Most people understand the concept of up-selling, at least most people understand when it's happening to them. For example, “Do you want fries with that?” or “Do you want to order any sides?”
Everyone understands when it's happening and why it's happening; sometimes it helps solve a problem that you haven't thought about, other times you unconsciously say ‘yes’, but either way, the business wins if you buy something else, and that's the point.
What most people don't really appreciate is the concept of down-selling, which I suspect happens a lot more often than upselling, if you take the restaurant example;
Imagine having the meal when you're all desperate to have another drink, but the waitress doesn't come to see you until you're finished; imagine waiting too long before they ask you to order a dessert.
In dentistry, imagine not discussing with people other significant problems they have just so that you can get the seal on the problem right in front of you.
Imagine not looking after someone holistically or properly understanding that the lifetime value that you get from that is extraordinary, not to mention the referrals from other people, and instead just chase after as hard as you can the one thing in front of you.
Some of the worst people in healthcare are down-selling our hospital-based clinicians or consultants.
We've had much experience of this in our practice, and they just don't care; they don't understand the necessity to explore all options with people because, on a day-to-day basis, they work in a situation where the people just keep on coming regardless of how you act.
Upselling is one thing; understanding how to provide that ethically and honestly, making sure people are not left behind in the conversation, is critical to success, but down-selling, at times it verges on unethical, even when it's only just being rude.
HT to Tom Reason for the name.
Blog Post Number - 4632