1. Their Name : Nothing speaks to an individual faster than their first name. Use it to build your relationship with your customer.

2. What They’ve Purchased : If you know what your customers purchased in the past, you have a good idea what they will buy again. (And won’t waste your time promoting products of little to no interest.)

3. How Often They Purchase : Individuals who buy rarely from you may need additional encouragement? more marketing. Whereas, consistent customers may not need extra sales pitches, but might benefit from a newsletter or coupon.

4. How Much They Spend (on average) : Why spend precious time pitching products to customers that they can’t afford? It might embarrass your customer, shows your lack of personal interest, and may cause customers to lose interest.

5. The Last Time They Purchased : Have you lost a customer without even knowing it? Who’s still loyal? Who has strayed (and needs to be brought back)?

All above details are easliy available from Business Details Tool of WinnerPlus Software.

6. Each Interaction You’ve Had With Them : Documentation is important for obvious reasons. But being able to “recall” previous conversations will make your customer feel important and appreciated.

Add your conversation in Case History of your customer every time you interact with them.

7. How They Feel About Your Business : Feedback from your customers is the best way to improve your products/services, meet your customers needs, and attract more customers.

Add feedback too in the Case History Tool of WinnerPlus Software.

Note : Remembering each of your customers and all of these details about them is impossible. Be sure to keep an accurate database like WinnerPlus that can easily store and retrieve this information for you–and make you look like a star to your customers!

Common distractions include: children, family, friends,
neighbors, pets, phone calls, mail, household chores, video
games, television, neighborhood children, visitors, and so many
more.

Here’s a few good tips that will help you stay focused on your
business running from home:

TIP #1:
Whatever your reason for going out on your own, you must keep
your reason in the forefront of your mind. If you forget your
reason for running your business from home, you will not be
working for yourself for long. It is far too easy to let
circumstance drive your activities — and when circumstance is
in the driver’s seat, you are more likely to crash and burn.

TIP #2:
Remember — your own business is a lot like a real job. Some
people go to work to play, some go to socialize, and others —
most often those who are paid in a commission or tip environment
— go to work to work and to make money. When you work for
yourself, your salary is directly proportional to your
productivity. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to stay focused
on getting as much done in as short of a period as possible?

Go to work to work and to make money. Leave playtime and
recreation for when your workday has ended.

TIP #3:
When you are dealing with family in the course of your workday,
it is important to schedule your activities as much as possible.
With small children, you must take time when you must, but you
should also work hard to make sure you dedicate a specific
number of hours to your workday.

With older children, it is much easier to tell them that you
will be working between the hours of x and y. Your children and
your friends must understand that certain hours of your day are
devoted to the activities of your business.

TIP #4:
Don’t permit your friends and extended family to run over you.
Many people get the blind idea that if one works from home then
they are not actually working.

Well-meaning people may try to fill your doorway to bring advice
about getting a real job. Others may simply believe that if you
are at home, then you are fair game for chitchat and
socialization.

You must stand firm. You must make certain your friends and
family understands that when you are working, then you ARE
working! If they wish to socialize with you, then they need to
do it during the hours that are not dedicated to your home
business.

You are the only one who can stand up for you. Your friends and
family will seldom be able to appreciate your dedication to your
business at home, unless you make the effort to make sure that they
have the same respect for your business that you do.

TIP #5:
You should allot a certain portion of your day to email and to
regular mail. For example, allot one hour in the morning and one
hour in the afternoon to handling your written communications.

Unless you dedicate certain times to the handling of these
communications, you will soon find yourself on the downward
slope of decreased productivity.

TIP #6:
When you find yourself spending too much time doing
non-productive activities, then you should seriously consider
finding a third-party service provider or assistant who will
assist you in those non-profitable business activities.

WinnerPlus software will help you lot to allocate non-productive
work to various assistants as per priority basis.

CONCLUSION:
In the end, the success of your business from home is entirely
and completely reliant upon you and the decisions that you make.

