer Endorsements
Finally, customers seeking premium sunglasses brands expect quality construction, a good fit, and some measure of brand reputation. The first two come with OE Sunglasses by default. But in order to build a brand reputation, you'll need external help. That's where customer reviews and social media chatter help a lot.
Use social media and customer testimonials to explain just what consumers will get by choosing a high-end pair of designer sunglasses over a less expensive, non-branded pair. Educate them, and they will respond.
How to Implement the Strategy
The 2021 Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising study confirms that consumers still put a lot of trust in recommendations made by family members and friends. They also trust what other consumers post online. Social media makes it easy to implement both trust signals.
Encourage consumers to talk about your products on their social media pages. On your own website, make use of rating badges and verified buyer testimonials. Get your customers to talk about their purchases and then share those comments with the buying public.
Turn the wholesale sunglasses you purchase from us into an offer to lead the upsell. By positioning branded OE sunglasses as a high-value purchase, you will be opening the door to a higher AOV on every purchase.
FAQs
Why should I focus on upselling branded OE sunglasses over non-branded frames?
Branded OE sunglasses offer higher profit margins. It is as simple as that. Upselling OE brands increases AOV while delivering a better customer experience.
Are cross-selling and upselling different?
Yes. Cross-selling is designed to sell more products, while upselling encourages customers to choose higher-end products. Cross-selling and upselling can be combined to increase revenue.
How does the sales team upsell without being too pushy?
One way is to act as consultants offering to solve customer problems. By better understanding their needs, sales professionals can steer customers to the ideal pair of sunglasses.
How does comparison anchoring improve sales?
Consumer anchoring helps consumers better understand the value of various features and key functional differences. They are more likely to choose a higher-end product with more perceived value.
