Ever popped into the hardware store for a packet of screws and come out with screws, a drill bit, some sandpaper and a sausage from the sizzle out front? Nobody twisted your arm. Someone just put the right things in the right place at the right time.
That's lever two in a nutshell.
Last issue we plugged the leaky bucket by looking after the customers you've already got. This time we're getting those same lovely people to spend a wee bit more each time they buy. Not by being pushy. By being helpful.
Why bother?
Because the maths is kind. Say 100 customers spend an average of $50 with you each month. That's $5,000. Nudge that average up by just $5 and you're at $5,500, a 10% lift without finding a single new customer or spending another cent on ads.
And those customers already trust you. Suggesting something that genuinely helps them is simply good service. It only gets pushy when you're flogging things people don't need.
Here's a menu of tactics to try
#1 Give people good, better and best
Offer three options rather than one price. Most people don't want the cheapest (what's wrong with it?) or the dearest (who do they think I am?), so they settle happily in the middle. A builder quoting a deck might offer the standard deck, the deck with built-in lighting, and the deck with lighting and a pergola. Suddenly the conversation is "which one?" instead of "yes or no?" You might hear this being call 'a choice of yeses.'
#2 Bundle what already goes together
Look at what customers buy together anyway and package it up. Coffee and a muffin. A facial and a brow tidy. Annual accounts plus a quarterly catch-up. Bundles feel like good value and make the decision easier. Just price them so you're still making a margin, not giving it away.
#3 Suggest the natural next thing
"Would you like fries with that?" gets an eye-roll because it's said to everyone, on autopilot. Compare it with "Most people grab a new roller with this paint, because the old one leaves fluff in the finish." That's specific, useful and coming from someone who knows their stuff. Work out the one or two things that genuinely go with your best sellers, then suggest them at the right moment: at the counter, on the quote or in the booking confirmation.
#4 Put it where they can see it
People can't buy what they don't know you sell. Think counter displays, a "you might also need" section on your website, a menu board that lists the extras, or a line in your email signature (yes, that billboard you already own). The hardware store doesn't put batteries by the till by accident.
#5 Offer a premium option for those who want it
Some customers will happily pay more for speed, convenience or a bit of extra love: express turnaround, priority booking, a Saturday appointment, a "we'll sort it all for you" service. You don't need to sell it hard. Just make sure people know it exists.
#6 Set a sensible minimum for the freebie
Free delivery over $100. Free gift wrapping over $50. Set the threshold a little above your current average sale and watch people add one more thing to get over the line. We all do it. I certainly do.
#7 Check your prices are keeping up
Plenty of small businesses haven't reviewed their prices in years, while their own costs have kept climbing. A modest increase, explained honestly, is usually far less painful than owners fear, and most customers expect it. If you're nervous, pair the rise with something extra, like a better guarantee or a faster turnaround.
#8 Practice the ask (yes, out loud)
If you or your team feel awkward suggesting extras, write down two or three phrases that sound like you and practise them. It feels silly for about a day, then it simply becomes part of how you look after people.
Don't know where to start?
Work out your average sale. Take last month's total sales and divide by the number of sales (or invoices). That's your starting number. Pick one tactic from the menu, try it for a month, then check the number again. Gone up? Brilliant. Keep it going and add another.
Have a go this week, then flick me an email and tell me how you got on. I love hearing the results, especially the "I can't believe that actually worked" ones.
Next issue, we're tackling lever three: getting customers to come back more often, so you're not relying on them to remember you exist.