You must always be able to rely upon your own self and your
dedication to the success of your business.

Your friends and family might be annoyed that they cannot come
visit upon their own whim, but when success comes to you and
your business, they will better appreciate you for putting your
foot down when necessary.

Success is within your reach, if only you can stay focused on
your goals. You must decide to reach for your goals, and then,
you must have the discipline necessary to reach them.

What’s the exact percentage ready and willing to buy? It depends
on the product or service. It also depends on the effectiveness
of marketing efforts; bulls-eye, targeted marketing yields a
higher percentage of high Networth prospects.

How can you hit the bulls-eye with your prospecting? Find out
the demographics of the highest Networth prospects – data on
average customers and profiles of the largest customers. You can
search prospect geographically with the help of WinnerPlus.
These demographics are profiles of your High Networth Prospects.

High Networth Prospects are not people who are merely
“interested” in what you have to sell. They are likely to want
what you sell. It’s just as easy to find people who want to buy
as it is to find people who have to be persuaded. However, the
former are much easier to close.

Once you match up your products with the right prospecting list,
call them all. Never mind introducing yourself, or using any
kind of “sales pitch”. (You can add your speach in the
Objection Handling Tool in WinnerPlus) Just tell them:

1. Who you are and who you represent;
2. What you’re selling;
3. Two features (not benefits) of the product or service;
4. Ask if it’s what they WANT.
Follow that outline. Be sure your entire offer is no more than
45 words.

Don’t waste time with low Networth prospects.

If the prospect says “no,” you say “Okay, good bye.” Wait for
them to say “good bye,” hang up, and immediately dial the next
one on your list.

If the prospect says “Yes,” you say “Why?” If they have a good
reason, make an appointment. If they are only “interested”,
don’t. Remember not to use the word “interested” in your offer,
since “interested” implies a lack of commitment and a low
probability of buying.

If a prospect wants you to send literature, get their email
address and send a standard file with a standard cover note.
Don’t put anything in the mail. Call back within 5 days and
present a different prospecting offer for the same product or
service.

Do not leave voice mails. You will sell less and add to your
frustration if you do.

Be systematic. Keep good records.

Put records in Comment field of every offer that you make. You
need that information because you’ll call the same list at least
every 4 weeks. Just click on History button to view past offers.
If you don’t reach the prospect, no notes are necessary.

Make a different offer each time you contact a prospect. Your
offer can be for the same product, but change it to include two
different features. Or, your offer can be for another product.
The important thing is “not to” present the same offer to the
same people each time you call.

The average person using this method dials 67 calls an hour.
Some dial as many as 100 per hour. Depending on your prospecting
list and the time you’re calling, you can make offers to between
10 and 35 percent of the people you try to reach.

It’s easy, effective, efficient and enjoyable. And, it
eliminates almost all of the rejection created by traditional
prospecting methods.

Closing is all about mutual commitment. However, commitment can be
either positive or negative. Rather than ask for a commitment and
allow for the possibility that the commitment may be negative,
most salespeople avoid asking for a commitment. Instead, they ask
prospects if they are “interested” – because they don’t want to
hear “No.” And, their prospects often say they’re “interested” -
because they don’t want to say “Yes.” Then, you have two people
spending a lot of time with no commitment – except the
salesperson provides his time and expertise without compensation.
Those salespeople are hoping that they will be able to persuade
those interested prospects to buy.

Obviously, sometimes interested prospects actually do buy – but
not very often. On average, salespeople close 17 percent of their
appointments. In many industries closing rates are much lower.
However, most salespeople keep hoping that they’ll get better at
persuading interested prospects to buy. That’s referred to as
“Random Negative Reinforcement.” When you’re doing something that
has a small probability of producing a positive result, an
occasional payoff will get most people to keep doing it. The vast
majority of people who keep putting their money in slot machines
will lose all of their money in a short time. The lure of the
big win combined with a few small wins keeps them hooked. They
keep hoping that they’ll become more skillful and learn how to
beat the odds. That’s the principle that enables gambling casinos
to earn billions of dollars a year. That’s also the principle
that causes most people who go into the sales profession to fail
or continue while earning meager wages.

