The document discusses strategies for increasing sales through add-ons and impulse purchases. It suggests that shopping mimics our mating selection process and focuses on tapping into customers' emotions around checkout. Key strategies include placing low-cost, high-margin items near the register to encourage impulse buys and bundling accessories with the main purchase at decreasing price points. For add-on sales to work best, items should be within reach and visible right before payment to leverage the customer's emotional and hormonal state at that moment. Poor sales techniques like fear of losing the deal or laziness can cause associates to miss opportunities for extra profits through add-ons.

1. The Art of Add-OnsBy Matt Simianer

2. IntroductionShopping is essentially a seeking and selection processMen shop as hunters, finding the best deal and taking it.Women shop as gatherers, checking for the best deals first.If a person understands people on an intellectual level you can use emotional and physical emotions feelings in making sales and understanding buyers.

3. Riding the emotional HighShopping processes closely mirror our mating selection process, it’s just like sex.Desire leads to seeking-Seeking is followed by infatuation. Arousal evolves from infatuation and may lead to coupling, that is when the highest emotional peek occurs.The ending result is either satisfaction or remorse, either way it is based on emotion.Recently low ticket, high margin items have been placed close to the buyer to get more ambitious with impulse buying.

4. Tripling The Gross MarginClients become vulnerable mostly at the check out line, hormones are running and this is where you can increase transaction value.(The amount they are going to spend.)Starting at the top and decreasing down helps with impulse buyingA guitar sale-$249 hard case, $189 Effect pedal, $129 Stand, $99 cables, etc…The customer might not buy all but he/she might buy some of them.

5. Add-On FundamentalsKey elements to successful add on selling is timing and preparation. The time is immediately before money changes hands.Preparation takes a little more thought. Add free delivery, but only before before transaction is taking place.Items should be within sight and even better if within reach.This will significantly increase profits.

6. Why We Fail to Add-OnPoor salesmanship is largely the result of fear, laziness or both.Fearful associates are happy just to have made a sale and is afraid to ask the client in which could kill the deal. The associate fails to grasp the fundamentals of his clients decision making process (In which they don’t have one, so you create it for them.)Lazy associates are also happy and probably lucky just to have made a sale.

7. Why we fail Continued…A good salesperson knows his clients’ enjoyment of the instrument and acknowledges that the best accessories and services will fulfill the enjoyment. Taking the time to assess and understand your customers needs will help with sales and your productivity as a sales person.