Boost Revenues from Every Technology Deal with Proven Cross-selling Techniques

As a technology advisor, you know that acquiring new customers is essential for growth. However, equally important—and often faster and more efficient—is maximizing the value of each sale with your existing customers, who typically generate about 72% of revenues, compared to 28% from new customers. While you’ll always need to grow your base to future-proof your business, cross-selling to your existing customers enables you to create bigger deals and meet their evolving needs without the heavy lift of finding new customers.

But boosting the value of your customer deals is more than a sales tactic—it’s a strategic approach that depends on truly understanding your customers’ broader challenges and aligning your offers accordingly.

In this article, we provide insights on how to spot cross-selling opportunities, craft compelling offers that resonate, and expand your portfolio with essential technology categories that are vital to meeting customers' needs. We’ll also look at how partnering with the right vendor can accelerate your ability to cross-sell confidently and consistently, boosting value for both you and your customers.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

This article is part of our Thrive 2025 Blog Series, offering a glimpse into the kinds of trends and insights we’ll be exploring at Thrive 2025 in Austin, August 25-27. Watch for new posts on our blog page through August.

Customers want integration, not silos

Historically, tech advisors offered siloed technology solutions focused on narrow product sets. But today’s business buyers think—and buy—differently. They don’t want disconnected solutions from multiple vendors. Instead, most prefer to deal with a trusted partner who can deliver comprehensive, integrated services spanning multiple categories.

Research confirms this shift. While 75% of B2B buyers would prefer to make self-serve purchases online, rep-free purchases are 1.65 times more likely to result in buyer’s remorse than channel-led purchases. Yet, advisor-assisted purchasing is 1.8 times more likely to result in a high-quality deal, underscoring the value advisors add by helping customers navigate complexity and deliver wider, more satisfying solutions.

Advisors who cross-sell into additional categories see a 2-3x increase in revenue on average—AppDirect

Expanding your portfolio across multiple technology categories creates opportunities to deliver greater value to customers while significantly boosting your own revenue through tailored, comprehensive offerings. AppDirect research indicates that advisors who cross-sell into additional categories see a 2-3x increase in revenue on average.

Moreover, research indicates that buyers are willing to switch providers to find partners offering consultative, multi-category support. In one study, business leaders said they were open to paying more for the right partner relationship, and over 35% had already switched providers in search of better service.

Technology procurement for SMBs is complex, involving compliance, security, integration, and billing challenges. Your role as an advisor is key in addressing this complexity by offering multi-category solutions—including onboarding, integration, cybersecurity, and managed services—that increase the value of every engagement, strengthen partnerships, and build recurring revenue streams.

8 essential tech categories to explore for cross-selling

Increasing the value of every sale means being able to address the full spectrum of your customers’ technology needs. Cross-selling across key solution areas allows you to solve real business problems while accessing new revenue streams. Following are eight key categories you should be looking at to expand your value and grow your revenue potential.

1. Energy

Solutions your customers need: EV charging, water & waste, electricity, natural gas, solar

Energy has rapidly become one of the most important aspects of managing business operations, and a source of costly headaches for businesses. A rising demand driven by AI, electrification, and sustainability mandates is quickly reshaping how companies source and manage their energy.

According to Gartner®, energy demand is projected to grow by 42% by 2035. This surge puts energy procurement at the center of strategic business planning, with a need to ensure cost control, risk management, and sustainability. Price volatility and regulatory challenges add complexity that advisors can help navigate.

Though energy is new territory for many advisors, energy solutions naturally complement the solutions you already offer, providing a significant opportunity to grow your share of wallet, deepen client relationships, and deliver comprehensive technology lifecycle management.

For a more comprehensive look at this opportunity, read our blog, How to Easily Win Lucrative Energy Deals—A Guide for Advisors.

2. Communications

Solutions your customers need: Data, network, mobility & IOT, Satellite, SD-WAN, SASE, TEM, UCaaS, CCaaS

Businesses rely on agile, secure communication networks—from SD-WAN and SASE to UCaaS and CCaaS—to support remote work, IoT, and customer engagement. Outdated or fragmented networks hamper productivity and increase costs.

Cross-selling communications with cloud and security builds a unified, secure network that supports digital transformation. Bundling voice, data, and contact center capabilities helps you grow deal value while boosting collaboration and customer experience.