If you only spend your time with prospects that want what you’re
selling and who will make a commitment to buy if it meets their
requirements you have broken the pattern of Random Negative
Reinforcement. That can change your life.

But, how can you get people to make a commitment to buy during
a prospecting call? Stop asking them if they are interested in a
benefit of your product or service. Stop asking them if they are
interested in meeting with you to see whether they are interested
in eliminating their pain. Instead, describe your product or
service and tell them about a couple of its performance features.
Then, ask if it is something they want. If it is something they
want, they’ll also commit to an appointment. If it’s not
something they want, they’ll say “No,” or “I’m not interested.”
If you quickly terminate the call, it will save you so much time
that you’ll be able to contact many more prospects. That will
enable you to find more of those prospects that already want the
benefits of your type of products or services.

Now, you may say, “But I don’t have that many prospects that I can
afford to bypass anyone. I have to try to sell them all.” That may
be true. However, it’s also a matter of timing. The best time to
visit with a prospect is when they are ready to buy (or specify)
your type of product or service. If you visit with prospects when
they are not ready to buy, your chances of selling them then are
very small – and your chances of selling them in the future are
even worse. When that prospect does become ready to buy, they’re
much more likely to contact one of your competitors to compare what
they have with your offering. At that time, they’re much more
receptive to what the competitor has to say, because they’re ready
to buy. It’s then most likely that they’ll buy from a competitor.
If you wait to visit them until they are ready to buy, it’s most
likely that you will be the one who will get their business.

You should stay in touch with a large number of prospects by
frequently calling them all. For most industries, the best frequency
is every 4 weeks. Each time you call your prospects you should
present them with a different prospecting offer than the previous
one. That will minimize the likelihood of them being annoyed with
your calls. New information isn’t annoying unless it’s used for
manipulative purposes. Each time you call you must be willing to
accept “No” for the answer and be willing to move on to your next
call, quickly. Each successive time that you call your chances of
contacting the prospects that want to buy increases.

Happy Prospecting!

What if you averaged only 2 visits per prospect and your closing
rate did not change? Then, you would be closing 1 sale out of
every 13 visits. At that rate, you should be able to double you
sales and increase your income.

What if you closed about half of your sales on the first visit,
and the average number of visits dropped to 1.5 per prospect?

Why do most salespeople have to visit 6 prospects an average of
4.4 times in order make one sale? Simply because that is the way
they learned how to sell.
They can give you plenty of seemingly logical reasons why, in
their market, with their products and services, it has to be that
way. But, does it?

Do you think that most prospects want to have multiple meetings
in order to satisfy a need that is important to them? Of course
not. They want to buy what they need and want ASAP.

All they really need to determine is…

Whether your products and/or services will suit their requirements;
and Whether they can trust you and your company to reliably satisfy
those requirements.

The longer it takes for most prospects to reach that conclusion,
the less likely they are to buy from you. So, it is imperative that
you:

Adjust your selling process to focus on those two buying decision
factors; and Accomplish that in one or two visits.

The steps required to become an accomplished One-Call Closer are:

Only visit with prospects that want the benefits of your type of
products and/or services. That means you must learn how to find
them and make appointments with them.

Make mutual commitments to do business if you can meet each other’s
Conditions of Satisfaction. That is the first close.

Establish a deep Relationship of Mutual Trust and Respect during
the first twenty minutes of meeting with them. That is entirely
different from building rapport.

Be willing to disqualify (for now) any prospect that indicates that
they will not buy immediately. Staying there and continuing the
sales process virtually guarantees that you will not make the sale
now – nor in the future.

Determine the exact buying intentions of the prospect, and get
another commitment to do business, if you can meet each other’s
Conditions of Satisfaction.

