{"id":3774,"date":"2020-01-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/4-strategies-for-upselling-emails-you-should-steal\/"},"modified":"2023-07-11T17:13:16","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T21:13:16","slug":"4-strategies-for-upselling-emails-you-should-steal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/4-strategies-for-upselling-emails-you-should-steal","title":{"rendered":"4 Strategies for Upselling Emails You Should Steal"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all heard the stats about how it\u2019s more expensive to attract a customer than retain them, but how exactly is this ongoing relationship so lucrative? Obviously, trust, a great customer experience, and a quality service or product are the bedrock for retaining customers. Ideally, though, your customer\u2019s relationship with your company will expand over time, as opposed to stagnating.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you learn more about your customer and their needs change, you have the opportunity to present upsells. You need to tread lightly, though, or else you risk damaging your reputation with customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

When to Use Upsell Emails<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s never a shortage of terms and jargon in marketing, so let\u2019s review a few words associated with upselling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upselling<\/strong> encourages a customer to buy a more expensive version of your product or upgrade their account.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cross-selling<\/strong> suggests related products or services to complement what the customer has.<\/span><\/p>\n

The differences between upselling and cross-selling in SaaS emails have to do with what you\u2019re suggesting and when. However, the best practices we\u2019ll cover below apply to both strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are cart abandonment emails a form of upselling? While the core action of encouraging a customer to buy more than they were going to is <\/span>similar<\/span><\/em> between these emails, they aren\u2019t the same. The upselling emails we\u2019re going to talk about here are aimed at <\/span>existing customers or trial users<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re trying to wrap your brain around upselling emails, it\u2019s useful to think about them in context. Here are a few scenarios when you would use an upsell email.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. After a purchase.<\/strong> \u201cWould you like fries with that?\u201d is a classic upsell right before the sale closes. While you may choose to recommend upsells or cross-sells when someone is finishing a purchase on your site, upsell emails will come immediately after the sale.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. At the end of a free trial.<\/strong> Upsell SaaS emails come at the end of a free trial when it\u2019s time for a user to make a decision about rolling to a paid plan. Similarly, upsell emails are helpful to send when a user is nearing account limitations.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. When a user hits a milestone.<\/strong> Sending upsell emails isn\u2019t just a money grab: you\u2019re presenting the best solution for customers. If a customer has reached a particular progress milestone or anniversary, it might be a good time to prompt them about a more advanced solution.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. When you launch a new product.<\/strong> I already own an iPhone, yet Apple sends me emails about their latest devices, in hopes of me upgrading. You can do the same!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    4 Ideas for Upselling Emails<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Deciding <\/span>when<\/span><\/em> to send an upsell email is only a part of the equation for reaching maximum conversions. You also have to figure out <\/span>what<\/span><\/em> to sell and how<\/em><\/span> to present it. Here are some upsell email best practices to add to your mental toolbox.<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Remind customers of their progress.<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Context is essential for nailing upsell emails that convert, and you can use your email to set the stage. In the example from Grammarly below, the reader is shown what they\u2019ve accomplished with the company. The subject line \u201cYou were epically productive last week!\u201d alongside personalized stats about being better than other users give the readers a confident boost.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Example<\/figure>\n
    <\/figure>\n

    Towards the end of the email, there\u2019s a catch. Grammarly changes from reflecting on the past to looking ahead to the future. While the user has checked a lot of words with Grammarly so far, not having a paid account held them back. The offer to upgrade is positioned next to the advanced corrections that they missed out on this week by <\/span>not<\/span><\/em> having the premium account.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Another milestone that\u2019s perfect for sending an upsell email is when users are approaching account limits. Rather than sending an upsell email when someone needs to upgrade now or face an interruption in their workflow, you should give customers a <\/span>heads up<\/strong> about what\u2019s to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Example<\/figure>\n

    Asana did just that in the email above. The email is short and sweet, but it plants the idea in the user\u2019s mind that they need to upgrade soon. Then, when their account is at capacity, they aren\u2019t blindsided with an upsell decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to steal this trick:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n