Upselling and cross selling training teaches customer-facing teams to grow revenue from existing customers by recommending relevant upgrades and complementary products. Participants learn to spot expansion triggers, ask needs-based questions, present options clearly, run renewal conversations and follow ethical guidelines, so growth comes from customer value rather than pressure.
- Recommended: 1 day in person, or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, customised to your products and customer journey
- Level: Foundation to Intermediate · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: upselling training, cross-selling training, account expansion training, renewal conversation training
Where and how: upselling and cross selling training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
Why growing existing customers is a 2026 priority
Winning new logos has become slower and costlier as buyers tighten budgets and stretch evaluations. Many organisations are turning to their installed base, where trust already exists and the next purchase is often closer than it looks.
But clumsy upselling damages that trust fast, and in financial services mis-selling carries real regulatory and reputational risk. Upselling and cross selling training gives teams a needs-first approach that grows revenue and strengthens retention together.
39.7% of sales leaders surveyed named improving customer retention and renewals as a top 2026 priority.
What participants will be able to do
Spot expansion triggers
Recognise signals such as usage growth, new teams, life events or business changes that indicate a genuine new need.
Lead with needs, not offers
Use short, curious questions to confirm the need before suggesting any upgrade or additional product.
Present options clearly
Offer clear, tiered choices with honest trade-offs so customers feel informed rather than pushed.
Time the conversation well
Choose moments of high value, such as after a success or at a review, and avoid moments of frustration.
Run confident renewals
Prepare renewal conversations that recap value delivered, address concerns early and open expansion discussions.
Sell ethically and suitably
Apply suitability checks and clear disclosures so every recommendation genuinely fits the customer.
Who should attend
- Account managers and client partners responsible for revenue growth in existing accounts
- Customer success managers who own renewals and expansion in SaaS
- Relationship managers in retail, SME and wealth banking
- Insurance advisers and bancassurance teams
- Retail, telecom and hospitality front-line staff who recommend add-ons
- Contact centre teams handling service-to-sales conversations
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01Growth from existing customersModule 1 · 60 min+
- Upselling, cross-selling and renewals: definitions and differences
- Why customers buy more from people they trust
- The line between helpful recommendation and pressure
- Self-check: how your team currently approaches expansion
02Finding the right opportunityModule 2 · 90 min+
- Expansion triggers in B2B accounts and consumer relationships
- Using CRM, usage and transaction data to prioritise conversations
- Whitespace mapping across products and business units
- Exercise: build an expansion list for your portfolio
03Needs-based conversationsModule 3 · 2 hours+
- Bridging from service moments to discovery naturally
- Questions that uncover goals, gaps and upcoming changes
- Presenting one or two relevant options with clear benefits
- Role-play: a service call that becomes a helpful recommendation
04Handling hesitation and objectionsModule 4 · 90 min+
- 'I'll think about it', 'too expensive' and 'we're fine for now'
- Respecting a no and keeping the door open
- Following up at the right time with the right information
- Practice: short objection drills by product line
05Renewal and business review conversationsModule 5 · 90 min+
- Preparing a value recap with outcomes the customer recognises
- Addressing risks and dissatisfaction before the renewal date
- Introducing expansion in quarterly or annual reviews
- Role-play: a renewal with a cost-conscious customer
06Ethics, suitability and trustModule 6 · 60 min+
- Suitability checks and clear disclosure of costs and terms
- Avoiding bundling and pressure practices that erode trust
- Documenting recommendations and customer consent
- Team charter for responsible cross-selling
Sample training plan: 1-day hands-on design
This one-day workshop helps customer-facing teams grow revenue from people who already trust them, in a way customers thank them for. Participants work on their own portfolio all day. They sort helpful from pushy recommendations, map whitespace across their customers, spot triggers in usage and transaction data, bridge from a service moment to a needs conversation, drill hesitation responses and run a renewal with a cost-conscious customer. Suitability, disclosure and consent run through every exercise.
Participants leave with a prioritised expansion list, a tested bridge into needs conversations and a responsible cross-selling charter.
