Author Archives: Ruchir Shastri

Kindness is the key to approaching anyone, hence when it comes to the words ‘upsell’ and ‘cross-sell’ we imagine pushing people, trying to convince someone to purchase more than they intend.

We will overview both upselling and cross-selling strategies, how they can help us to boost revenue in our business as while ignoring them we are missing a big opportunity to increase our revenue. However, before getting started we should define in short what is the difference between both, so we can completely understand their functionality.

Upselling: Persuade buying a product with a higher price than the customer has primarily selected.

Cross-Selling: Persuade getting an additional product to the primary order.

To accomplish any of those great opportunities, here are some tips that can help us. 

Commitment

People must engage in the well-being of the company and look for opportunities where the idea is not only to sell products just because, but to give solutions to customers’ needs.

Probing Question / Active Listening

This is one of the most assertive strategies: customers may already know about what they need/want, however, based on the probing question we are going to land to cover what they really need. They will also appreciate it if we are sincere in explaining why they will benefit from such a product. If we achieve that, we are not only boosting our revenue but also ensuring long-term customer relationships. And if we would like to see the employees’ well-being, we can do that because if we ensure long-term customers, we are bringing more revenue to the company, and we have the possibility to enlarge our team and have people motivated.

Use Customer’s Words Timely

When costumes have already expressed all that they require, we can use their own words in a straightforward way, so they won’t feel the pushing feeling you are trying to sell. Some examples of this could be “As you mention you would need to have….. Based on that, we can offer you…” or “You are missing to have……. So, we can help you to get this………” Those are simple phrases but if customers listen once again, they need it, or they are required to have it, this will put the sense of getting the product or service.

Be Opportune

To be opportune when offering a cross-sell or upsell will be much appreciated by customers. Normally this practice is used at the end of the purchase agreements, so in the middle of the conversation, we should say the benefits of the product or service, so customers understand why they should be paying more or add more products/services to their order. Also, there is a possibility that some customers do not need to be driven to this type of offer, when this happens it is better to neither offer a cross-sell nor upselling.

Come Natural

Nothing resists the power of love! Try to sound natural in the whole conversation with customers because if they feel you change the mood just when you are trying to cross-sell or upsell, for sure this customer will be rejecting your offer.

Personalize the Conversation

Provide your name, phone number, email if possible, or any contact information. Also, try to use the customer’s name and refer by the name in the entire conversation. Use Mr/Mrs. and the last name or ask the customer how they prefer to be called. Do not ask for all customer information at first, just the basics that will allow flowing the conversation. This will create a nice and positive environment required to cross-sell or upsell.

Also, it is imperative to stay with a company that does not push customers just because, but really meets their needs and expectations. SoftSys Hosting has been working for many years using the customer-first approach: this means offering clients what they need and always more.

If you need quality dedicated, VPS, or eCommerce hosting, SoftSys Hosting is here to provide you with the most extensive choice of reliable plans. Moreover, if you have some special queries on how to host your own projects, you can contact us at [email protected] or +1-862.214.2255 (x203) and we will guide you through available options. 

When talking about sales, people become creative to sell, be it either service or product. The pandemic has changed the world and our lifestyle: some businesses have migrated to work remotely, others integrated automatic business processes, etc. In the end, everyone has one single goal – to drive more sales and profitability in the long run.

At present, we have many options to sell services or products: however, the question is which will be the best one for our business? We will take a look at the most common options and which one could be the most beneficial for our business.

Before talking about sources and mediums to sell, it is important to highlight that there are various types of businesses, and depending on that people can go with the option that better fits their needs. Nevertheless, this should be chosen as smartly as possible. As far as sales are concerned, the main channels that come to peoples’ minds are social media, marketplace, or own website, but what will be the one you need in your particular case? We will outline the main pros and cons of them so as you’ll be able to make your own conclusions.

Social Media

Everybody has access to social media, for instance, this could seem easy, because people can post what they offer, even on the go. However, it is not easy to engage followers just because in order to build reputation, it is necessary to follow the process with marketing otherwise business will be just a fan page like any other around. If people like what the business sells, they will be expanding the word,  the branding grows to the word of mouth and this will help to let people know about your products and services. However, if people are not 100% happy with the products or services that you offer and/or the customer service is terrible, this will harm your social media reputation right away and affect sales negatively.

Marketplace

There are a few marketplace options around which have become extremely popular during recent years: this is the fast way to build an audience and drive sales without huge initial investments. Nevertheless, selling on the marketplace delivers more competitors as due to the low initial costs more and more businesses may enter them. Also, another issue when using the marketplace is that people rarely realize from whom exactly they are buying: they are just looking for something and make their choice depending on price, delivery options, and reviews. And the same as with social media, you need to get a positive reputation and reviews in order to stay afloat.