Determine exactly what the prospects Conditions of Satisfaction are
and whether you can meet them.

Discuss every feature, benefit and detriment of your product or
service with regard to how it will affect the prospect’s needs.
Exposing all detriments will eliminate almost all objections and
ensure the prospect’s trust.

Close on every point throughout the entire sales process.

This sales process can shorten sales cycles and increase closing
rates. Salespeople that close most of their sales in one visit even
in complex, High Tech and Major Account selling typically have the
highest closing averages.

1. The Experience of Repeated Failure

Most salespeople set out to contact a large number of people who
have an apparent need for their products and service.Their
objective is to convince every one of them to grant them an
appointment.

Let’s assume that you contact 50 people a day and average 2
appointments. In your business, that may be a very good result.
Nevertheless, you have the experience of repeated failure
because you tried to convince all of them and you failed to
meet your objective of 48 out of 50 calls.

The Cure – Change Your Objective. Your new objective is to make
appointments only with High Networth Prospects – and to
disqualify everyone else. Make fifty calls and be clear that
you’ll only make an appointment if the prospect wants what you’re
selling. If the prospect doesn’t want what you’re selling,
terminate the call quickly and courteously. You now have the
experience of succeeding in your objective 50 times out of 50
calls.

2. Fear of Rejection.

Most salespeople have a prospecting “pitch” which is designed to
interest, entice, excite, convince and persuade people to give
them appointments. They have a string of questions to get the
prospect involved and interested in meeting them. Every question
that they ask increases the prospect’s sales resistance. Thus,
negative reactions to their methods grow very quickly.

Most prospects react to any prospecting pitch defensively. Their
sales resistance is aroused as soon as they hear your warm
greeting and your friendly, enthusiastic, professional pitch. The
more skillful you are in keeping them talking and listening, the
more they become wary and annoyed. Eventually, many of them
become non-communicative, or too busy to talk, or abrupt, or sarcastic,
or otherwise negative. All of these reactions cause most
salespeople to feel rejected.

Almost all sales managers and trainers tell you that you’re not
being rejected, that the prospects are merely declining the offer
of your products or services. Why then do almost all salespeople
feel rejected? Are you too sensitive, too thin-skinned?

Think about it. Who do you trust? Is it the sales manager who
wants you to keep on going until you become insensitive to the
rejection? Or do you trust your own perceptions, your feelings of
rejection? Are all other salespeople who feel the rejection also
wrong? No, you feel rejected, personally rejected, because you are
being rejected. That rejection is caused by the normal defensive
reactions that everyone has against being persuaded to do
something they don’t already want to do. If you want to eliminate
rejection you must change the way you prospect.

THE RESULTS – No more fear of cold calling and no more wasted
time with Low Networth prospects.

But much of the time that businesses spend using the telephone is
a waste of time. Instead of communicating with the people we want
to communicate with, we fritter away time talking to other people
or machines, playing endless rounds of telephone tag.

Having a telephone in your office or a cell phone in your hand is
a bit like having a spoiled pet. You wouldn’t want to be without
it, but sometimes you wonder who’s actually running the asylum.
If your telephone has turned into a tyrant, use these time
management telephone tips to tame the beast.

Following are the Time Management Tips for Telephone Calls:

1) Whether they’re regular clients, suppliers, or contractors,
many of us call the same people repeatedly. If we are in a
service business, like financial advisory, the list also includes
or associates, who are tied up with our business. E.g. We need to
call often to our unit managers, Tax consultants, service
providers etc.

Keep your contact information updated with time-saving details so
you don’t waste time trying to reach people who aren’t available.
For instance, if I know that a particular person that I want to
reach takes a lunch from 1 to 2 p.m. each day, I know not to
waste my time trying to call him/her during this time. Or, if I
know what is the best time to talk to my unit manager or C. A. or
tax consultant, I can not only save time chasing him, but may
also get the best possible answer.

