When you don’t sell, you close through delivering service excellence. This is what selling through service is. The more if your service or product is sold as a reaction to a query. Not because of any fault of yours but because the nature of your product deems it so. Think selling moving services, coffins, mortuary services, land, or to some extent, loans.
Selling through Service: What 21st Century businesses teach us
First though, the importance of continually giving a wow customer experience cannot be gainsaid. It’s been shouted from the rooftops for decades. However, the 21st Century spoilt-for-choice and information-empowered customer is quickly proving that service excellence is a business lifeline. Look at any 21st Century business and notice that the business is built from the ground up to make a customer not a sale.
Safaricom, Uber and Amazon drown themselves in continually improving the customer experience. And their seemingly unending growth and popularity are there for all to see. What may not be is the fact that research continually shows that these companies that have taken pole position from inception are very difficult to dislodge. Paradoxically, their products or services are not necessarily superior than the competition. In fact, many times the competition’s is superior because the competition has product (not service excellence) as its competitive edge. So, yes, an exemplary service will pay you back in spades.
First impressions matter
But this post is not about you becoming these behemoths. The illustration was just to prove that though you may be comparatively much smaller, you can still borrow a leaf from them. The more if your prospecting is not proactive but responsive; it comes through as a query.
Selling through service is evidence that selling is giving a service and giving a service is selling. And it all starts as any other sale does-the first impression. This could be how you respond to an off-the-cuff email to how you receive a walk-in prospect (potential buyer). Unfortunately, most sellers that are dependent on sales through conversion of queries can be passive. To differentiate yourself, be alive to how you handle any initial point of contact.
For instance, coffin sellers that show sympathy and sensitivity to the bereaved, are likely to resonate with them much more than those that respond to the walk-in prospect with, ”Unatafuta gani?” (Which one are you looking for?). And why is this important? Because, word goes round. The concern and sensitivity shown will reflect as a referral in the next funeral arrangement committee meeting this prospect turned customer sits in. And just like that, another sale is made. No active ‘selling’ was done. It was all selling though delivering an exemplary service.
Product superiority is not sales superiority
Product superiority is not sales superiority. Of course this does not mean that any inferior product will sell with service excellence. Of course not. Just like it doesn’t mean that only the first point of contact matters. No. The entire customer experience matters. It does mean however that if your product does what it should, and through delivering service excellence you continue to be responsive to customer complaints, needs and quests for improvements, you will continually attract prospects, retain customers and grow your business, sales or portfolio, sustainably.
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