Own Website

Compared to having a physical store, we can say that the website is cheaper for businesses that want to expand their business nationwide or around the world, no matter where they are located. Also, people can use different payment gateway options, so clients can purchase from the website without leaving a home or on the go. However, to be successful it must be user-friendly and catch people’s attention. Moreover, marketing expenses for running your own website will also be higher if compared to marketplace sales and social media (in general).

In conclusion, every option choice depends on the type of business you run, sales plans, and marketing budgets you have. Also, you can combine several of these sources to make your channels more diverse and not depend on a single option.

If you need quality dedicated, VPS, or eCommerce hosting, SoftSys Hosting is here to provide you with the most extensive choice of reliable plans. Moreover, if you have some special queries on how to host your own projects, you can contact us at [email protected] or +1-862.214.2255 (x203) and we will guide you through available options.

The digital era is evolving – the same goes for services offered online as well. Today everything is in tough competition between companies: the way in which they offer their services, the type of payments they accept to promote their services/products, the way in which those services/products are accepted by people has become a challenge because the type of payments that companies accept has an impact on customer behavior. However, this evolution has shown us the diversity of online payment methods that exist so far. Let’s dive into the most popular and trending ways to accept payments in 2022.

Credit Card Tokenization

Credit card tokenization that already exists is becoming more and more popular today. This works the way that instead of providing all card information to whoever the services or products are purchased from, you’re offering a token number that will replace the full card details so that people do not have to deal with the protection issues of any sensitive information. The use of credit cards for online purchases is very common, so, tokenization is an equivalent way the only difference is that this works by using a token number which is a number that will replace the card details, making it more secure. So this online payment method will not go out of the trend soon: it also allows you to set up automatic charges on credit cards depending on the recurrence of time that your clients choose.

Payment Gateways and Recurring Charges

This is an extremely popular method. There are a bunch of options for payment gateways, however, one of the most popular which is used worldwide is PayPal since this is a payment gateway that allows saving credits card information securely. As the years go by, this payment method has earned the trust of people in almost any country around the Globe. So, you may be asking, why credit card tokenization and payment gateways, and recurring charges are in a separate description? This is because the option of making payments directly with a credit card will be still the way it is right now, the only difference is that the service provider will send a token instead of the full CC details. On the other hand, a payment gateway stores the information of your credit card as is, though sends and receives payments on the virtual wallet by default.

Cryptocurrency Wallets

Undoubtedly this is where we are migrating to: this is one of the payment methods which is becoming more popular these days. Of course, it is not something that all the companies or most of the companies accept, but as everyone uses it, it will make more and more companies accept crypto.

Despite the diverse ways to make payments online now or in the future, one of the goals that companies do not have to lose is to focus on what will be the best and more secure for their customers. As one thing is that some online payments are becoming more popular, and the other – whether they’re convenient for company clients.

Undoubtedly this is where we are migrating to: this is one of the payment methods which is becoming more popular these days. Of course, it is not something that all the companies or most of the companies accept, but as everyone uses it, it will make more and more companies accept crypto.

Despite the diverse ways to make payments online now or in the future, one of the goals that companies do not have to lose is to focus on what will be the best and more secure for their customers. As one thing is that some online payments are becoming more popular, and the other – whether they’re convenient for company clients.

Softsys Hosting is responsible for offering a secure hosting environment for your business and clients. This means that even though there are many online payment options, Softsys Hosting uses all those that comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), so customers can be sure that their financial data is safe and protected. You can address any concerns you may have to our responsive support experts who are online 24/7 at [email protected] or +1-862 214 2255.

There are some common slogans most businesses use to catch people’s attention, but not all of them are what the company’s culture preaches. Clients should know if this is the way the company works even before doing business with them. What is the approach the company uses, what are their values, and whether are they in harmony with its targeted audience?

The main objective for every single company is to gain profit, but is the company disposed to take care of the customers and the processes to make the business grow sustainably? These are some questions that we will answer below and that will be the best way to stand out from competitors.

1. Listen to customer needs and focus on pain points

The key to business success is to listen to what the customer needs are, and pay attention to details. By doing so, it will allow us to take ownership with responsibility and give a frame of reference if our company has the skills to take that specific request and how we can overcome any pains customers have.

2. Build a trustworthy company

Listening to customer needs is not enough to show that we care about people. Being honest is highly appreciated. Although honestly does not pay money by exchanging information honestly is the way to advertise your company culture from mouth-to-mouth. In the long run, people will recognize it, they will prefer to stay next to a company that does not put false hopes on them.

3. Customer service

This is something that every single business wants to provide and most of the businesses use this slogan as a competitive advantage, however, this is not enough just to say that. Once you interact with clients, they will realize the type of business you are in, and if they don’t feel you treat them with respect and kindness, they will move even if you provide the best of the product ever. Hence, correctly evaluate the quality of the customer service you offer.

4. Concentrate your attention on a specific niche

Even though during the growth process of our company we realized that there are some products that give more money than others, or even worse there are products that become hyping up and everybody wants them, we must take our strategic company’s vision as the main point. The company has to be known for having something word class. As a common quote says, we cannot mix pears with apples.

