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Sales Training For Service Businesses - Why Should I Use You? - Part 1 of 3
| Guest post by: Peter O'Donoghue |
Article Overview: It's not always about sales training. The most common mistake I see with Services marketing is the 'it's all about me syndrome'. All of a company's letters, web site, and networking interactions are all about the company and what you can do.
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Free Download - Sales Prospecting Techniques - Should You Be Using Twitter for Selling to Businesses? By Peter O'Donoghue |
Sales Training For Service Businesses - Why Should I Use You? - Part 1 of 3
It's not always about sales training. The most common mistake I see with Services marketing is the 'it's all about me syndrome'. All of a company's letters, web site, and networking interactions are all about the company and what you can do. Without being too brutal here, most people do not care! They are not too interested in knowing what you HAVE, DO, or KNOW. They want to know what is in for the them.
In the simplest scenario they have a problem and they are looking for a solution. The company that can clearly articulate -
"I understand you, I know what your frustrations are and I know how to solve them." - will be the one that is the most successful. This sounds simple, I know, however the majority of my prospective clients still have an inward way of thinking and say: "this is what we have got and this is what we can do - do you want some?"
At the other extreme many prospective service clients do not always realise they have a need for a service. In this case, only a clear articulation of the beneficial outcomes, and not the process used will spark that magic moment when someone says "we need to meet".
How can service businesses effectively do this?
By focusing on solutions and benefits - in every communication you have with a prospective client.
Specific Targeting:
Much has been written about this and many people pay lip service to it yet most companies I work with can't clearly answer the following questions:
Target Message: Who exactly are you talking to?
Problem/Solution: What is the concern of your prospective clients and what is the solution?
Benefits: What are all of the ways your services help your clients?
Unique Competitive Advantage: What makes you stand out in a way that makes a difference to your clients?
Risk Reversal: What are you promising to deliver that reduces the perceived risk of your clients?
I do not underestimate the difficulty in clearly defining these things. Yet if they can be achieved they will make the difference between a good and a truly great business.
A well used example of a service business that used this to catapult them from nowhere to a major worldwide organisation was Dominoes Pizza. Their whole marketing was based around their slogan:
"Hot, fresh pizza in 30 minutes or less, or it's free"
They knew their uniqueness, they invented it!
Note that not once does Dominoes say the Pizza will be tasty. It probably isn't the best pizza available but to their prospective clients it was unique. They knew it would be with them in 30 minutes or it would be free. Their needs have been met. Unlike the competition who would say:
"It could be 90 minutes. I just don't have the drivers and when you get them you can't trust them. And besides I just can't forecast my demand. Any way it'll be with you tonight sometime."
You don't always need sales training but if you do need sales consultancy then I would be glad to help. Look out for part 2 and 3 on this site
What Should Your Customer Service Training Cost in Terms of Money, Time and Results?
Should You Train Unmotivated Sales Reps?
3 Reasons Sales Training Doesn’t Work
Sales Training Materials that Work!
Sales Training - short term or long term success?
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About the Author: Peter O'Donoghue RSS for Peter's articles - Visit Peter's website Sales Blog Click here to visit Peter's website   How To Win New Business |
Related Forum Posts
Re: Service Or Product?
- I agree with starting a Service-based Business in the economy. Here is what I think is critical:
1. Researching that your Service business has a market.
2. Marketing the Service with as much leverage as possible.
3. Product-izing the Service (aka Package Expert Knowledge). This will only help elevate you as "the" expert in your niche and make you accessible to people in different price points.
7 words or less for Structogram
- Some "7 words or less" (more or less) for Structogram for your comments:
Training to get your message across(6)
Secrets to get your message across (6)
Training so people will listen to you (7)
Helping you get your message across (6)
Training to learn to get your message across (8)
Communications training for yourself and your team (7)
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Wearing different hats in Business
- I have a business that produces beautiful custom rugs for home and business environments.
Different hats that I'm wearing...
Rug Fabrication - 10 [i:21cr28m8](partially outsourced to an outfit here in the US)[/i:21cr28m8]
Customer Service / Sales - 8-10
Bookkeeping - 1
Marketing - 6
Website development - 5 [i:21cr28m8](mainly outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8]
SEO, SEM - 6-8
Accounting - [i:21cr28m8](outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8]
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
I second the request...
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