But wouldn’t it be great if you could make more money with something simple? You hear about “Small Ways to Save the Planet” or “Easy Ways to Burn Extra Calories” but where is the “Simple Ways to Increase Cash Flow?” Your argument may be that it’s not that easy. Says who? One easy way to boost your sales is through a well-known and under-utilized process: Up selling at the register!

In a recent blog post, small business writer Bill Sifflard points out the value of item suggestions at the register level. “If your sales people simply suggest a related follow up product or “plus sell” with every sale,  statistically they will increase their gross sales volume on average by 20%-25%.”

Consider for a moment how simple an action this is for such a large payoff. By suggesting even one additional item to your customers based on their purchase, you are able to increase your sales by up to 25%! Of course your team will have to anticipate rejection, but as Sifflard points out, “If 3 out of 10 [customers] bite, you have an all-star batting average.”

These suggestions are easy: If they buy tennis shoes, suggest socks; if nail polish, nail polish remover, etc. As Sifflard reminds us, asking “Anything Else?” at the end of a transaction hardly counts. Suggest specific items to customers based on their current purchase, popular items, or sale items.

Some POS systems  even come equipped with a Related Item Recommendations feature that suggest items based on items previous customers purchased, products related by item type, or management recommendations. It’s a great cheat!

Don’t underestimate the power of up selling! It could mean a 25% sales increase to your business!