For a detailed look at addressing these challenges, read these blogs:

• How to Scale Your Connectivity Practice: An Advisor’s Guide

• How outdated network and mobility management is costing you more than you think

3. Software as a service (SaaS)

Solutions your customers need: Microsoft, Google, ERP, DRM, Productivity, Business applications, IT management, BI

SaaS is an area where advisors can play a particularly important role in maximizing technology ROI. SaaS applications underpin operations in every organization today, covering productivity, ERP, CRM, and IT management.

But many organizations struggle with SaaS sprawl and shadow IT, leading to poor visibility and control. The average midsize enterprise today uses more than 240 applications, yet up to 60% of SaaS applications go unnoticed by IT because they’re purchased independently by departments. As a result, only 49% of SaaS licences are actively used in most companies, causing waste, inefficiency, and security risks.

By helping customers optimize their SaaS purchases and gain control over how their software is used, you can deliver both savings and operational agility.

Get a full view of the SaaS opportunity in our blog, Streamline software management to cut costs and reduce risk.

4. Artificial intelligence

Solutions your customers need: Large Language Models, Agentic AI, Copilot, Gemini, Chat bots, Customer experience

AI is rapidly reshaping business operations with powerful tools that can drive immediate value in almost every area of operations. Technologies such as large language models, chatbots, and automation can transform workflows and enhance customer interactions.

As businesses grapple with how and where to implement AI, you can help them both identify problems AI can solve, and be part of the solution. AI naturally cross-sells with business applications and managed services to drive automation and insights, offering you a powerful way to differentiate yourself and help your customers gain a competitive advantages.

Read this value-packed blog bundle for a detailed look at AI opportunities for you and your customers:

• Fast-tracking AI Value: Strategies for Immediate Impact

• How to Build Purpose-built AI Agents that Actually Solve Business Problems

• Building a Human-oriented AI Strategy: Elevating Workplace Interactions with AI Companions

5. Managed and professional services

Solutions your customers need: Network (NOC) & cloud monitoring, SOC, technical support, professional services

In an always-on world, organizations require 24/7 availability for their network resources. Even the briefest downtime period can severely impact customer experience, tarnish your customers’ trust and your brand reputation, and result in severe revenue losses. With the complexity of modern IT environments spanning on-premise data centers, cloud services, and a growing number of devices, securing network performance and resolving issues is increasingly vital, and challenging.

Many customers lack the expertise or resources to manage complex IT environments. You can provide peace of mind by cross-selling managed services with infrastructure and security, for a comprehensive support ecosystem.

Being able to support them with a full suite of services— including monitoring, SOC, technical support, and professional services—ensures availability, resilience, and minimal downtime, while also improving their security and compliance posture.

Read more in our blog, The Managed Services Opportunity: How You Can Capitalize

6. Hardware and logistics

Solutions your customers need: PCs, laptops, phones, and hardware services remain vital.

Many organizations don’t even realize they have a hardware management problem. Manual inventory processes contribute to poor visibility, making it difficult to track assets accurately or plan effectively. Gartner reports that about 30% of hardware assets are lost, never returned, and otherwise unaccounted for in organizations as a result of inefficient tracking. This translates into millions in avoidable costs due to lost or underutilized equipment and potential data breaches.

Onboarding delays due to inefficient workflows also create employee morale and retention issues. Research shows that 3 in 10 employees might consider leaving if forced to work with outdated technology.

You can help your customers take control of their hardware lifecycle—from procurement through secure disposal—maximizing ROI, reducing waste, and supporting workforce productivity.

For a deep dive into the hardware opportunity for advisors, read our blog, 7 Signs You Need Better Hardware Management—And What You Can Do About It

7. Security

Solutions your customers need: physical security, network security, endpoint security, cloud security

Businesses today are up against an unprecedented level of cybersecurity risk as advanced technologies like cloud computing, AI, big data, and IoT attract increasingly sophisticated attacks. Knowing which solutions to integrate into their digital commerce strategy can be overwhelming for customers. Security is the top priority for 78 percent of IT leaders, with data protection, network security, monitoring and protection, and endpoint protection, topping their list of concerns.

You can play a crucial role in helping businesses identify their security vulnerabilities and recommend tailored security solutions.

For more insights into the advisor's role in cybersecurity, read these in-depth blogs:

• Choosing the Right Security Solutions: Building a Proactive Defence Strategy

• Forge Stronger Customer Relationships With a Security Practice—A Guide for Technology Advisors

8. Infrastructure

Solutions your customers need: Public, private, & hybrid cloud, data center & colocation, Disaster recovery

The infrastructure landscape is evolving fast. Businesses are moving beyond traditional on-premises hardware to cloud-based services that offer the flexibility and scalability they need.

