Summary: Selling designer sunglasses to consumers differs greatly from marketing wholesale sunglasses to retailers. On the sales floor, associates want customers to go for the designer brands instead of the cheapest generic sunglasses. Upselling is one way to get there.
As a wholesale supplier of bulk sunglasses, we offer retailers like you nearly two-dozen designer brands. You have the advantage of being able to sell high-quality designer sunglasses at a lower price because we keep our wholesale prices reasonable. But some of your customers will still go for the cheapest pair of sunglasses they can find.
Is there a way to move them from the bargain basement shades to the designer brands you sell? Absolutely. It is called ‘upselling’. Upselling is a well-known sales technique that takes advantage of all the positive things a particular brand offers. But it is not about being pushy. Upselling is about being a consultant to your customers.
Practice Consultative Selling
Your sales team can be pushy and aggressive. But aggressive sales tactics do not work well in most retail environments. So instead, practice consultative selling.
Consultative selling is a unique way to approach sales. Rather than just pushing products, it involves building trust by focusing on a client’s unique needs. The best consultative sales reps know how to actively listen. They know how to tailor solutions based on what customers tell them.
The key to upselling is to be a consultant your customers trust. Whether it is you or your sales team, your customers should look to you as the authority on designer sunglasses. It’s like how you view OE Sunglasses as an authority in bulk wholesale sunglasses for men, women, and children.
5 Proven Upselling Techniques
As a consultative sales strategy, upselling requires being intentional. Sales associates should be intentional in understanding customer needs. They should be intentional in showing how a particular product or model meets those needs. Here are five proven upselling techniques that lend themselves very well to the consultative concept:
1. Contrast and Compare Products
A customer may not want to buy designer sunglasses if they are looking at budget sunglasses. A smart and intentional salesperson immediately hands the customer a pair of branded sunglasses from OE Sunglasses. This gives the customer the opportunity to compare and contrast.
The comparison is sensory. For example, the customer can feel the added weight of the designer model as compared to the lighter, cheaper feel of the generic brand. The customer can move the temples in and out, feeling the quality of the hinges.
Contrasting and comparing takes advantage of the fact that humans will naturally compare items side-by-side when given the opportunity. A sensory experience gained by handling both pairs of sunglasses should reduce the price gap by helping the customer understand that the branded pair is of higher quality.
2. The Face Shape Consultation
There is no denying that what a pair of sunglasses looks like contributes to one’s purchase decision. So rather than being mere salesclerks, train your sales associates to be face shape consultants as well.
For example, a sales associate should be ready to explain how a pair of rectangular frames can sharpen the jawline of a person with a round face. A salesperson who can explain becomes a trusted expert who helps the customer make the most of their purchase.
The face shape consultation works because it shifts the conversation away from price and toward the best possible look. The sales associate is seen as the expert who knows all things sunglasses.
3. The Lens Tech Deep Dive
The third strategy for upselling designer sunglasses is to do a lens tech deep dive. In other words, educate the consumer about all the hidden technology in a quality pair of designer sunglasses. Explain polarization and how it works. Explain how filtering UV rays protects the eyes against damage.
Most customers don’t understand the various filters applied to a pair of lenses. Many do not know that tint has nothing to do with UV protection. By educating consumers about lens technology, it becomes easier to address the myth that all sunglasses are the same.
The lens tech deep dive also appeals to our consumers’ natural bent towards safety. It is a logical approach that helps customers understand that a pair of designer sunglasses protects long-term vision better than the cheap gas station pair.
4. The Rule of Three
Even when engaged in a consultation with a sales associate, a customer wants to feel like they have choices. Make sure they do by employing the ‘rule of three’. This means giving the customer three options:
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A Good Pair – The budget pair for customers who want designer sunglasses but are limited in what they can spend.
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A Better Pair – The mid-range pair in terms of price. It is stylish and a very good quality.
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The Best Pair – The best option and a pair of premium bulk designer sunglasses. It is the top-of-the-line pair.
Choices give consumers the ability to think things through rather than simply saying ‘yes’ to the first pair a sales associate hands them. Choices also make consumers feel like they are still in control of the final decision.
5. The Lifestyle Connection
Connecting with a consumer’s lifestyle can effectively help in reaching a place that supports customers’ daily lives. The principle is simple: instead of asking a customer whether they like the pair they are looking at, ask them where and how they intend to wear them.
Maybe the customer is an outdoor enthusiast whose interests include things like cycling and fishing. Once the sales associate knows that, they can steer the conversation toward brands and models more oriented to that sort of thing.
The lifestyle connection works because it attaches sunglasses to the consumer’s identity. Buying a pair becomes a more personal experience because the customer knows recommendations are being tailored to who he is.
The way we market bulk designer sunglasses differs from how you market them to retail customers. If you are struggling to sell more designer sunglasses than their generic counterparts, try these upselling techniques. These could potentially work very well and be exactly what you are looking for.
FAQs
What does 100% UV protection mean?
A pair of sunglasses that block 99-100% of both UVA and UVB offers full protection against harmful UV rays. It is an important certification for maximum eye protection.
What are the benefits of polarized lenses?
The process of polarization functions by blocking horizontal light waves, thus making it simpler for a person to see. It reduces glare from water, pavement, etc.
Why pay more for designer sunglasses?
Designer brands tend to be built with high-grade polycarbonate or acetate and optical-grade lenses. They are heavier and more solid than the cheapest generic pairs.
How can my sales associates become better face-shape consultants?
In order to be a good face shape consultant, it is necessary to learn the basics. There are several face shapes applicable to most people. You can find the information online.
Does lens color really matter?
Len’s color does nothing to block UV rays. But it does matter in the sense that different colors impact what a person sees.
