Cross-Selling – Opportunity or Challenge?

Cross-selling is logically one of the most effective ways to increase a company’s revenue, whether it’s in a restaurant, an online store, or a traditional B2B business. Many companies view cross-selling as a promising area for development, but particularly in B2B sales, it often remains an unrealized good intention. Why is that?

The basic idea of cross-selling is to offer customers products or services that complement their previous purchases or provide added value, such as through bundle discounts. This, in turn, increases customer loyalty, deepens customer relationships, and enhances satisfaction as customers are offered genuinely useful and relevant solutions.

Cross-selling benefits not only the customer but also the seller. The sales process becomes more efficient when a single salesperson can address a wider range of customer needs, for example, by combining multiple product categories in deliveries and reducing logistics costs.

Challenges in Cross-Selling

Although the benefits of cross-selling are clear, its obstacles often fall into three categories: systems, goals, and day-to-day operations.

1. Systems
   Many companies’ systems do not support the integration of different product categories. This is particularly common in organizations where separate business units manage their own products and customers. Restricted data, such as pricing or delivery quantities, can hinder effective collaboration. Moreover, tailored system solutions for individual business units can make company-wide operations nearly impossible. For cross-selling to become a core activity, systems must be adapted to support it.
2. Goals
   Cross-selling often lacks clear goals and is not tied to incentive systems. For salespeople, adding a new category to their portfolio is always extra work, and a smaller new category may not seem worth the effort. To make cross-selling appealing, its importance should be emphasized in goal-setting and reward systems so that it is perceived as genuinely valuable.
3. Day-to-Day Operations
   Company routines often run most smoothly when everyone sticks to their own roles and boundaries. Crossing boundaries between customers, product categories, or business units can easily create conflicts. Individual interests may take precedence over company goals, leaving the salesperson attempting cross-selling without the necessary support. Successful cross-selling requires breaking down silos, strong internal collaboration, and capable leadership.

Conclusion

Cross-selling can be a significant growth driver for a company when systems support the process, goals and incentive models guide behavior, and day-to-day operations enable cross-functional collaboration. Despite the challenges, the potential of cross-selling makes addressing its obstacles worthwhile. When done successfully, cross-selling not only increases sales but also strengthens customer relationships and improves efficiency.