It’s not just technology—it’s about giving companies the agility to grow, cut costs, and secure data, as many IT leaders still wrestle with outdated systems.

You can help your customers sort through on-premises, cloud, or hybrid options to build reliable, scalable foundations that reduce complexity and risk.

Read our blog Power Your Customers' Growth With Cloud Infrastructure Solutions for a closer look at the infrastructure opportunity.

Find the provider with the greatest cross-selling potential

Customers expect a lot from you as their advisor. They want a trusted partner who can deliver tailored pre-sale advice, smooth implementation, and proactive ongoing support. They rely on you to make their complex choices easy to manage, and to advocate for the best pricing and contract terms.

But your ability to be all those things to your customers is highly dependent on the support you receive from the providers and vendors you work with.

Look for a provider that offers:

• Easy, centralized procurement, with a broad, vendor-neutral solution catalog, preferably on a central platform from which you can sell and bundle solutions from every tech stack category

• Tools that make quoting and proposal creation easy, with streamlined pricing, discounts, and bundling, saving you time and helping you close deals faster

• Expert sales enablement, including support for deal discovery, closing deals and other support that streamlines your administrative tasks

• Centralized procurement and contract management that gives customers a clear view of all their IT assets, contracts, and spending in one place

• Solution specialists, engineers and architects who can handle negotiations and contract terms across multiple suppliers. This expertise translates into better pricing, favorable terms, and protection against hidden costs.

• Ready-to-use marketing and sales collateral to help you clearly communicate the value of multi-category bundles

• Training and workshops on emerging technologies that can prepare you to confidently handle customer conversations, even in areas where you have no prior expertise

How to spot cross-sell opportunities

Research shows that mastering cross-selling and providing strategic, well-timed offers can increase conversion rates and boost a customer’s lifetime value by 20% to 40%. And because the cost of acquiring these customers has already been incurred, every additional sale contributes directly to their margin, enabling faster, more efficient growth.

However, capitalizing on this opportunity requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Success depends on understanding your customers’ broader needs and offering tailored bundles that solve real problems. Digging deep into customer data—such as CRM records, purchase histories, and digital behavior—can identify patterns signaling readiness for expanded solutions.

Segmenting customers by industry, size, technology maturity, and buying behavior allows you to tailor your offers for maximum relevance. For instance, a mid-sized retail company may benefit most from bundles combining SaaS and security, whereas a large financial services firm might prioritize cloud infrastructure and AI solutions.

Build and deliver offers that resonate

Knowing what to sell and finding the right provider to partner with is only part of the equation. How and when you present cross-sell opportunities greatly affects their success.

By actively listening during customer conversations, you can identify key milestones and lifecycle moments as potential opportunities for cross-selling. Pay attention to pain points, upcoming projects, and gaps in current technology ecosystems. These insights create natural openings to introduce complementary products and services that feel like genuine solutions rather than hard sells.

Lean on the following approaches:

• Focus on solving customer problems—Frame recommendations around benefits like improving efficiency, enhancing security, or enabling growth, rather than pushing products indiscriminately.

• Stay tuned for clues and time your moves wisely—Post purchase, contract renewals, and successful project completion provide ideal opportunities to start a conversation about new offerings for further optimization and ROI potential.

• Take advantage of available resources—Marketing toolkits, training, objection handling, and other sales enablement tools help you make confident recommendations.

• Personalize recommendations based on your customer’s profile and purchase history—Use data insights to tailor recommendations aligned with the customer’s industry, size, and existing purchases. Personalization builds trust and demonstrates that you understand their unique business challenges.

• Bundle complementary products and services —Group solutions that naturally work together to provide convenience and cost savings. For example, pairing cloud infrastructure with managed security, or combining unified communications with contact center platforms, increases deal size while simplifying procurement.

• Include training and support services in your proposal—Bundle onboarding, training, or ongoing support to increase adoption and satisfaction.

• Leverage proof points and case studies—Sharing success stories from similar customers reduces perceived risk and builds confidence in your offers.

Further reading

Our blog Add Customer Value Throughout the IT Lifecycle With End-to-end Support offers an in-depth look at how you can support your customers across their entire lifecycle journey to create greater customer lifetime value across every solution category.

Join us at Thrive for a deeper dive

We’ll explore this theme in depth in a panel session with leading experts at our Thrive 2025 conference in August, August 25-27.

Whether you’re an IT leader, advisor, or provider, Thrive is your opportunity to align strategy, execution, and insight to unlock the full potential of your technology investments.

Register today and check out the many other available sessions and panels.