Up-selling in the PC landscape

Dion Stojsavljevic Retail marketing manager at Intel



We are currently experiencing an ‘on demand’ culture where our desire for instant gratification is higher than ever. We no longer want to be ruled by a TV schedule, shopping hours or even how we interact with our friends. We demand what we want, when we want it and continually search for things to make life easier, more efficient and personal.

Most homes are now populated with a multitude of electronic devices that aim to deliver entertainment, communication and social interaction. But it’s in the workplace where the biggest cultural shift is happening. In many industries work hours are becoming flexible, the focus on work-life balance is growing and the idea of working from a central office is certainly passé.

As a reseller surviving in a crowded, commoditised market, how can you join this quiet revolution and maximise the revenue opportunities it can bring?

Firstly, embrace mobility and understand the best way to position your products for the greatest up-sell. Secondly, understand the needs of the modern mobile office.

The heart of a mobile office is a laptop computer – this can include tablets, ultra-low voltage devices and full-size mobiles. Along with a laptop, a home wireless network, suitable ISP and additional external storage devices are pretty much the standards that make up a mobile office.

While the choice of hardware is very important, so is the start-to-finish service the reseller can provide. Offering a number of well thought-out bundles to cater for a range of needs, rather than guessing what someone needs when they enter your store, adds to your professionalism and service level. Establishing a relationship with an ISP that can offer a competitive service is also certainly a bonus. It’s these additional add-on sales that can deliver you the margin your competitor is missing out on. Display these additional items logically in your store or create a colourful offer sheet listing all the add-ons to a mobile purchase if you don’t carry all the stock.

When selling a laptop, being able to sell up from the bottom rung is vital. I suggest the traditional sell-up model is actually totally backward for selling technology. As a salesperson you naturally do a good job of exploring all the plaudits of the first computer a customer shows interest in, then find it difficult to provide reasons for them to spend more on a higher performing model. For this reason, try starting at the highest performing product you sell and, if necessary, work your way down. I call this ‘leading with the best’.

When selling technology, leading with the processor is a good start, as once you have explained all the benefits of high performance and greater battery life from something such as the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, it becomes a compromise to select anything else.

Listening to the customer’s needs and qualifying them properly is also critical. This will help you position other features such as operating system, screen size (which ultimately effects the entire notebook size), hard disk and software. It is much easier to remove a feature and give the perception of saving money than trying to always sell up. In most cases you will find yourself with a higher final sell price.

As the products you sell are vital to your customers’ own revenue, providing an effective warranty and servicing is also essential. Make sure that your customer understands the conditions of the warranty to increase the chances of return business and avoid misunderstandings down the track. Taking advantage of the mobile revolution really involves common sense and a little bit of planning. Remember, listen to your customers needs, have a professional set of bundles on offer, lead with the best product you can and offer comprehensive advice on warranty. It’s a simple but effective formula for success. Happy selling!

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