Here are 3 Little Words You Can Use to Increase Client Sales

This cashier is not of the upselling kind but a twisted kind of funny!

In these times, it can be sink or swim when it comes to freelancers getting and retaining good clients (because the bad ones are always on the lookout for anyone that appears to be "green").  And clients want the most for their money.  At one time, that exchange was so simple and continuity could be looked at as a way to build relationships and pay bills.  While many newbies might not have mastered the art of upselling, it's simpler than you think.

Last week, on two different occasions,  I was out running errands and got insanely hungry.  One franchise I bought from had a variety of heat and eat goods that serve the purpose.  The other is a local small business that makes everything from scratch.  Both places are extremely popular, which means a wait but faster than going home to fix something.

While placing my order at each place, the cashier said, "And what else?"

Now, the irony was that the heat and eat place had a drive-thru, which not only would have been more convenient but I had to pass.  Close decision but I've been eating too many carbs...though as the day passed, I'd regret my decision.  However, when the homecooked place said the same thing, my additional order just flew out of my mouth.  Not only was there a line of live orders but the online orders made the wait close to half an hour...which I've never done for a casual/fast food joint.  Almost 45 minutes after placing my order, not only was I ready to eat a couple of bears but was so satisfied with my food.

As you can see, no one said anything fancy and neither cashier was pushy.  Not sure if they get commissions for upselling but obviously it can raise an order to double or more.  Services that sell for $10 can convert into $25 on up with the right words.  What are your right words?

The best words apply to what you have to offer and what will bring the client immediate satisfaction.  This isn't the time to throw out an unplanned loss leader or something that's a hard sale.  Although diversification of skills is a great thing for any freelancer to have in this economy, not everyone does everything equally well.

In other words, if your coding is great but tiresome, you may want to test out copywriting before offering to clients.  Although you may have a great social media presence, it doesn't mean that your posting or content choices will translate well for a business site.

On the other hand, this is the time to sharpen your self-assessment and investigation skills. If you've noticed typos in their online product descriptions, offer to clean up for a modest price.  Of course, have your screenshots with dates ready and if you can offer a version that complies with SEO and is more engaging, show that thing off.  All some successful small businesses have is a Yelp page but a single web page that connects to an e-cart, social media, and review sites can increase their sales!  Offer to increase their social media presence.

When you know clients (or their industry), this makes upselling so much easier.  You may already have a library filled with stock photos, slideshows, unique content, and more that may benefit clients.  If you've got your arsenal, start writing those quick pitches.  

"And what else" takes less than 10 seconds so find the right flow that's somewhere between 10 and 15 seconds.  If you have (and you should) the traditional 30- and 60-second elevator pitches, take elements from those and tailor it into something that targets an issue without being too pushy.  Should you experience hesitation from the client, use this as a way to introduce a loss leader that should convert into an ongoing service or product purchase.