Your Path to Effective Service Selling
Your Path to Effective Service Selling
Many consumers today are accustomed to purchasing services such as warranties attached to a new product, or subscription services such as cable television or Internet. Another kind of service is professional services. These business services may provide technical, strategic or consultative help as needed. While consumers may be accustomed to companies selling a service attached to a product, they may not be as familiar or comfortable buying professional services for their company.
The biggest distinction between products and services is that while products are tangible, services are intangible. With products, such as a computer or flatscreen TV, a person receives instant gratification following their purchase. For a customer who makes a decision to purchase services, the resulting gratification won't be as immediate and will require more commitment on their part. It's because of this distinction that trust, credibility and solid client relationships are critical success keys to selling both product and professional services.
Four Key Questions
Companies in the market for professional services typical ask four questions.
Will these services save us time?
Will these services save us money?
Will these services increase our productivity?
Do we need to outsource the service, or can we do it ourselves?
In conversations with your customers, uncover which of these questions is the highest priority to them, and focus on the matching business benefits your services can provide. For example, if your customer has identified increasing productivity as a key business initiative, you might highlight how your service offerings will allow them to increase productivity without requiring additional time away from their already hectic schedules. By presenting the case that using a third party service provider is the most efficient way to fill the need while increasing productivity, you demonstrate your ability to help them save money and time.
Three Success Keys
Services selling is based on three success keys:
Trust
Credibility
Solid Relationships
Both the sales cycle and service contract may take more time to close and execute than selling a product. You must be able to instill and maintain trust over the duration of that time. This can be done by delivering compelling value propositions that generate interest and bring immediate value to the customer. Credibility grows through sharing success stories, providing testimonials and referrals, and presenting the compelling business benefits and value of potential services. Customers will come back for services over and over when you establish a solid relationship and put yourself in the position of "trusted advisor".
Client Satisfaction = Referrals
For successful companies that sell desirable products, demand for their products will continue based on effective marketing and customer desires. It may not be this predictable for companies selling services. Service businesses depend on satisfied clients more than other businesses, both to maintain their credibility and continue to drive new business referrals. Services are more complex to price, to deliver and to evaluate than single products. In addition, measuring the quality of service varies from customer to customer.
Conduct regular "how are we doing?" conversations with customers. Use the information you gather to generate new opportunities and new leads. Customers who realize value in services provided are often eager to share their success with you through referrals and case study examples. All you need to do is ask.
By understanding the differences between service and product selling and executing a sales strategy incorporating these critical success factors, you'll instill trust, enhance credibility and form solid relationships while demonstrating value for your services to many potential customers. This value will translate into increased sales and new referrals for you.
Your Path to Effective Service Selling - To learn more about this author, visit 's Website.
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Selling services is far different than selling products, and for reps who want to be successful at "service selling", it's imperative to understand where the differences exist.
Many consumers today are accustomed to purchasing services such as warranties attached to a new product, or subscription services such as cable television or Internet. Another kind of service is professional services. These business services may provide technical, strategic or consultative help as needed. While consumers may be accustomed to companies selling a service attached to a product, they may not be as familiar or comfortable buying professional services for their company.
The biggest distinction between products and services is that while products are tangible, services are intangible. With products, such as a computer or flatscreen TV, a person receives instant gratification following their purchase. For a customer who makes a decision to purchase services, the resulting gratification won't be as immediate and will require more commitment on their part. It's because of this distinction that trust, credibility and solid client relationships are critical success keys to selling both product and professional services.
Four Key Questions
Companies in the market for professional services typical ask four questions.
Will these services save us time?
Will these services save us money?
Will these services increase our productivity?
Do we need to outsource the service, or can we do it ourselves?
In conversations with your customers, uncover which of these questions is the highest priority to them, and focus on the matching business benefits your services can provide. For example, if your customer has identified increasing productivity as a key business initiative, you might highlight how your service offerings will allow them to increase productivity without requiring additional time away from their already hectic schedules. By presenting the case that using a third party service provider is the most efficient way to fill the need while increasing productivity, you demonstrate your ability to help them save money and time.
Three Success Keys
Services selling is based on three success keys:
Trust
Credibility
Solid Relationships
Both the sales cycle and service contract may take more time to close and execute than selling a product. You must be able to instill and maintain trust over the duration of that time. This can be done by delivering compelling value propositions that generate interest and bring immediate value to the customer. Credibility grows through sharing success stories, providing testimonials and referrals, and presenting the compelling business benefits and value of potential services. Customers will come back for services over and over when you establish a solid relationship and put yourself in the position of "trusted advisor".
Client Satisfaction = Referrals
For successful companies that sell desirable products, demand for their products will continue based on effective marketing and customer desires. It may not be this predictable for companies selling services. Service businesses depend on satisfied clients more than other businesses, both to maintain their credibility and continue to drive new business referrals. Services are more complex to price, to deliver and to evaluate than single products. In addition, measuring the quality of service varies from customer to customer.
Conduct regular "how are we doing?" conversations with customers. Use the information you gather to generate new opportunities and new leads. Customers who realize value in services provided are often eager to share their success with you through referrals and case study examples. All you need to do is ask.
By understanding the differences between service and product selling and executing a sales strategy incorporating these critical success factors, you'll instill trust, enhance credibility and form solid relationships while demonstrating value for your services to many potential customers. This value will translate into increased sales and new referrals for you.
Your Path to Effective Service Selling - To learn more about this author, visit 's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
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