2) Program the numbers for those you call regularly into your
telephone. There is a facility of speed dial in every cell phone
now days. Grouping these numbers too is a good idea, as it can
save on search.

I’m always amazed by people who don’t do this, as the time you
save when you’re not looking up numbers and dialing them is
equally amazing. It is recommended even if you remember the
numbers by heart. Have we calculated how much time we take in
dialing/ pressing the 8 to 10 digits, every time we go for a
tele- call? Or for that matter in Search options of our cell
phone?

3) Plan your outgoing telephone calls. Before you call, jot down
the main goal of the goal and the key points you want to cover.
This will help you stick to the point when you call and ensure
that you cover everything you want to cover, saving time during
the call and avoiding having to call again because of something
you forgot.

This is significant, because it not always possible to restrict
the conversation on ‘business alone’ and lot of discussion on
unrelated topic do happen. And in the course of this, we are
likely to forget few of the important and urgent topics and may
have to call the person again for the same. 

4) If you’re calling someone who is entered into your contacts
database, have all the information about the person you’re
calling in front of you when you call.
Whether you’re using a computer software program (like Winner
Plus), a PDA or a Rolodex, this is a great memory aid during the
call and gives you the option of making notes during the call,
saving even more time.

Winner Plus has a special feature for you. Just on a click, you
can get a past history of communication and the objective of the
current call you have made!
Again, it is always advisable to immediately note down the main
points in the conversation, so that you do not have to stretch
your memory next time you communicate.

5) Of course, if you want to make notes during a call (or do
anything else while you’re speaking on the telephone), a good
speakerphone is essential. Freeing your hands can free up a lot
of time. Problem is solved easily by the hands free device or
by blue tooth, if you are using a cell phone.

If possible, also keep Winner plus on, so that you can directly
enter the important data and reminders in to the software and
may refer later on, for action on the same. This would not
only help you organise, but also save you a lot of time.

6) If you do reach someone’s answering machine or voice mail,
leave a complete message, give your telephone number twice and
state the reason you’re calling.

For example, “This is Amal Mondkar at 9821378536. I’m calling
to discuss the arrangement of training required to use the
Winner Plus more effectively. You can reach me at 9821378536
this afternoon.” Stating your telephone number twice gives the
recipient of the message a much better chance of getting it
right and getting it written down without replaying the message.

7) Don’t give in to telephone compulsion. When you’re trying to
reach someone and you haven’t, it’s tempting to call back -
perhaps every half hour! But if you’ve let a proper message,
there’s no need to waste your time leaving repeated messages
(and filling up the person’s answering machine).

Give the person you’re calling a reasonable amount of time to
call back, such as until the next business day.

This is also true for the number which is not answered at all.
May be the person is busy in an important task or is in a
meeting or has just kept the phone at his desk and has moved
some place for a while. Important thing is he doesn’t want to be
disturbed right now. Try twice and then don’t waste your time in
calling again immediately. Call after at least two hours gap,
if you must. And not more than two times in a day.  If matter is
important for you, leave sms. But respect his decision to
privacy. Frequent calling may irritate him.

.8) Schedule your telephone calls and make them all together in a
single block of time, if possible. This is particularly true if
you are making calls for your prospecting activity.

Most of us aren’t that good at multi-tasking and lose a great
deal of productivity when we’re flipping back and forth from one
task to another. So if you have a dozen calls to make in a
particular day, it’s more efficient to make them all in one
hour than to make one or two, and then make another three calls
an hour later, and another two 45 minutes after that.
Keep aside a particular time in a day, say one to two hours
every morning, and dedicate your time for the same.

9) Book your outgoing telephone calls, if possible. If it’s not
going to be a quick call, when you first call someone,
introduce yourself, tell him/her why you’re calling, and then
ask him/her if it’s a convenient time to talk or if he/she
would prefer to book a time to discuss it. Then arrange that
you will call him/her at that time.

