For the past several months we have been hearing the term “upselling.” While this seems to be a new thing for the selling field, it’s not really new at all. And it’s something that should be brought to the table for some serious discussion.
When I purchase a new suit, a good salesperson will always bring out a shirt, tie, belt – anything that might go with that suit. This concept makes sense for all industries selling to clients.

When I started in the kitchen and bath industry, the goal was to sell a client a new kitchen or bath remodeling project. A kitchen project consisted of cabinets, countertops, a floor and appliances, as well as wet-water appliances such as a sink, faucet and garbage disposal.

But today things have changed. While there’s much more that can be included in a remodel, many firms are leaving a lot of money and profits on the table.

Selling the Whole Package

When looking at what a home center can offer our clients, it pretty much encompasses the whole room. From the floor to the ceiling and everything in between, clients can purchase everything needed to complete a kitchen or bath, including the table and chairs, the paint and wallpaper.

Sadly, when many kitchen and bath designers look at designing a room, they are not seeing the whole picture. Clients who want to redo their kitchens have a wide range of choices with regard to quality, style and cost. Many designers I speak with are very happy with the product lines they offer, and they think that, because they are happy and their customers appear to be happy, that’s all they need to do.

The truth is, however, that many customers visit different showrooms so they can see what’s out there. We have an obligation to our customers to give them the best value for their budget. The trick is to know what they really want.

Through buying groups firms now have a much greater range of products available to them and, in turn, available to their customers. Until we joined The Bath and Kitchen Buying Group, for example, we never had a selection of kitchen and bath lighting available to us direct from the manufacturer. We did not sell bar stools or fancy knobs and pulls. We only had a small selection of ceramic tile – and that was through the distributor only. Appliances and bathroom fixtures were only available to us through local distributors.