By: Bart Baesens, Seppe vanden Broucke
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You asked: Can you clarify the difference between up-, cross- and down-selling with an example?
Our answer:
The idea of up-selling is to sell more of a given product, usually at the time of purchase. An example of this is if you order a lager beer (e.g., Stella Artois) and the waiter recommends an upscale, more expensive beer instead (e.g., a Trappist beer such as Westmalle). Cross-selling aims at selling an additional product or service. For example, the waiter might also recommend some abbey cheese as it pairs well with a Westmalle. Finally, down selling means selling less of a product or service in order to maintain a sustainable, long lasting customer relationship. For example, if you had too many beers and order yet another one, the waiter might discourage you from doing so and recommend water instead.
