Assuming that:
- Your customer will be upset if you try to sell them something right after they just made a purchase
- Your vendor won’t lower prices this year after they lowered prices last year
- You know what attributes of your product or service your customer truly values (e.g., they might be more interested in the fact that you are reliable rather than cheap)
Your gut might tell you that you shouldn't try to sell something to someone who just bought (by the way, that is the best time to sell something), or that you know what a customer likes about your product. Having a good "gut" when it comes to being a business owner is a necessity. But why trust your gut when you can easily validate? Just ask…
Corresponding to the above list:
- "By the way, we have a new product that I think would be a perfect fit for you. Would you like to hear about it?"
- "I know you lowered prices for us last year and I appreciate it. But there are some other suppliers that are less expensive and our budgets are tight. How can you help?"
- "Between price, reliability, and other characteristics about our service, which is most important to you? Why?"
The moral of this story – don’t assume, just ask.
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