3 Strategies to Help You Identify Upsell Opportunities Using Salesforce
Sales are all about big numbers – the bigger the better. But one number you don’t want to see climb and grow is your customer acquisition cost (CAC).
It’s no secret that getting a new customer is much harder and more expensive than selling and upselling to a current customer. Each dollar in revenue from someone who already does business with you has a lower CAC than a dollar from a new company – as much as 76% lower .
That means growing sales revenue isn’t always about capturing new customers but capturing new business in the form of upselling.
Upsell opportunities are the lifeblood of account-based selling. Whether you’re working with a current customer to provide more value, or you’re finding ways to boost your current deal and grow opportunity size , using an account plan to upsell is a must.
And yet, to say that many customers focus too much on new customer acquisition (with those higher CAC) and not enough on upselling opportunities is an understatement.
If you want to get better at capturing all of this untapped potential, then learning how to hunt for treasure with Salesforce is your next step.
Here are three Salesforce strategies that will help you upsell like a champ.
1. Use Cross-Filters to ID Accounts with Missing Opportunities
In Salesforce, you have the basic capability of filtering account information. Most of the time, when you’re using filters that cut across different categories, you’re looking for some kind of data that you already have, like the products/services you’re currently selling.
You can use the same features to find the data you don’t have: products/services that your customers aren’t being sold.
For example, let’s say you offer a product/service called Product X. You have another offering that goes well with it (or is a more valuable version) called Product Z. You can set up cross-filters that look for open opportunities that
a.) are more likely to close, and
b.) have a higher potential value.
Salesforce will give you opportunities that reflect the criteria you provide. In general, accounts that are more likely to spend a lot on Product X would be more willing to spend on Product Z, too, but you can use whatever criteria you think best fit potential upsells. An assessment template is helpful here as well.
You can find more information on how to use this process specifically at the Salesforce Developers blog .
2. Find the Most Engaged Customer
Upsell opportunities are also presented by customers who really, really like working with you.
Ever been to an NFL game? Maybe you have – maybe you’re a diehard fan, and you never miss a game. You also buy jerseys, attend fan events, read newsletters, boo your general manager on draft day, and so on. Who do you think your favorite franchise is going to target first when they’re looking to sell, say, VIP season tickets?
You. Why? Because they know you’re more likely to pay because you’re as engaged as you can be.
The more engaged your customers are with the product or service you’ve sold them, the more likely they are to at least be receptive to getting more value.
When you’re defining who qualifies as an engaged customer, you’re trying to answer questions such as:
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How often are they using your product?
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How much of your product/service are they using? Are they utilizing every feature? Only some? Maybe just one or two?
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What percentage of their team is using your product/service? Is adoption widespread, or limited to just one team or business unit?
Accounts that have everyone on their team using every feature of your product/service on a daily basis are about as ripe as you can get for upsell opportunities. This isn’t to say that under-engaged customers wouldn’t sign up for more, but that’s not as likely.
Chances are, you’ve built strong customer success relationships with your most engaged accounts (learn how to easily do that with our relationship mapping tool ). These relationships make it easier for your sales team to pitch new upsell opportunities and have them actually close.
3. Use an App to Identify White Space in an Account
“White space” sounds like a horror movie set in Alaska, but in sales, it has a much more pleasant meaning. It is the opportunity for new revenue in an account.
White space contains all the deals you could make but haven’t pursued…yet. If you can explore the white space, you can find those deals and capture that account-based selling Holy Grail: a company’s total share of wallet.
Of course, you probably won’t get 100% share of wallet for every account. But if you shoot for the moon, and miss, you still wind up in space, right?
The best way to do this is to use an opportunity visualization app. An app like this provides more automated and advanced insights beyond what Salesforce can do by itself.
You can use opportunity visualization to produce white space reports, which give you a detailed look at the accounts with the best potential. The process is a lot less time-intensive and much more user-friendly than doing it yourself manually with the core CRM features. Plus, it gives you a deeper look into your prospects.
The Salesforce app we’ve developed that performs this vital feature is in our key account management product, CRUSH.
Visualizing opportunity potential is a game-changer on so many levels. The most important is having all of this treasure-hunting technology at your fingertips, within Salesforce.
No matter what methods you use, looking for upsell opportunities is a major part of why account-based selling is so important. Only by taking a comprehensive approach toward key accounts can you find the fruit that’s ripe for the pickin’. If finding upsell opportunities and diving into the white space isn’t a part of your account management strategy, it should be.
With these three strategies, you’ll be off to a great start. Learn how you can enhance your account-planning strategy in Salesforce with Prolifiq CRUSH.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cross and upsell opportunities? How are they identified as selling opportunities?
Answer:
In a B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) organization, an upsell opportunity refers to the chance to sell additional or upgraded products, features, or services to existing loyal customers. Upselling involves persuading customers to purchase a higher-priced or more comprehensive solution than what they initially subscribed to. These opportunities are identified through various methods, including:
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Customer Usage and Behavior Analysis: By closely monitoring customer usage patterns and behavior within the SaaS platform, organizations can identify opportunities for cross and upselling. For example, if a customer consistently reaches usage limits or demonstrates an increased need for certain features, it may indicate a potential cross and upsell opportunity.
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Customer Feedback and Support Interactions: Customer feedback, requests, and support interactions can provide valuable insights into areas where customers may benefit from additional products or services. By actively listening to customer needs and pain points, organizations can identify cross and upsell opportunities that address those specific challenges.
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Data Analytics and Segmentation: Utilizing data analytics and segmentation techniques, organizations can analyze customer data to identify patterns and trends. This analysis can help identify customer segments that are more likely to have cross and upsell potential based on factors such as industry, usage patterns, or specific business needs.
