On the surface, cross- and upselling seem easy. The person is already a customer; all you have to do is encourage them to buy more. For those in the hotel industry, guests are already staying with you, so it should be simple to upsell, right? Not necessarily. According to an article by Flora Keresztely, content marketing exec at GuestJoy, she still sees lots of hotels struggling with adding extra income through selling little extras. 

First, she points out that you should focus on three points when looking to cross/​upsell:

• Know your customer – who are they, what are they looking for?
• Present them with an experience that suits their needs and complements their vacation.
• Make the price attractive and the purchase easy.

These are three basics that should be a part of every cross/​upsell effort. Each time you position an add-​on or upgrade, make sure each of those three requirements are being met.

Additionally, don’t fall victim to common mistakes. Keresztely shares typical missteps that she’s witnessed, and below is just one example:

Outdated Sales Tactics

Are your methods of cross/​upselling aligned with how travelers buy? Most likely, your guests have spent a lot of time researching before booking their travel plans. So, it’s important they learn about your offerings before arrival. “Additionally, there are a lot of people who prefer to plan these little extra services quickly, a couple of days before their arrival, preferably on their phone,” the article explains. So, instead of trying to cross/​upsell to guests after they’re on the premises, reach them beforehand (preferably online). 

Read her entire article for more mistakes, which will help you be more thoughtful about how you cross/​upsell in the future. By updating your strategy, guests will be more willing to enhance their experiences, and you will be benefit with boosted revenue.