Fending Off the Upsell
Here are four quick ways to fend off eager salespeople who are doing a rote upsell for some product or service with little value for you:
1. Know the upsell is coming:
Simply knowing you are in an upselling zone will help you be on your toes and avoid reflexively agreeing to purchases you might not need to make. Most people want to be agreeable, but when you're being offered different products, consider their real value before accepting them. Often, you can buy these things elsewhere at a lower price.
2. Resist assumptions:
The best defense here is to understand the gambit and sidestep it. For example, rather than agreeing that ultraviolet rays are destructive to the paint, you can counter by saying, "Thanks, but I always keep my car in a garage."
3. Don't give in to guilt:
Don't let guilt motivate you to buy something you don't need. It helps to remember that salespeople may think highly of a particular service or product because it will make them more money.
4. Be ready for follow-up pitches:
Just because you said no once doesn't mean you won't be tested again. Good salespeople always try to overcome your objections. If necessary, it's OK to fall back on vague responses such as, "I'm not interested at this time." Then, you aren't trying to reject the products and services. You're only saying that you don't want them now.
5. Recognize something worthwhile when it's sincerely offered.
While it's good to be on the lookout for upselling, it's also smart to avoid reflexively saying no to everything. Salespeople will sometimes make customers aware of a product that has real value or some benefit that customers hadn't known about. And sometimes it makes sense to get several service items done at the same time. Your time has value, too.