This can not only save you time on the spot but save time when
you call the person back, because you’ll both be prepared to
discuss the issue. The productivity and your image both would be
improved.

10) If at all possible, make your outgoing telephone calls in
“prime time”. Research has shown that more people are in their
offices early in the morning and can be reached between 8 a.m.
and 11 a.m., without much disturbances. Also, the attitude is
generally fresh and receptive in early morning calls. Decisions
are quicker and mainly positive in this period. That is why it
is termed as a ‘Prime Time’.

Try these out and be a Winner!

Happy Selling!

                                                                               - Amal Mondkar

Answer is; It is. Time and again it has been proved that cost of
acquiring a new client is much more than a cost of retaining the
old. And, in the current era of fierce competition, one really
cannot take a client for granted.    

A simple (and most overlooked) way to keep your clients coming
back to you for more business is to be courteous and say thank
you. There are plenty of opportunities to be courteous to your
clients if you keep your eyes and ears open. Irrespective of
whether you are an entrepreneur or work in the corporate sector,
here are some instances when thanking your clients is a must!

1. Clients show interest in your product/services

The market for all products and services is competitive and your
client has multiple sellers queuing up outside his door. This is
more true for financial and insurance market, which is expected
to see about 250 more companies entering the Indian market
within these three years. And some of them are very aggressive
too!

If your client agrees to meet you to discuss the possibilities
of an association — thank him. Send him a simple thank you
e-mail or note, stating your appreciation of his time and your
willingness to work with them.

2. Clients buy your product/services

This may sound obvious but many salespeople do not thank their
clients after the order has been placed. But do we really do
that? When was the last time that the local retailer thanked you
for visiting his store? When was the last time You thanked your
client for handing over his hard earned money?

It is your responsibility to make your customers feel good about
choosing you over the competition. This will ensure that your
clients keep coming back to you for more. You must therefore
thank him/ her for giving you an opportunity to serve. 

3. Clients give you a reference

A lot of businesses bank on references. Especially in the finance
and insurance sectors. The successful advisors make special
efforts to ask for references, using various time tasted
instruments and tricks. But, not every client gives referrals.
Those who give, therefore, needed to be nurtured as they are
special ones for You.

“I passed on a lot of references to my insurance agent but not
once did he thank me for it. I stopped sending potential clients
to him after a while,” says Mangesh Chavan, a director at
Mumbai-based Garments processing Company, Supreme Garments. Let
this not happen to you. Make it a point to go out of your way
to thank somebody who gives you a reference.

4. Clients give you feedback

Most of us don’t think of thanking our customers for complaining.
Rather than trying to justify or playing the blame game, thank
the customer for taking the time to provide feedback and point
out the shortcoming.

Again, not all complaints can be solved, or solved immediately.
But, appreciating it is the first step towards understanding the
client and his needs. Work intensively towards improving that
aspect of your product/service and go back to the customer with
the new offering.

And, if the feedback is positive, it is more solid a reason to
thank the client. Because positive feed backs are rare to come,
and definitely can be utilized as a testimonial in further
selling.

5. Clients settle the payments

As I was writing this article, I received a sms from Reliance
telecom. She confirmed having received the cheque and thanked me
for the timeliness of my mobile payments. This made me feel good
in spite of the fact that I was the buyer in this case. If this
telecom company uses the same strategy with all her clients, I
am certain she will rarely run into payment problems. But, do we
thank our clients for paying premiums on time, being consistent
is paying their SIPs? After all, Advisor is paid commissions on
these payments too., isn’t it?

6. When clients demonstrate loyalty

Never take a long-term client for granted. These are the people
who help you stay afloat in business and it’s important that you
invest in building strong relationships with them.

Send them regular updates, thank you notes and other useful
information. Drop in on a surprise visit occasionally and don’t
discuss business.

Let your clients know that you value them beyond the money they
invest in your products/services. After all, Business is People.

How to say thank you?

There are multiple ways to do it.

These include sending a handwritten note, an occasional gift,
an e-card or a thank you card.

