The three elements of an ancillary sale

Value – No passenger comes on board an aircraft to shop. Hence it is important that the products being sold on board convey some sort of value to the passenger. This is not about the price of the product, nor about it being an essential product. But rather that the product being sold should prove valuable enough so that the passenger is tempted to buy it. It could be either a donut or a t-shirt, what is important is not the price or the product type, but that the passenger sees it as something worth of buying.

Trust – Take the example of buying a hot dog in your town. No matter how many shops there may be, you regularly buy from the shop that you are used to, and trusts. This kind of trust is important when an ancillary sale is made as well. The passenger should be able to trust you in the sense that they are not cheated when buying from you. This will definitely increase the price a passenger is willing to pay and also helps to develop repeat sales.

Impression – “A man without a smiling face must not open a shop” a wise Chinese man once said so – and it has never been truer. Nobody likes to buy from a person who acts like he is a machine. If the person who is selling invites to a pleasant experience there always is a bigger potential of making a sale. Teach your Flight Attendants to make the sale with a smiling face and you will surely notice a surge in sales. An incentive based system could work especially well in a scenario like this.

Expect a new version of my Ancillary Art book soon, with a totally new set of ideas that will help you to gain success in the ancillary revenue arena.