Intensify the brand-building impact of client promotions and maximize the revenue you earn on orders through strategic cross-selling, which centers on selling additional products or services to existing customers.

Go Beyond The Request: When buyers have particular products they want, some promotional product sales professionals are happy to simply fulfill the orders. That contentedness, however, potentially does the client – and the rep – a disservice. Additional products may help add significant fuel to the client’s promotional fire. So, instead of being an order taker, be a consultant who suggests complementary items that power up a campaign’s promotional punch.

Know The Need: To deliver promotion-enhancing add-on items, thoroughly understand your client. Ask questions that enable you to grasp the buyer’s brand image, goals and end-user demographics. Ask about price point, distribution, seasonality, functionality and more. Take all this into account along with the primary product they are purchasing, then narrow down the add-on item choices to a select few.

Be Proportionate: If you buy a $150 bicycle and then the clerk tries to sell you a wheel set that costs $800, your response might be, “Are you kidding me?” Your clients will have a similar reaction if the products you attempt to cross-sell significantly escalate the cost of an order. While there is not a concrete rule, many sales pros say that items you cross-sell should not increase the overall order charge by more than 25% of what the buyer would have paid for just the original item.

Get Your Timing Right: Make sure you are connecting clients with the main item(s) they need before attempting to interest them in additional products.

Leverage Technology: Use digital platforms to plant the seeds for cross-selling in buyers’ minds. On your website, feature content about products that make great pairings. Post about complementary items on your Facebook page. In e-blasts and e-newsletters, share testimonials and success stories involving multi-product orders. This gives buyers a feel for the range of offerings you can provide, while positioning you as an expert.

Cross-Sell Combos

Some products go together like bread and butter. Consider pitching:

Pens and Calendars: “End-users prefer calendars with room for notes, so a pen is a great add-on,” says Melissa Ralston, BIC Graphic’s (asi/40480) director of marketing.

Sports Bags and Water Bottles: “This is a great combo when signing up new gym members, or welcoming new team members,” says Ralston.

T-Shirts and Hoodies: When the temperature cools, wearers use the hooded sweatshirt. When it warms, they remove the hoody and are comfy in the tee.

Magnets and …: Magnets pair well with a wealth of items, including pizza cutters. “To drive loyalty,” says Ralston, “a pizza shop can give away a magnet with a pizza cutter.”

Techy Pairings: “Consider a tablet case with a stylus pen or a myCharge power bank with travel earbuds for frequent travelers or executives,” says Ralston. Similarly, look to sell earbuds with Bluetooth speakers, says Reggie Gonzalez, VP of sales at iClick (asi/62124).