What Disney teaches us about upselling.

We are very lucky to have been able to experience Disneyland Paris as a family this year. (Originally booked for April 2020… but, you know!)

It was everything we expected and so much more. Our kids were all the perfect age to appreciate the white-knuckle rides (Avengers Flight Force was THE most terrifying 60 seconds of my life) and still experience the Disney magic.

And it is magic.

From the moment we entered the park we were overawed by the beauty of Main Street and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, the impromptu street parades and the incredible atmosphere. It felt a bit like we were Alice in Wonderland, experiencing all these new sights, sounds and smells.

It’s not an inexpensive trip but it is very easy to see where the money is spent in the parks. We were tripping over helpful staff, everything was spotless and the nightly illuminations are simply spectacular.

But boy do Disney know a thing or two about upselling once you’re in there.

What’s an upsell?

If you’re wondering what an upsell is, it’s a sales technique where a seller encourages a customer to purchase a more expensive or upgraded version of a product or service, add-ons, or accessories to increase the transaction value.

So how do Disney do this in the park?

Firstly, there’s the fast passes, which are available for all the popular rides. These allow you to pay an additional amount per person to skip the queue and avoid the (sometimes more than one hour) wait! We didn’t actually use these during our trip but I can see why you might be tempted, particularly if you have limited time at the park or if you haven’t brought things to entertain / feed children in the long queues (Top Tip: Bring a backpack with devices and LOTS of snacks for these occasions!!)

And then, of course, there are the shops, which are EVERYWHERE! But the interesting way that they use some of the shops are to ‘funnel’ you through them when you come off particular rides. So, for example, when you exit Spiderman WEB Adventure you are straight into the store that sells the Avengers merch (yep, my kids have me with the YouTube speak!) and Star Tours takes you into a store with all the Star Wars merch. This is a genius move as the adrenaline is still pumping when you come off the ride so you’ll absolutely be more inclined to buy the relevant merch (last time, I promise!)

How can we upsell?

We’re not quite the giants that Disney are (yet!) but let’s now think about how we can apply this to our businesses. When a customer decides to purchase from you and lands on your checkout page they are going to be feeling that excitement about experiencing whatever your product / service / package is promising.

You may have products or services that compliment what they have just put in their cart but your customers aren’t aware of them. So, it’s our job to let them know that these things exist!

Would you like the tan applicator that goes with this tanning mousse? Would you like to upgrade to the VIP coaching package? Would you like to add a strategy call on so you can get the most out of our course?

These are only a handful of examples that you might choose to use as an upsell, but you can offer anything as long as it is something that is going to enhance the customer experience.

Should you consider an upsell?

Yes, but only if it’s something that relevant to what your customer is already purchasing. Adding an upsell to a product or service can increase revenue and profitability but that is not the reason you should invite a customer to do so.

An upsell should improve customer satisfaction by offering them complementary or upgraded products that enhance their overall experience.

Most good platforms will allow you to add an upsell at the checkout stage. If this is something that you’re keen to offer but aren’t sure how, book a call and let us create a seamless checkout experience for your customer.