Upselling in the Inbox: 5 Tricks to Increase the Average Ticket (Without Being Pushy)

Upselling is that art of asking a customer, “Hey, would you like something extra with that?” without sounding like a pushy electronics store salesperson. In email marketing, the goal of upselling is to increase the average ticket size—that is, to get each customer to spend a little more than they initially planned. The key is to do it without making the customer feel pressured. With the right approach, every email you send can be a subtle (and profitable) invitation for the customer to explore, discover, and buy more. Here are five tricks to make upselling effective, discreet, and, above all, not just disguised spam.

1. Personalized Recommendations: The “Subtlety” of Data
Have you noticed that when you visit an online store and buy something, they immediately say: “Customers who bought this also bought…”? Well, that works beautifully in email marketing, with the added benefit that you can personalize these recommendations based on each customer’s history and preferences.

How to do it right: Segment your customers based on their purchase behaviors and create personalized emails that recommend complementary products or items related to their previous purchases. The key is for these recommendations to feel natural. For example, if you have a home goods store and someone buys a coffee maker, a follow-up email recommending premium filters, exclusive mugs, or even a milk frother is a perfect upselling move. It’s not about saying “buy more,” but rather suggesting ways to enhance their experience with that specific product.

2. Value-Added Offers: The Power of Extras
The trick with value-added offers is giving your customers an irresistible reason to spend a little more, and email marketing is the perfect channel to communicate these offers. Instead of focusing only on “buying more,” think about giving them something extra when they reach a certain spending threshold.

Example in action: If you have a beauty products store and a customer is interested in a skincare line, you could send an email that says something like: “Get the complete set and receive a luxury face mask for free.” This makes the customer see the offer as an opportunity to get something more valuable without feeling like they’re being directly asked to spend more.

These value-added offers can also create a sense of urgency that acts as a hook for upselling. When a customer feels they can get something special or exclusive, the idea of spending a little more becomes a more attractive investment.

3. Create Irresistible Bundles and Combos
Sometimes customers don’t know they want more until you offer it in an irresistible package. Why sell just a t-shirt when you can sell a “summer pack” that includes shorts and sunglasses? Product bundles or combos can not only increase the average ticket size but also simplify the customer’s buying decision by offering everything in one place.

Practical application: Use email marketing to promote these combos in a tempting way. For example, if you own a bookstore, you could send an email saying: “Get the complete trilogy and enjoy 10% off.” This works especially well if the customer has already purchased or shown interest in one of the books in the series.

Bundles are also a great way to reduce the perception of a “hard sell,” because instead of selling individual products, you’re selling a complete experience. Plus, by offering the customer a “special price” for the bundle, the offer becomes much more appealing.

4. Implement Loyalty Programs: Encourage Regular Spending
Loyalty programs aren’t just for retaining customers—they’re also a powerful upselling tool when managed through email marketing. The idea is that as customers accumulate points or reach certain spending levels, they feel incentivized to buy a bit more to access those additional benefits.

Practical example: Imagine you have a coffee shop and decide to implement a loyalty program that offers a free bag of coffee after ten purchases. Use emails to remind customers how many purchases they have left to reach that reward. You could even send an automated update like, “You’re just one purchase away from your free coffee,” which encourages them to make that one extra purchase to get the reward.

This type of strategy becomes a constant incentive to increase the average ticket size because the more they buy, the closer they are to a reward. The advantage of using email is that you can send these reminders in a friendly and personalized way.

5. Subtle Urgency: Limited-Time Premium Offers
Nothing sparks a customer’s interest like the possibility of missing out on a great opportunity. Creating a sense of urgency in your emails can be a very effective upselling trick—but be careful: the key is to be subtle. The idea is for the customer to feel they’re missing something special if they don’t act quickly.

How to do it right: Offer a premium product or a limited edition in an email that highlights its exclusivity. For example, you might say something like: “Only until Friday: Upgrade your subscription and get exclusive access to new products before anyone else.” This type of strategy works especially well for high-demand products, where the possibility of a limited edition becomes a natural incentive for the customer to consider spending extra.

Urgency in email marketing is an art that, when done well, can be a great motivator. The key is to make the customer feel they can get unique value by acting immediately—without coming across as desperate.

Conclusion: Smart Upselling, Profitable Inbox
Upselling in email marketing isn’t about bombarding your customers with messages like “buy more” or “get more for less.” It’s a subtle game—almost an art—where your goal is to offer the customer more value and an enhanced experience. The trick is to think about their needs and offer options that make sense in the context of their interests.

When you apply these five tricks correctly, every email you send has the potential not only to increase the average ticket size but also to do it in a way that makes the customer feel like they’re truly getting something valuable and relevant. Upselling in the inbox, done right, is the difference between being a pushy salesperson and being a trusted guide for the customer.

So next time you send an email, don’t think of it as just a “reminder.” Think of it as an opportunity to offer the customer a better version of the shopping experience. With the right approach, every click can ring the cash register, and every email can be the key to building a stronger, more profitable relationship.

Aurelio G.