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Account Reviews and Check-ins: Regularly conducting account reviews or check-ins with customers provides an opportunity to understand their evolving business needs. Through these discussions, account managers can proactively identify opportunities for cross and upselling by uncovering new requirements, growth plans, or upcoming projects.
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Customer Journey Mapping: Mapping the customer journey helps organizations identify touchpoints where customers may benefit from additional products or services. By understanding the various stages of the customer journey, organizations can identify moments where upselling can enhance the customer’s experience and provide additional value.
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Cross-selling Opportunities: Cross-selling is closely related to upselling. By analyzing existing customers’ profiles, organizations can identify complementary products or services that can be offered alongside the current subscription. This approach expands the customer’s solution and creates cross selling opportunities.
To successfully identify cross and upsell opportunities, organizations must deeply understand their customers, closely monitor their needs and behaviors, and actively engage with them throughout their customer journey. Selling to people who are highly adopted to your tool encourages customers to look at your other products. By leveraging data, customer feedback, and proactive account management, organizations can identify cross and upsell opportunities that align with customers’ evolving business requirements and provide them with added value.
Why is upselling important to many businesses?
Answer:
Upselling is important to a B2B business for several reasons, as it contributes to sales growth, customer satisfaction, and overall business success. Here’s why cross and upselling hold significance:
Increased Sales Revenue:
Upselling allows B2B companies to generate additional revenue from existing customers. By offering upgraded or supplementary products or services, companies can increase the average deal size and maximize the value derived from each customer. Upselling strategies are designed to encourage customers to invest more in the company’s offerings, resulting in increased sales and revenue.
Enhanced Customer Value:
Upselling provides an opportunity to deliver greater value to customers. By offering upgraded or premium solutions, companies can address evolving customer needs, challenges, and aspirations. This helps customers achieve their desired outcomes more effectively, ultimately increasing their satisfaction and loyalty to the company.
Strengthened Customer Relationships:
Upselling is not solely focused on selling more; it is also about building strong customer relationships. By engaging in upselling conversations, companies demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding their customers’ evolving requirements. This proactive approach fosters trust and strengthens the bond between the company and its customers.
Upselling Throughout the Customer Journey:
The customer journey encompasses various stages, from initial awareness to post-purchase support. Upselling opportunities can arise at different touchpoints along this journey. By integrating upselling strategies at the right moments, companies can align their offerings with customers’ changing needs, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience.
Leveraging Customer Insights and Upsell Analytics:
Upselling is driven by customer insights and data analytics. By leveraging upsell analytics, companies can gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior, preferences, and usage patterns. This data helps identify upsell opportunities that are relevant and valuable to customers, resulting in higher chances of successful upsells.
Value for Companies and Customers:
Upselling benefits both companies and customers. For companies, upselling contributes to revenue growth, profitability, and customer lifetime value. On the other hand, customers benefit from access to advanced features, improved performance, or additional services that align with their evolving needs. It’s a win-win situation that allows companies to deliver more value while growing their business.
In summary, upselling is important to a B2B business as it drives sales revenue, enhances customer value, strengthens relationships, and aligns offerings with the customer journey. By leveraging customer insights, data analytics, and effective upselling strategies, companies can provide additional value to their customers while achieving their business objectives.
How do you measure sell opportunities in Saas companies?
Answer:
Measuring upselling in SaaS companies involves analyzing various metrics and indicators that track the success and effectiveness of upselling efforts. Here are some key ways to measure upselling:
Expansion Revenue:
Expansion revenue refers to the additional revenue generated from existing customers through upselling and cross-selling. By tracking the revenue derived from sell opportunities and comparing it to the baseline revenue, companies can gauge the success of their upselling initiatives.
Upsell Conversion Rate:
The upsell conversion rate measures the percentage of customers who were presented with upsell opportunities and subsequently made a purchase. By monitoring this rate, companies can assess the effectiveness of their upselling strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Average Deal Size:
Tracking the average deal size helps determine the impact of upselling on revenue growth. By comparing the average deal size of upsells to the average deal size of initial sales, companies can evaluate the success of upselling in increasing the value of each customer.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV):
Customer Lifetime Value represents the total value a customer brings to a company over their entire relationship. Upselling contributes to CLV by increasing account expansion and encouraging customers to continue purchasing additional products or services. Monitoring CLV allows companies to assess the long-term success of their upselling efforts.
Upsell Rate:
The upsell rate measures the frequency at which customers engage in upselling opportunities with strategic purposes. It indicates the willingness of consumers to purchase additional offerings and the effectiveness of upselling strategies in driving account expansion. A higher upsell rate suggests a successful upselling approach.
Customer Feedback and Satisfaction:
Monitoring customer feedback and satisfaction levels provides insights into the impact of upselling efforts. Satisfied clients are more likely to engage in upsells and expand their accounts. Regularly assessing customer sentiment helps determine the success of upselling in meeting customer needs and driving positive experiences.
Repeat Purchase and Retention Rates:
Upselling can contribute to higher repeat purchase rates and improved customer retention. By tracking the frequency of repeat purchases and the percentage of customers retained over time, companies can measure the effectiveness of upselling in fostering long-term customer relationships.
It’s important for SaaS companies to use a combination of these metrics to comprehensively measure the success of their upselling initiatives. By analyzing expansion revenue, conversion rates, average deal size, CLV, customer feedback, and retention rates, companies can assess the impact of their upselling efforts and refine their strategies to drive sustainable growth.