How to Resolve the Cross-Selling Debate in the Field

[metoc15411]

When I asked three months ago if service technicians should cross-sell , I never expected to get such a big response.

If you’re a member of any LinkedIn groups focused on service management , you know that most posts only get a couple of likes and maybe a comment. At least, that’s usually the case for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that an article I wrote about cross-selling turned into a digital workshop of 26 thoughtful responses.

cross-selling and up-selling

Twenty-six comments are hardly viral, but the intensity of the debate in these comments was infectious. The responses went beyond yes and no and included well-thought-out ideas about the dividing line between sales and service. To get responses like these, the topic at hand must matter to people.

That first post asked whether field service technicians should cross-sell, but it didn't answer that question. In this post, I'll suggest how to resolve the debate about field service cross-selling: Technicians should be able to sell, but not forced to.

Cross-selling and upselling: yes, no, maybe?
Eighteen of those 26 responses were original (eight were botim database simply responses to other comments). Here's how those 18 broke down:

- Seven years.

- Four no.

- Seven more complex answers

Yeses focused on potential. They cited the unique selling power of techs: techs are not salespeople, and the customer already knows them, both of which can make them more trustworthy.

In two cases, "yes" participants stated that sales are part of the service. If someone's product breaks down or if they can benefit from a free product or service, then sales are an extension of the service.

The “no” responses reflected a different view of service. One commenter said that cross-selling “ defies the goal of pure customer service.” Other responses suggested that the pressure to sell was deeply uncomfortable. For example, one respondent claimed that sales quotas “ make engineers uncomfortable,” while another was more direct: “Don’t give me sales targets or I’ll be looking for the door.”

I was most intrigued by the “it’s complicated” responses. While they were wary of forcing technicians to sell, they were also open to the idea of ​​cross-selling and upselling if the opportunity presented itself. In some cases, they saw service and sales as intertwined: One response noted that since “services sell contracts…field technicians always sell.” Similarly, another noted that collaboration between sales and technicians can “provide relevant solutions that benefit the customer and increase business,” but that upselling to customers can reduce the technician’s credibility.

As profitable as cross-selling is, it is also a big risk. Alienated field technicians and customers are not only less profitable, they are also completely contrary to the purpose of the technology. Perhaps there will come a time in the future when the average technician's mindset changes so much that they see cross-selling as a natural extension of service. However, that day has not yet arrived, so it is too early to propose policies that require cross-selling, such as sales quotas for service engineers.

However, it is clear that there is still a willingness to sell when it is appropriate: call it the “if and when” school of thought. If and when cross-selling and/or upselling is appropriate, it is a good option that is consistent with the purpose of the technology: to help people. To that end, the answer to how to resolve the cross-selling debate in the field is: don’t force the sale, but allow it.

[yadaysrdone]

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