Back-end sales are frequently the best where the real profits are being found. Once you have a customer, all you have to do is offer them ...
Once you have a customer, all you have to do is offer them more products, add-ons, upgrades, or a super-deluxe version of the original product purchase with all the bells and whistles. Based on sales material or presentation, the customer is already sold on the product or service.
What comes next should be answered by the back-end offer. But, again, it should be related to the original product somehow, and the most successful back-end products are higher-priced accessories that make the buyer's life easier or better than simply having the original.
A back-end product should improve on the effect that the buyer intended to buy. Whatever the original products do, a good back-end product will make it faster, better, more detailed, or easier to use and benefit from. In other words, it is far more helpful to the prospect in satisfying his wants than the original, more basic product.
Success Factors
Back-end product success can be attributed to having a captive, highly targeted audience interested in achieving a specific result and solving a particular problem. In addition, the add-on product makes it easier to solve the prospect's problem quickly.
Another factor is to continue selling to the customer while he is still buying and feeling good about solving problems or moving closer to achieving a goal.
Examples
Ask for examples of back-end products. What other product or service could I provide that would be a natural complement to what my customer is currently purchasing? For example, a self-publisher could offer a booklet on a specific topic. Then, as a back-end, he could present the same topic in greater depth and a multi-media format complete with audio cassettes, videos, a manual, and a CD.
There are numerous opportunities for back-end or additional add-on products. For example, depending on the type of shoe sold, a shoe store may provide customers with laces, polish, protectants, or other accessories. Have you ever been to movie theater and not ordered popcorn, chips, a soft drink, or something else to drink? All of those items are back-end products. You bought your tickets first, then went to the snack bar.
Tape protection is now available as an extra option at my local video store. It's essentially insurance against having to return a damaged video. Because most videos rented these days are new releases, tapes returned in damaged condition are uncommon. Nonetheless, many people are willing to pay an extra twenty-five cents to feel secure—a clever new revenue stream for the video-rental industry.
How?
Always keep in mind the products, services, or ideas that your customers are willing to pay. Anything that can make the customer's life easier or less stressful could be a good candidate for an add-on product. Convenience is a beautiful thing, and many people will gladly pay for it.
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