One of the great myths which chief executives use to promote big mergers and takeovers is the notion that sticking two companies together will create ‘revenue synergies’ by allowing each firm to sell to the other’s customers.

History tells us these synergies rarely materialise and in fact mega mergers typically destroy value for shareholders.

Yet there are plenty of UK firms who have successfully expanded into adjacent businesses or geographies, either organically or through small bolt-on deals, and grown their revenues and earnings consistently by cross-selling more services to their customers.

WHY CROSS-SELLING WORKS

When it’s done properly, cross-selling has a number of benefits for customers which in turn can help increase revenues and earnings.

The best cross-selling helps customers feel understood, meaning they form a deeper connection with the products and services they buy.

This in turn makes them more likely to stay loyal when times are tough, limiting customer losses.

Customers who buy multiple products or services will obviously help grow earnings more than a customer who buys just one product, but there are other less obvious ways they can benefit a business such as saving time and money in acquiring new customers.

Now more than ever, businesses are looking to cut costs and consolidate their suppliers.

Having multiple relationships with multiple providers can be a real headache, so if a company can become a one-stop shop and cross-sell products its customers really love it sets them apart.

Cross-selling can even speed up a buyer’s decision-making process: if they know they are going to get the same level of service and care from a trusted provider, customers are less likely to delay purchases.

LEARNING FROM THE MASTER

One firm which mastered the art of cross-selling different but related services to its customers years ago is equipment rental firm Ashtead (AHT).

Once a customer rents a piece of kit from Ashtead for the first time, the company knows what its needs are, and in all likelihood if it
needs to rent one piece of kit for one job it will need to rent another piece of kit later on for another job.

No matter how small the opportunity, Ashtead knows if it can build a relationship with that customer, it is paving the way for future sales.

As long as it does a good job and provides the equipment on time, where it’s needed, and with ease, and the customer has a good experience, they are likely to be back.

In its biggest market, the US, rental revenues for the year to 30 April 2022 were $4.78 billion, a 20% increase on the prior year of which no less than 16% was organic growth.

While the firm doesn’t break it out, cross-selling is undoubtedly a major driver of long-term organic growth and one of the keys to its success.

FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER

Charles Bligh, chief executive of data management and storage firm Restore (RST), like to refer to ‘up-selling’ and says while at the moment it is ‘the cherry on top’ of the firm’s exceptional organic growth, looking forward it is very much on the agenda.

Restore recently posted a 32% jump in first-half revenue of which 19% was organic growth as customers gave them more business on the back of their outstanding operational delivery during the pandemic.

‘It’s all about the customer experience’, says Bligh. ‘It cost us financially being there for customers during Covid, answering the phones and looking after them, but they remember that’, he says.

Also, Restore is the market leader in three of its business areas and the number two player in two more, which is a key advantage.

‘If you are going to up-sell you have to provide top-level service, you can’t be number one in one area and number five or six in another, that just dilutes your brand’, advises Bligh.

CREATING A ‘PLATFORM’ EFFECT

Having married together van hire and legal services, Darlington-based Redde Northgate (REDD) has become a leading ‘mobility solutions platform’ for its customers, providing nationwide fleet management, accident repair and claims management.

It has become a true one-stop shop, offering services across the vehicle lifecycle, and has even moved into advising customers on how to make the transition to zero-emissions vehicles.

Small- and medium-sized business advice group K3 Capital (K3C:AIM) offers services across the lifecycle of companies, all the way from start-ups to insolvencies, including business sales, restructuring and tax advice.

Revenue for the year to May is expected to well ahead of market forecasts, up around 43% of which 18% is organic growth as the firm’s data-driven marketing platform and cross-referral network are leveraged across its different divisions.

Chief executive John Rigby is always on the look-out for cross-selling opportunities, recently adding debt restructuring to the firm’s offering.

‘I realised we were turning away business, so I went and hired the top team’, says Rigby.

As it grows its footprint, more small businesses are turning to the firm for its range of specialist skills, particularly with the challenging economic backdrop and the withdrawal of government support.

How Redde Northgate added strings to its bow

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