In 1948, the McDonald brothers opened up their new burger joint where you could get a 15-cent hamburger, a milkshake, and fries. That was almost half the cost of a burger at the time, so how did that grow into a multi-billion dollar empire?
They sold the fries.
The brothers saw that when their customers bought burgers, they were more likely to want fries and something to drink. So they not only included that on their menu, but they pushed it. It started with “Would you like fries with that?” and would eventually grow into “Would you like to supersize that?”
By constantly upselling, their customers bought more with each order. While other drive-thrus went out of business, McDonald’s went international, and it’s largely because of this strategy.
What does that mean for you? Well, it means that you need to find ways to upsell. When customers buy from you, what else could you be offering them? You need to brainstorm and identify what else someone will need when they make a purchase from you. It’s why there is a rack of sunglasses near sunscreen at Target. The goal here isn’t to shove new products or services in your customers’ faces, but to figure out those related options that add to both their utility and your top line.
Sometimes you need to get deep into your customer’s perspective to see the options. Sometimes you need a hand doing this. We are here if you want to talk about it.
More seriously, find your way of selling the fries. It might end up being what takes your business to the next level.