5. Create communication channels for your customers

For example, the official business blog is a good way to build trust. People will know that your company is not all about selling a product, but also you care about providing useful information, so this will allow interacting with your audience, customers, and others interested in what you write and do.

6. Use clear term and condition policies

This is something not that common however really important because when something happens company is supported by those terms and conditions which most of the time people don’t read. Even though we cannot push them to read before getting our products/services, we can advise taking a look at them at least in general terms.

7. Set right expectations

We can’t offer to drive customers to Saturn if we can drive them to Mars only, that’s why your customers should have the right expectations on the products or services that your business offers.

8. Follow up

Follow up even if customer requests are not urgent.  You should show that your business cares about any issues your customers have and it is just a matter of time when their issue will be solved. Stay caring all the time.

9. Deploy promotion for the current customers

One of the biggest mistakes is to promote offers to acquire new customers only. In order to keep the current ones for the long term, we cannot leave aside those that already make us money. We need to keep them loyal and engaged in company processes all the time with the proper loyalty program and special offers.

SoftSys Hosting is one of a few hosting companies that use a customer-first approach. So if you wish to have a reliable platform for your online presence with responsive and caring 24/7 support, order any ecommerce, VPS, or dedicated hosting solutions and we’ll take your online business to the next level of performance.

We as a human species have evolved and found solutions to complex problems that we have faced throughout history. There are so many instances in history which disrupted the day to day life and eventually we, humans, have evolved, found solutions, and overcame such adversities.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and disrupted life around the globe bringing down businesses and economies, we are adapting quickly to the changing paradigm of technology adaptation and implementation.

Let’s look at the top changes that can be adopted to stay competitive in a post-COVID world:

Supply and Deliverables

During COVID-19, the existing supply chain mechanisms across the globe got disrupted. There were industries that were completely disrupted during the pandemic. Outdated methods and poor data management had a primary impact on this.

Going forward, organizations are now adopting big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to make the supply chain more robust. Processes that can be automated are being prioritized with the ability to control remotely such processes thus requiring none or minimum human presence and interaction.

Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining traction in the logistics industry for transport operations, managing assets, and vehicle tracking, among others. Many companies are coming up with ideas that use automated vehicles or drone technologies for delivery.

Remote Work

In a pre-COVID world, remote working was an alien concept to many organizations. Many companies were opposed to this type of working style only to accept it eventually when it was the only option remaining. Some of the concerns organizations had towards working remotely were related not only with a potential decrease in employee performance but also with keeping business data secure, while working remotely.

During the pandemic, however, many organizations have adopted the work-from-home policy for an extended period, even declaring to continue it after the outbreak’s impact mitigates.

For organizations that were already using the technology needed to make work from home successful, although perhaps not to its full potential, the adoption of this working style has been easy with minimum transition time. For others, there have been high cost and time implications as the entire process required restructuring and redesigning in a phased manner.

In a post-COVID-19 era, this trend is likely to continue with organizations investing a substantial amount in automating business critical processes and enabling remote working with more control with minimum interaction.

The use of digital technology has not only been confined to working, but virtual meetings, cloud technology, and work collaboration tools (including remote office tools such as Microsoft Office 365) as well have gained tremendous ground during the pandemic.

Digital Payments

These have been available for a long time but now they are becoming more important than ever. The use of digital payments has significantly increased over the past months. People are using them for everything from buying groceries to even making cross-border payments. Companies are implementing these methods to get client payments.

With the fear that cash might carry the virus, the trend of digital payments is a notable feature of the post-COVID world. Even organizations, there were reluctant earlier to adapt to these methods are now finding it very helpful as it has completely eliminated the need for physical delivery of invoices, bank cheques, etc. Billables are delivered through an electronic medium in no time with the ability to make online payments / automatic reminders in case the service/product remains unpaid. This has greatly reduced human interaction.

With the change in consumer behavior and an increase in online shopping, contactless payments will continue to be on the growth trajectory. Internet availability, devices, and secure networks for safe transactions are being addressed for expanding this further.

E-Learning

The most notable effect of this pandemic is certainly in the education sector with children affected by school closures. The education sector has been quick to adopt digital technologies, whether be it online classes or using AR-VR for making learning more exciting. Although it is not a permanent alternative, since physical interaction is also an important part of child development in their early years, e-learning will be incorporated at certain levels to add value to the existing methodologies. Schools were already teaching through computerized modules, for example, 3D audiovisuals to have a better understanding. COVID-19 will only fast track the processes and schools will be the first ones to implement the latest technologies in the education sector in their curriculums.

Size of the Global E-Learning Market in 2019 and 2026, by Segment

Many organizations are providing training modules to their employees online and working towards enhancing the learning experience. According to the stats, people have used e-learning modules extensively during this pandemic.