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On my flight back from L.A. to Philly this week, I read Daniel Pink’s latest book To Sell is Human. It’s a thought-provoking read, from an outstanding author and thought leader, that shatters the myth of the sleazy sales person and lets us know that, in today’s world, we’re all in sales. Whether you’re selling promotional merchandise to a client or talking nap time to your three year-old toddler, we all use our persuasive skills every day to move people in the direction we want.

I especially liked Pink’s sample case on moving from “upselling to upserving”. You’ve probably been taught to upsell, which is trying to get someone to purchase more than they originally intended or needed. In the past, I’ve been guilty of using and teaching this concept, but to be honest, at times it can backfire. Clients know when you’re trying to upsell them, and very often resent it. (Think about the pushy sales people in the big box stores trying to get you to buy an extended warranty you really don’t need.) Even if your customer does go for more than intended, they may have buyer’s remorse after the purchase, which doesn’t leave them with a good feeling about doing business with you.

One caveat: please don’t confuse upselling with making the right recommendation for your client’s next promotion. If there’s a justified reason for a client to spend more on promotional products, that’s a whole different ball game!

So what does work? Dan says to move away from upselling and instead think about upserving. Many of us in promotional products sales are already doing this every day. I believe upserving can cement relationships, build trust and encourage repeat business.

He says, “Upserving means doing more for the other person that he expects or you initially intended, taking the extra steps that transform a mundane interaction into a memorable experience. This simple move—from upselling to upserving—has the obvious advantage of being the right thing to do. But it also carries the hidden advantage of being extraordinarily effective.”

In Dan’s words, “Anytime you’re tempted to upsell someone else, stop what you’re doing and upserve instead. Don’t try to increase what they can do for you. Elevate what you can do for them.”

Here’s my question for you today: What extra touches are you doing for your promotional products clients?  Has this helped increase your promotional products sales? Please comment below.