Cross-selling made as simple as burgers and fries

The best-known example of cross-selling is the inevitable question arising upon ordering a cheeseburger: ('Do you want fries with that?') For us, as lawyers, it’s really just that simple, but we must remember to first ask our clients whether they’re interested in that extra service, which means we must start out by genuinely collaborating with our colleagues to understand their practice areas and how they synergize with ours.

Ideally, your cross-sell practice area should be less complex and more straightforward than the original service offered, and also something entailing a “quick buying” decision. The more complex the service and the longer you need to take in order to explain it, the more difficult (and stand-alone) the service will seem.

When pitching to a client, draw out their other problem areas and later bring the conversation back to those points, demonstrating the expertise you have to fix them.

Important notes on cross-selling:

1. Don’t do it if you don’t really have the expertise (otherwise it could dilute your main offering). Bizarre as it seems, clients trust you more once you admit what you can’t do.

2. Cross-selling is not about manipulating clients to buy more services. It’s about genuinely fulfilling a need.

3. If done appropriately, clients will appreciate your effort, as it makes their lives easier.

• admin's blog
• Login to post comments