Sales—even food truck sales—are all about probability. The probability of selling to a new customer is 5-20%, while the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%.
This is why upselling is so important.
Upselling is the art of convincing your customers to upgrade their order to a better, more expensive, higher quality option. If done right, it can increase your profits, and enhance the customer experience. If done wrong, it can be seriously annoying.
This article will teach you all you need to know about how to upsell in the food truck business, without pestering your trusted customers.
An Offer They Can’t Refuse
The first thing to remember is that you have to make sure your upselling will enhance your customer’s dining experience.
Your customers probably won’t want to buy whatever you’re upselling if it doesn’t sound appetizing. If you upsell a loyal customer something they don’t like, they probably won’t order it again. You might even lose their business.
It’s extremely important to focus on the customer’s experience rather than your profit. Focusing on your profit will work for a little while. But it will only hurt you in the long run if it doesn’t benefit the customers.
So make them an offer they can’t refuse.
Teach your service staff how to make your products sound delectable. Make sure they know all the menu items intimately, so they can make adjustments on the fly. A good employee should be able to recognize regular customers and offer them products—like side dishes—that they know the customers will enjoy.
As long as the customer comes first in your mind, your upselling will enhance the customer’s experience rather than hindering it. Look at the successful example of the Dollar Shave Club. They provide enticing, quality options for customers to add at their leisure, without harassing them.
Get Specific
Okay, so we realize that you’re probably not out there trying to upsell by asking—would you like more food with that? But are you getting specific enough?
Specificity sells. You have to remember that the more particular you get about a product, the more likely you are to get customers.
A food truck is something people go to on the fly, usually as a treat. They enjoy the experience of getting high-quality food out of a vehicle that looks clean and professional.
Customers are coming to your food truck for a positive, food-loving atmosphere, so if your employee smiles and offers them something refreshing and cold on a hot day, you’re very likely to get that upsell.
Teach Your Employees How to Upsell
In business, profitability is all about probability—and you have a higher probability of selling to people who are already buying from you. In other words, you don’t necessarily need to grow your business by attracting other customers, you can start by selling your current customers more.
Once you’ve learned to make your customers an offer they can’t refuse and get specific, you’re well on your way to learning how to upsell.
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