What is upselling?

You know when you order a medium popcorn at the movie theatre and the cashier asks you if you would like to get a large for just 50 cents more? That's upselling. You know when you purchase an appliance and the salesperson asks you if you would like to get the extended warranty? That's upselling.

Basicaly, upselling is a sales technique, where after a sale is already made or agreed upon, the salesperson attempts to upgrade the consumer to a more expensive version of the same product, an upgrade to the product, additional accessories, or additional services. It is a way to sell more to someone that is already a customer or soon to be a customer.

Upselling is usually a way for a business to make more profit as the upgrade normally has a higher profit margin than the base product. So, businesses tend to encourage their sales staff to upsell.

Like any sales technique, upselling can be learned and mastered to perform it effectively and successfully.