If you are a small business owner, the word upsell can be your best friend. It can change your approach to marketing and breathe new life into your sales process, customer base, and confidence.

I often find that marketing (and networking) is one of the most intimidating tasks for small business owners. So often, I see people who have started a business because they are an expert in their product or service, and then they have to catch up to learn all of raw skills required to make the business successful. Marketing can be one of the toughest parts, and there can be a huge stigma around the networking and sales funnel that go along with the process. One rejection may speak louder than ten purchases, and rejection is a regular occurrence.

And this is why the idea of the upsell is your friend. People who are just getting to know your business may not be ready to invest in your full services, your full product. They might need to get a sample of what you do – whether free or low cost – to understand that your business is the right fit for them.

The point of an upsell is that you have an introductory offering, a smaller size, or a free sample that can give the customer a feel for your business. The number of people who would be prepared to dive in to your high-level offering right away may be far more limited than the number of people who could GROW to great, loyal customers over time. Upsells allow your customers to make smaller purchases first and invest more when they are ready.

Upsells allow your customers to make smaller purchases first and invest more when they are ready. Share on X

Of course, as a consumer you never want to feel that you were the victim of a bait and switch. That is not what this is. Think of it as giving someone a smaller sense of what you do with the hope that they will become fans and invest in you more over time.

Build an offering like this into your pricing structure and profit model. You will find that it gives you access to a new pool of customers and it gives them a little less reason to say no. And the next time you are negotiating, you will know that this is a tool you have at your disposal for those who are on the fence but would truly benefit from your product or service.

And if you want to start mapping out your upsells more strategically, try building a marketing funnel for your business. A marketing funnel establishes the stepping stones of upsells and cross-sells you are using to nurture your leads. If you want to work on this for your business, check out my Marketing Funnel Worksheet. This guide will help you set up the levels of your funnel so you know the path you will lead your customers down.