Upselling?

[imported_Automania]

Why do many detailer`s view up-selling negatively, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to sell related services that can be beneficial to the customer. ?

[Richard Grasa]

I don`t know, I do it every chance I get. I`m not sure why anyone would see it as a negative to make more $ and sell the customer something that will make their life easier, their car look better, something to keep brake dust from sticking to the wheels and doing damage, a longer lasting wax, something to make it easier to see in the rain or drive safer at night, etc. As long as you are selling a good service/product and not ripping the customer off, I can`t see how it would be a negative.

[Ron Ketcham]

Up-selling is NOT hard, just takes some changes in the way one approaches the customer and the potential job.

Use a real "Inspection Form" for the customer!!!

Take time to "communicate" with the customer, show a true PROFESSIONAL approach, like your doctor, lawyer, the chain car care companies do!!!

It only takes a few minutes to walk about the vehicle, with a clip board and the form, "asking/communicating" with the customer what their expectation are.

You learn a lot of information in doing so.

You may learn that the customer is only a price shopper, or - you may learn that the person has no real idea of what is needed for their vehicle to be as they may "envision" the needed services that are required to fulfill their expectations.

That opens the door to communication and an opportunity to show your PROFESSIONAL abilities, vs the hacker down the street.

We all have "EXPECTATIONS" , wether it is purchasing a new power tool, a new chemical, a new bucket!

People prefer to buy from intelligent, communicative firms/companies/professionals, and that is why the use of a professional approach to the needs as the customer see them.

Once you establish what direction they are coming from, well, they are telling you how to move forward.

Don`t sell short the "Service Advisor" role at dealerships, the muffler shop, the brake shop, etc.

There is a very good reason they go through the "inspection and communication" process.

[IHA Mark]

Up selling can often be found in opportunities. This is why I often ask potential clients on phone calls "do you have any particular problems or concerns?". Often they will not only give you the opportunity to up sell, but also hints on what they are really interested in..



"I`ve got an odor issue"

"There are some really bad stains on the carpet"

"There are round scratches all over the paint"



They will cue you in if you let them talk for a couple of minutes, and you will most of the time know by then whether you are going to be able to do a true up sell or should just recommend a package.

[imported_Automania]

Up Selling Auto Detailing Customers

Nick Vacco

Detailking.com

Up Selling Auto Detailing Customers





Most auto detailing service providers these days are satisfied just booking daily appointments for basic auto detailing and hand washing services. If this is what you are doing you are leaving a surprising amount of money "on the table." There is a lot more profit to be made in the auto appearance industry today. Basic hand washing, buffing, polishing, interior shampooing and detailing are only a fraction of the services that you should be providing. There is an array of "value added" services that you can easily provide that will not eat up your bank account with inventory and additional supply costs. These services can be performed in a reasonable amount of time and generate additional profitable revenues on just about every vehicle you detail.



I highly recommend that you perform what I call the "Vehicle Walk Around." The walk around should be performed on every vehicle that you plan to detail. The best time to do the walk around is during the customer interview. The customer has stopped by your shop to get an estimate on getting his car detailed or he is dropping it off for a pre arranged phone-in appointment. You may have already given a "price range" to detail this customer’s car and now you are firming it up based on what the customer wants, and what you are recommending the vehicle needs. Always "listen" to what the customer is asking you to provide, then propose a solution. Once that is confirmed you can then evaluate the rest of the vehicle and make recommendations of other services that you can provide. Your customer may have originally contacted you because his puppy vomited on the back seat and he needs it cleaned and deodorized. You solved that, now it’s time to up-sell to a complete interior detailing with ozone service and maybe even an exterior polishing service, too.



