What McDonalds Can Teach You About Sales

James Chartrand

Sujets

• McDonald's
• Sales
• Marketing

Informations

• Publié par: Pub.Buzz
• Publié le: 18 janvier 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 69
• Langue: English

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WhatMcDonaldsCanTeachYouAboutSales

October 15, 2008 | Written By James Chartrand

When it comes to selling, there is little that McDonalds doesn’t know. Being

around for almost 60 years, they have had time to explore just about every

possible way to sell more. And t

hey’ve found some good secrets too –

like

selling package deals.

Package deals are great for selling merchandise or services. Shoppers like it

when everything they need is right there and they don’t have to think too

much. Sellers like package deals too, b

ecause they’re easily presentable and

boost sales as well.

In this post we’ll show you how McDonalds uses packages to sell lots, and then

we’ll show you how you can use packages can improve you’re own sales. Read

on for more…

Why selling packages works

Loo

k at our McDonalds example. The fast food giant doesn’t just sell

hamburgers. The menu doesn’t list many single

-sell items. McDonalds offers

the whole deal to hungry people, full meals that have the works plus fries and a

drink. No one has to worry about figuring out which side order or extra they

want. It’s all taken care of in the utmost convenience and the consumer is

happy all his needs are met.

That’s why packaging products or services works – it’s handy. It saves time

because it’s fast and easy.

Package deals also save consumers a little money (in a roundabout way). Look

at the McDonald’s strategy again: For a discount off the purchase of single

items, consumers get a full meal.

Those hungry people aren’t thinking about comparing costs between buyin

g it

all or buying individual. They’re thinking about how much they save, or maybe

how little it costs to get a hot cherry pie tossed into the order.

By adding upsells to package meals, McDonalds increases sales even more.

They smartly package together a burger, a drink and fries, then offers upsells of

bacon, cheese or dessert for an even better sale

—

and a more satisfied

customer who has everything they need or want, and then some.

Ka-ching!

Getting started with your own packages

Packaging your own offerings is easy, and the benefits to your business (and to

the customer) can be worth it. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Write up a list of à la carte items or services. Group together related items that

beg to be paired up together in a gift-basket style.

For example, if you sell coffee, package up coffee, two mugs and fancy spoons.

If you blog, offer ten posts, relevant images and posting to the client’s blog. If

you own a garage, package tire rotation with break verification and an oil

change.

Don’t have too many package deals – the purpose isn’t to make choice more

difficult but rather easier for the consumer to do. A good strategy is using the

small, bigger, best theory (or bronze, silver and gold). Each package adds on

extra products or services to increase the value of what the consumer receives.

Set prices for your packages by totalling the individual costs and determining a

discounted price for grouped items or services. If it costs $50 for one item, set a

purchase of three items at $125.

A few tips for boosting package sales

It’s always a good idea to have a handful of add

-ons and extras you can offer

that enhance package deals. For example, if y

ou’re a web designer, an add

-on

could be a half-hour of consultation or a custom banner ad. If you market, a

half-

hour review in a month’s time to track progress might be nice.

Always make sure that shoppers can compare costs between single items and

pack

age deals. They won’t start to calculate a great deal, but they will glance

and see the differences in pricing.

Select some catchy names for your package deals. People aren’t buying

products or services, they’re buying an emotional feeling. Think of McDonald’s

Happy Meals or the Burger King Whopper Meal. Try to reflect your brand image

with the names you choose.

A good tactic to try is naming packages in a way that conveys the smallest is

less attractive than the largest. For example, no one likes to be considered a

skinflint, so consumers may subconsciously opt for the “Royal Regalia” versus

the “Budget Baron”.

Throughout all of this, remember that your goal isn’t to squeez

e more money

out of people

–

your goal is to have a more satisfied customer. You achieve that

goal when you make a client’s life easy and fulfill all of his/her needs.