cross-selling

Definition

Suggesting complementary products to customers based on what they're already purchasing. It's the retail equivalent of being a helpful friend, if that friend worked on commission.

Example Usage

Amazon's cross-selling recommendations are so effective that I bought a tent, sleeping bag, and bear spray despite living in a studio apartment.

Origin

Traditional retail sales technique, formalized in the 20th century

Fun Fact

Studies show cross-selling to existing customers is 6-7 times cheaper than acquiring new ones, which is why your inbox is full of 'You might also like' emails.

Source: Retail sales and e-commerce best practices

Related Terms

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steam roller pricing

An aggressive discounting pattern where prices progressively decrease to move inventory, crushing margin like asphalt under heavy machinery. The retail death spiral in action.

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skyscraper ad

A tall, narrow display ad format typically 160x600 pixels that dominates page sidebars. Named optimistically for architectural achievements rather than the user annoyance they cause.

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micro-moment

Intent-rich moments when consumers turn to a device to act on a need—to know, go, do, or buy. Google's term for those brief seconds when people might actually pay attention to your ad before scrolling away.

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click-through

The holy grail metric of online advertising—when someone actually clicks on your ad instead of scrolling past it like the visual noise it usually is. Each click-through represents a tiny victory in the war for attention, though whether that click leads to a sale or immediate regret is another question entirely. Measured as CTR (click-through rate), it's the percentage that determines whether your ad budget was brilliant or wasted.

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grecian urn

An advertising concept that looks beautiful and timeless in the boardroom but is completely impractical for actual implementation. Named after objects better suited for museums than utility.

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