Besides offering basic exterior detailing services you may want to consider adding; rock paint chip repair, headlight restoration, plastic trim restoration, glass water spot removal, even wheel restoration. Except for the wheel restoration the initial investment is low for the other reconditioning services mentioned. Just about every vehicle that has been driven for a few years will have many of the above issues. Rock paint chips, cloudy head lights, plastic door handles and mirror trim that are oxidized or discolored, acid rain spots on the glass, are all easy corrections to be performed and can generate very profitable extra revenues besides the basic detail service. Depending on the part of the country your business is located the average charges for the services described above can add up to be a very strong invoice total for you. You can generate an additional $25-$100 per restored headlight, $60-$90 for a complete paint chip repair, $20-$50 restoring plastic door handles and mirrors, $30-$60 for glass water spot removal. This is real money that many of you are "leaving on the table" because you don’t know how to perform these easy to do reconditioning services. These are easy to do and most of the supplies will only cost you a couple of bucks per car!



Have "Vehicle Evaluation" sheets printed up and use one during each customer interview. Walk around the vehicle with your VE sheet attached to a clip board and check off what you think the vehicle needs to make it look good as new again. The exterior portion of your VE sheet may have these items listed: Oxidized Paint, Environmental Fallout, Cloudy Headlights, Rock Paint Chips, Faded Door Handles, Faded Plastic Trim, Spotted Glass, Medium to Deep Scratches, Dull Chrome, Soiled/Stained Convertible Roof, etc. Just check off what you think it needs and determine what you will need to charge the customer for these value added services. Do the same thing for the interior; Foul Odor, Faded or Badly Stained Carpets, Cigarette Burns, Vinyl or Leather Tears, Heavily Soiled Seats, Soiled Headliner, Pet Hair, etc. You can easily remove odors once you have cleaned the interior with an extractor by using an ozone generator. Smoke odors, musty odors, pet odors, etc. You can purchase a good ozone generator for about $400 and it will last for years and pay for itself quickly. Most detailers charge $50-$75 to provide ozone odor removal.



Provide carpet dying for faded floor boards and mats will only cost you a few dollars in supplies, take anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour to do and can yield and extra $60+ per vehicle. Once properly trained you can repair most rips in vinyl and leather in less than 20 minutes and charge $50-$100. Carpet and upholstery cigarette burn repairs take only a few minutes and you can charge $10-$20 per repair. Again, your cost on the products used is a lot less than a gallon of gasoline!! Cigarette burn repairs only costs you pennies! There is a ton of money to be made in this business. You should strongly consider offering these very profitable auto reconditioning services. Whether you have a shop or are a mobile detailing operator the products used to perform these services will not take up a lot of space and are initial low investment.



Many individuals are keeping their vehicles longer today. The buy cycle today is about 8 years. The cost associated with purchasing a new vehicle has sky rocketed and you will need excellent credit. Good, clean and professionally reconditioned, pre owned vehicles will bring in big bucks at the auction block. Car dealers will be very interested in hearing what you have to offer. Private car owners will also listen more closely to what you have to say and offer them. Increasing resale and trade-in value of their vehicle will be more important than it has ever been in the past. You must take the pro active approach though and be thinking out of the box. Invest in purchasing these very affordable products and be trained on how to provide these services.



Once trained, develop a comprehensive Vehicle Evaluation sheet and have a procedure on how you will execute your "walk around" and show the vehicle owner the features and benefits of having their vehicle "reconditioned" versus just having it detailed. You will reap the profits, make the customer happy, and grow your bank account. You must think this way today if you are going to survive. The auto industry will be drastically reshaping itself within the next six months. You can sit back and watch others increase their bottom line or you can move forward now and be prepared for what is about to happen. Detailking.com can provide the products, systems, training and even the evaluation sheets so you can provide theses profitable services mentioned in this article to your prospects and customers.



Thanks and good luck,



Nick Vacco

Detailking.com

[Jean-Claude]

In the classic sense of the term, I do not upsell. What I do is discover what my client`s needs and wants are then find a solution. Imho, "upsell" is a frame of mind a salesman has that means he will find a way to get the client to spend more money. I know not everyone views it that way.