- 09:30–10:00Helped me or pushed meEnergiser
- 10:00–10:30Upsell, cross-sell, renewConcept burst
- 10:30–10:45Self-check: how we expand todayDiagnostic
- 11:00–12:15Whitespace and triggersHands-on lab
- 12:15–13:00The service-to-discovery bridgeSkill drill
- 13:45–14:45Service call that becomes a recommendationRole-play
- 14:45–15:30Hesitation drills by product lineSkill drill
- 15:45–16:45The cost-conscious renewalSimulation
- 16:45–17:30Charter and 90-day planAction planning
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
Recommended: 1 day in person (09:30–17:30), or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 90-day follow-up on each participant's own portfolio. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is upselling and cross selling training?
The recommended design is one day in person, from 09:30 to 17:30, followed by a 90-day plan on each participant's own portfolio. It also runs as three live virtual sessions of 2.5 hours each, a week apart, so participants can try real conversations between sessions.
What activities are included in upselling and cross selling training?
Participants work on their own customers. They sort helpful from pushy recommendations, map whitespace and triggers across their portfolio, practise bridging from a service moment into discovery, drill hesitation responses at product-line stations and handle a cost-conscious renewal with a facilitator playing the customer.
How we deliver it
Built on your product map
We use your product portfolio and customer journeys to design realistic expansion scenarios for each role.
ADDIE design with data
During analysis we review cross-sell ratios, renewal trends and customer feedback to target the moments that matter most.
Short, repeated role-plays
Participants practise brief, realistic conversations many times, which suits busy branch, store and customer success teams.
Ethics built in, not bolted on
Suitability and customer-first principles run through every module rather than sitting in a separate compliance slide.
Tailored versions
For banking, insurance and wealth teams
Needs-based cross-selling for relationship managers and advisers, with strong emphasis on suitability, disclosure and customer trust. This is skills training, not regulatory or legal advice.
For SaaS customer success and account management
Expansion based on product usage and outcomes, seat and tier upgrades, and renewal conversations with procurement involvement.
For retail, telecom and hospitality
Quick, natural add-on recommendations at the counter, on the floor or at check-in, practised in short scenario drills.
How we measure impact
Impact is evaluated through the ADDIE Evaluate phase. Participants take a pre- and post-assessment on AssessAll covering opportunity spotting, needs-based questioning and ethical judgement. Managers observe conversations or review recordings at 30 days. At 60 and 90 days we look at indicators agreed with you, such as products per customer, renewal rate, expansion revenue and customer complaints, and share an impact summary.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between upselling and cross selling?
Upselling means helping a customer move to a higher-value version of what they already buy, such as a premium plan or larger package. Cross selling means recommending a related product or service, such as insurance alongside a loan. Both work well only when they meet a genuine customer need.
How do you upsell without sounding pushy?
Start with the customer's goals and confirm a need before suggesting anything. Offer one or two relevant options, explain the benefit in the customer's terms and accept a no gracefully. The program trains teams to lead with questions and value, which makes recommendations feel like service rather than selling.
When is the right time to cross sell?
Good moments include after the customer has seen value, during a scheduled review, when their circumstances change, or when usage suggests a new need. Poor moments include when the customer is frustrated or has an unresolved complaint. Participants learn to read these signals and plan timing deliberately.
Is this training suitable for bank relationship managers?
Yes. We run a variant for banking, insurance and wealth teams that focuses on needs-based conversations, suitability and clear disclosure. It is skills training, not legal or regulatory advice, so it complements your internal compliance guidelines rather than replacing them.
How does this program help with renewals?
The program includes a module on renewal and business review conversations. Participants learn to recap value delivered, raise and resolve concerns before the renewal date, and introduce expansion where it fits. This helps protect existing revenue while identifying growth, and it works for both B2B account teams and consumer-facing relationship managers.
Can the training be customised for our products?
Yes. Every program is designed using the ADDIE model, starting with your products, customer segments and journeys. Scenarios, role-plays and examples are built around your actual offers, whether you sell software, financial products, telecom plans or hospitality services, and are delivered in person or live virtual.
How do you measure results from upselling and cross selling training?
We combine pre- and post-program assessments on AssessAll with manager observations and business indicators agreed with you, such as products per customer, renewal rate and expansion revenue. We also recommend tracking complaints, so growth does not come at the cost of customer trust.