In order to develop a clear transition strategy, we need to look at its purpose. It should not be designed as just a bridge from a service call to a sales call. The entire call from start to finish is a service call. From the very beginning of the call you are gathering information you can use to better meet the needs of your Customer. You are listening to the Customer’s issues, listening to speech patterns and words used, and asking questions Here are a few common mistakes when attempting to make this transition:

1. No transition or planning. An upsell will lose effectiveness without a clear transition strategy. Make the Customer aware that you have found a fix for the problem you were discussing earlier in the call. Your transition should be designed to grab the Customers attention. Call attention to the problem so you can show how your solution will fix it.

2. Not gaining the Customers trust. Without trust any upsell will be difficult. Before you make the transition make sure you have been able to establish rapport. If the Customer has had prior issues with your company, or a similar product, be sure to show empathy, be honest and straight forward with responses. Do your best to find a solution that’s right for the Customer.

3. Not gaining permission. Gaining permission is an essential strategy in your transition. Remember, you are selling your solution to Customers and they need to be involved in the process. Be aware that you are speaking to an individual. They will be much more open to your suggested offer if they have agreed to talk about it.

4. Not employing alternative strategies. When you find that you often fail to gain permission to make your offer, it is time to employ a new transition strategy. Try variations of assumptive, probing, rhetorical, and foreshadowing bridging techniques. The key is to have several strategies that you have practiced to draw from. If one repeatedly fails, change your strategy. Find one that works.

Incorporate a problem statement into your transition. This will help paraphrase the information you have gathered during the probing stage. This will ensure that you and your Customer are on the same page and you are in agreement as to what the problem is. Here is an example of a problem statement:

“The problem is that you are not getting the sales results for product x that you had hoped for, correct?”

A strong transition strategy will engage the buyer and allows you to gain the trust and permission you need to make an effective offer. Plan and prepare you strategy. Practice several strategies and find the ones that work best for you. Keep in mind, that this is just a transition to your next step. Your offer should come only after you’ve made the transition.

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