One of the most detestable words in the sales lexicon, author Daniel Pink says, is “upselling.”

That’s because it typically involves pressuring people to buy what they don’t need, Pink writes in “To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others.”

A friendlier, more effective approach, he says, is “upserving”: Doing more for other people than they expected and/or that you initially intended.

“Anytime you’re tempted to upsell someone else, stop what you’re doing and upserve instead,” Pink writes. “Don’t try to increase what they can do for you. Elevate what you can do for them.”

Not only is this the right thing to do, he says, “it also carries the hidden advantage of being extraordinarily effective.”

continue reading »