Maybe this will better articulate what it is I do. Monday I traveled to a brand new client that was out of state to install clear bra and do Opti-Guard on a new sl550. The total for the bill was quite substantial, yet, he ask me to look at the car and see if he needed paint correction. This client would have pulled the trigger on a level 2($1000+) if I told him he should get it. But after viewing his car in direct sunlight after a wash and clay, I could not justify the expense of even a level 1 paint correction. Sure I could see just a few small areas that only an expert could pick out that were not perfect. But after speaking with him and getting a real sense of what he would value most, I knew he was fine with the car as it sat and advised that he save the money and forego paint correction. This type of situation is what defines me and what I do.

[David Fermani]

In the classic sense of the term, I do not upsell. What I do is discover what my client`s needs and wants are then find a solution. Imho, "upsell" is a frame of mind a salesman has that means he will find a way to get the client to spend more money. I know not everyone views it that way.

I totally disagree. Upselling is an important part of doing business and if done professionally can and will be a win-win for everyone. If you don`t mention/discuss additional products/services to a client/potential client, you are not only leaving money on the table, but also not doing the client, their vehicle or the detailing industry any justice for that matter.



How many times have we "upsold" an additional paint correction step, a coating, fabric protection, interior or engine detail when all they inquired about was a basic wash & wax? That`s upselling and is a very powerful tool when you know how to work it. At the end of the day, are we as business people or order takers? We shouldn`t just expect people to review our website and really know/understand what they need. It`s our job to give them choices and explain the features/benefits of additional services.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I totally disagree. Upselling is an important part of doing business and if done professionally can and will be a win-win for everyone. If you don`t mention/discuss additional products/services to a client/potential client, you are not only leaving money on the table, but also not doing the client, their vehicle or the detailing industry any justice for that matter.



How many times have we "upsold" an additional paint correction step, a coating, fabric protection, interior or engine detail when all they inquired about was a basic wash & wax? That`s upselling and is a very powerful tool when you know how to work it. At the end of the day, are we as business people or order takers? We shouldn`t just expect people to review our website and really know/understand what they need. It`s our job to give them choices and explain the features/benefits of additional services.

What I value more than anything is when people come to me and say "I saw your website/the work you do and I want your opinion about what my car needs" -- it means I`ve done my job getting them to trust me as more than just a service provider and a business, but as an advisor who won`t steer them wrong. That makes the whole process of "upselling" additional services less of a high-pressure proposition (as to the client, they`re not being upsold -- they`re taking the advice of someone who has their back), and to a certain extent like Jean-Claude pointed out it bucks the classical definition of an "upsell." Instead of thinking about it purely like a business man who is simply chasing after money, he`s letting the client know what would be in their best interest to have done and in the process just happens to put more money in his pocket. To me, that`s a win.



At this point, I think it`s just down to a semantics game.

[Nth Degree]

I agree with Charlie. I often provide options for customers, give them the prices for each, highlight the pros and cons of each, and tell them what I recommend and why. I don`t know that I would call this upselling, but rather effectively advertising/selling your services and options. This is what provides trust with both that customer and the people they refer. Even in my write ups I sometimes point out why I chose not to go further, whether it be because of risk or simply keeping the price within budget. Many times I have even talked people out of "perfection" because it was unrealistic for them to maintain it. This also creates trust.

[Scottwax]

I talk to customers and try to get a feel for what they are really looking for before I upsell additional correction, Opti-Coat, etc.

[Ron Ketcham]

I`ll just bring all out in the open.

Anyone who is a full time detailer and does not understand what marketing is in the automotive services industry, fails to grasp the importance of inspection, communication with the customers, to "up-sell" will either end up broke or an old person with a body that is worn out from doing all that the work no matter how much they may love it now, with out ever being able to enjoy the fruits of their labors of a life time.

Grumpy

[Jean-Claude]

Do you disagree with my definition, my method or both?

I totally disagree. Upselling is an important part of doing business and if done professionally can and will be a win-win for everyone. If you don`t mention/discuss additional products/services to a client/potential client, you are not only leaving money on the table, but also not doing the client, their vehicle or the detailing industry any justice for that matter.



