Using Your POS to Upsell and Cross-Sell During Events
Maximizing revenue and ensuring attendee satisfaction are two of the most important objectives for any event. And two powerful strategies can drive sales at your event while delighting your guests: upselling and cross-selling. Although you may already be familiar with these terms, here is a brief refresher:
- Upselling is the act of encouraging the buyer to purchase an item or service of a higher value
- Cross-selling incentivizes the purchase of an add-on item or service
For example, if you run a beverage cart, an example of an upsell would be offering specialty drinks served in a souvenir cup for an additional fee, whereas a cross-sell might be a buy one, get one (BOGO) half-off deal so you sell two drinks instead of one.
When done right, both upselling and cross-selling will generate more revenue for your event and its sponsors while making attendees feel that they’re getting a better deal, whether that’s something of a greater value or more items than they originally intended to purchase, yet still for a fair price. While there are many strategies available for upselling and cross-selling at events, you might be surprised by how much of an impact your point of sale (POS) system could have.
Here are some ideas for using POS to upsell and cross-sell during and after your next event, making the most of valuable customer insights.
Using POS to Upsell and Cross-Sell
Offer Customized Product Suggestions
Oftentimes, customers will only see a total on the screen during the checkout process. But going directly to the total screen overlooks a valuable opportunity to incentivize an add-on purchase. Once their item has been rung up, your POS system could make product suggestions based on similar products or those that are commonly purchased together. At an event, this might look like recommending a drink and fries as an add-on to any burger or suggesting a hat or tote bag to accompany T-shirt purchases.
If your customer is buying food or merch from an event sponsor, you can incentivize purchases from the same brand or a partner brand. Not only does this save your customers some money, but it can also boost sponsor revenue by increasing their visibility and accessibility.
Using built-in media assets makes it quick and easy to increase your brand and product’s visibility. Vendors can repurpose the creative they already have, saving time and production costs for a new form of outreach. Being able to measure conversions also tells you what offers and assets resonate with consumers so you can be strategic about future messaging and reach customers in a way that encourages loyalty.
Display Offers and Promotions
Never underestimate the power of an impulse buy. In addition to showcasing products, goods, or services that might appeal to customers based on their purchase, consider using POS to cross-sell and upsell by displaying offers and promotions at checkout. Offering a day-of discount of a dollar amount or percentage might prompt a customer to go for a more expensive item, whereas a discount on an additional item could encourage them to buy more merch, food, or beverages.
You can also generate interest in future products and services with previews and discounts for preorders. Create a QR code that appears on POS displays and receipts to direct customers to an exclusive savings opportunity. Offers exclusive to that event or purchase feel more special and enticing, which delights the customer and can increase their likelihood of using the promotion.
If you’re planning to create offers for future use based on a day-of purchase, the data your POS system provides can help you ensure these promotions are reaching the right people. Proper segmentation based on customer activity makes it easier to push the right offers to the people most likely to benefit from them—and customer loyalty is built on feeling understood and valued by the companies and organizations people interact with.
Leverage Customer Purchase History
If your POS system can access customer history, you have a wealth of data to leverage for even more personalized product recommendations. Reviewing historical data lets you tap into what customers have viewed in the past to improve inventory offerings and identify which promotions are likely to resonate. If a guest has been on the fence about a product during previous events or even earlier the same day, being shown a personalized offer on your POS display might just be the motivator they need to complete the transaction.
Think about how purchases trend throughout the day to determine whether you should be pushing more food and drink offers or more merch offers to ensure your promotions are strategic and more likely to result in conversions. This can be especially important for events or products with age restrictions, such as an 18+ VIP area or liquor sales for customers over 21.
Integrate Email or Text Messages Easily
Many event organizers and businesses use email and text messaging to keep in touch with attendees from the pre-registration phase to the post-event communication. This unlocks a new channel that keeps your sponsors and vendors front-of-mind for customers. For example, you might send a reminder to previous attendees who are eligible for early-bird registration or a discount for your merchandise to reward people who buy tickets in advance. You can also send out messages highlighting sponsor booths and thank guests for their purchases afterward.
Email and texting are also useful channels for sending out discounts or vouchers customers can redeem that day, which can help generate increased foot traffic. Rewards attendees can use after the event help keep event sponsors in touch and generate customer loyalty.
Which channels are people most likely to respond to? How do you measure the success of a messaging campaign? Repeat engagement after an event involves some testing, and your POS’s data capabilities can provide insight here too. For instance, people who learn about an event via email might be more responsive to an email campaign, so check metrics like open rates and clicks.
Compare how different messages perform on different platforms or with different audiences. An email promoting future events or highlighting social media content might perform better than a text because it’s better suited for computer reading, but an offer sent via SMS or as a QR code might create a more compelling sense of urgency than an email because the recipient can use their phone.
Provide More Payment Options
One of the easiest methods of using POS to upsell and cross-sell is to ensure you’re accepting the broadest possible range of payment options. This is especially true at events where attendees may not want to bother with cash (or even physical cards). Beyond accepting these traditional payment methods, accommodating shoppers using tap-to-pay on their phones—as well as innovative options like RFID wristbands and QR codes—can make the checkout process simple and seamless. That makes it easier for guests to come back for another round of drinks without having to worry about running out of cash, misplacing a card, or refilling a payment account.
The Difference Billfold Engage Makes
If this sounds like a lot to ask from your POS, meet Billfold. Process payments quickly, connect sponsors and vendors with attendees, and learn about your customers at every stage of your event. Real-time and historical analytics let you make more informed decisions about staffing and inventory to provide your guests with an exceptional experience.
Billfold Engage makes it easy to communicate with customers throughout an entertainment venue or festival site, putting important announcements and valuable offers at the payment stations they’re already using. Increase impressions and drive sales to boost revenue and customer satisfaction.