How many times have we "upsold" an additional paint correction step, a coating, fabric protection, interior or engine detail when all they inquired about was a basic wash & wax? That`s upselling and is a very powerful tool when you know how to work it. At the end of the day, are we as business people or order takers? We shouldn`t just expect people to review our website and really know/understand what they need. It`s our job to give them choices and explain the features/benefits of additional services.

[Jean-Claude]

Pretty spot on Charles. I provide for my family by means of billing clients and getting paid for my services. But upselling, with the primary purpose being selling more for the sake of making more, is not a part of my business. I could just throw services at them and know they will jump at one or a few of them, or I can hunt for what they really want and build a service for them that meets their wants, with their best interest in mind(not my pocket).



If I see a client`s automobile could really use a wax/seal, I will mention it to them. But I won`t sell someone a wax/seal for the sake of making more. I`ve told a number of clients to save their money in cases where they ask for something that was an outright waste. Doing that is the opposite of upselling. That`s why I say I do not do it.

What I value more than anything is when people come to me and say "I saw your website/the work you do and I want your opinion about what my car needs" -- it means I`ve done my job getting them to trust me as more than just a service provider and a business, but as an advisor who won`t steer them wrong. That makes the whole process of "upselling" additional services less of a high-pressure proposition (as to the client, they`re not being upsold -- they`re taking the advice of someone who has their back), and to a certain extent like Jean-Claude pointed out it bucks the classical definition of an "upsell." Instead of thinking about it purely like a business man who is simply chasing after money, he`s letting the client know what would be in their best interest to have done and in the process just happens to put more money in his pocket. To me, that`s a win.



At this point, I think it`s just down to a semantics game.

[Ron Ketcham]

My dog is not in this fight.

However, I will add that I find it more a matter of how one defines the subject matter of "up-selling".

Grumpy

[David Fermani]

Do you disagree with my definition, my method or both?

Kinda everything I quoted you on. I respect and understand your position on not selling the client on paint correction he may or may not have needed, but if you were truly looking out for the best interest of preserving the car, you *could* have discussed wheel, fabric or glass protection as an add on "upsell". They were obviously interested in some pretty heavy protection for their car (PPF/Coating), these items would definately be in line with your existing offerings which could have resulted in $100`s more on the job as well as a more satisfied client and better protected vehicle.



I really think people here don`t see that in fact they currently do upsell their services. Not every client knows what they want/need and rely on you for suggestions. Well guess what, those suggestions are considered upselling. Samantics or not. I also think that any time someone uses the connotation of selling, they immediately feel like your getting a pitch from a used car salesman. That`s not even close to how this process should be conducted. To echo what Ron said, to be successful in business, you need to not just be the technician, but the business person for the long haul. Having a good understanding of sales processes and tactics is not only helpful, but vital. Doing cars on the side doesn`t put you in front of a multitude of scenarios of business and also may allow you to pick and choose how you want to do things, but that mentality might not cut the mustard for everyone who does this for a living. OTOH, selling and the abilty to present an upsell will not only help a full time person, but also someone part-time.



Below is the Wiki definition of Upselling. Take a look and see if how you conduct your operation is in-line with any part of this description:



Upselling (sometimes "up-selling") is a sales technique whereby a seller induces the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale. Upselling usually involves marketing more profitable services or products but can also be simply exposing the customer to other options that were perhaps not considered previously. Upselling implies selling something that is more profitable or otherwise preferable for the seller instead of, or in addition to,[1] the original sale. A different technique is cross-selling in which a seller tries to sell something else. A recent study concluded that it is 70% easier to get an additional 3% in sales from an existing customer than it is to get more customers in the door to equal the same dollar volume in sales.[citation needed] In practice, large businesses usually combine upselling and cross-selling techniques to enhance the value that the client or clients get from the organization in addition to maximizing the profit that the business gets from the client. In doing so, the organization must ensure that the relationship with the client is not disrupted. In a restaurant and other similar settings, upselling is commonplace and an accepted form of business. In other businesses, such as car sales, the customer’s perception of the attempted upsell can be viewed negatively and thereby affect the desired result.