Even an inexpensive card with some genuine handwritten comments
can make you stand out from the crowd and make your client
remember you.

Emails (not forwards and scams), sms or mms would also work,
if you use them properly. The time you will invest will pay
you back manifold.

Remember: Without clients, there would be no business. Your
very presence is because of him. So, get client-savvy and
invest in building a strong relationship with them. And
emerge as a Winner.
                                                            – Amal Mondkar

Lawyers/Law firms, Management consultants, IT services
and Telecom providers, Architectural groups, Doctors and
healthcare organizations, and Educational organizations,
Hotels and hospitality organizations, and a multitude of
business-to-consumer operations profit from performing and
delivering people-based services. Financial products and
Insurance products too are a part of Service industry.
 
“It is therefore difficult selling them”. Rahul added.

Of course it is ‘different’ if not difficult selling the services.
But, invisibility, (or intangibility), is just one factor that
distinguishes services marketing from product marketing.
There are three other characteristics that affect the way the
clients behave during the buying process and the way
organizations must interact with them.

Additionally, these characteristics influence the development
of marketing strategies and the more tactical marketing
mix-from the “packaging” and pricing of services bundles, to
defining distribution plans and promotions options. Rahul
looked confused, but eager to understand more about this
aspect of Services Marketing. It was obvious.

To ensure business success, services marketing professionals
must clearly understand these characteristics, how they
affect client behavior, and how they can respond to diminish
engagement risk, improve customer perceptions, and
enhance market opportunities. Let us have a look through
the entire four basic characteristic, and how significant it is
for our industry.

1. Intangibility

Services are not physical and cannot be “possessed.”
Because they can’t be seen, touched, or made tangible in
some way, assessing their quality and value is difficult.

A services client will never know how good the service is
until after he receives it. In some cases, it actually may be
months or years before a trigger event occurs to activate
the service, at which time the client hopes to experience
the promised service quality (e.g., an IT crisis triggers
service, or in our Insurance industry, accident initiates an
insurance claim).

This can be unsettling for the client, whose response is to
look for tangible signals about the service process and
quality prior to purchase to reduce uncertainty and
reservation.

How we should deal:

Services marketing professionals must determine how to
effectively Communicate the services Process, Deliverables,
and Benefits in order to build client confidence. Tangible
signals that indicate services quality and value come from
personal interaction, trusted recommendations, clear
communications, equipment used or processes followed,
pricing, and the physical environment in which the business
operates.

With promotions, a logo symbol (mnemonic) can offer a
sense of tangibility-the “good hands” of LIC of India, the
Merrill Lynch “bull”, the Prudential Insurance “rock”.

Testimonials and case studies can be used to build client
confidence and rapport. The communications material
itself (paper, design, and content) can convey quality, too.

Pricing can also be an indicator of quality: Premium pricing
often suggests higher quality, while prices that are too low
may hint at the inexperience, limited depth, or vague
processes of the services producer.

But tangibility must extend beyond promotions and price.
Because positive personal interaction and “chemistry” is a
gauge of quality to the client, marketing as a discipline
must be influential in the training of sales and service
associates. These individuals literally are the embodiment
of marketing for the organization. Their ability to deliver
on the brand promise affects business success.

Therefore, creating client relationships, setting appropriate
expectations, and learning to represent the company in
an acceptable way (e.g., through appearance, attitude,
and communications) should augment standard knowledge
and process training. Because it is critical to services delivery,
the success of client interactions should be quantified,
measured, and improved with regularity.

2. Inseparability

The production of the services can’t be separated from its
consumption. For example, the production and consumption
of a medical examination happen together, as do many
consulting services and IT maintenance contracts.

In Financial / Insurance advisory too, moment one starts
consulting about the options a particular client may opt for
(in other words, client presentation), the production (and
consumption) of service starts.

Many agents think that collecting premiums, dispatching
receipts, changing names/ address etc. are the services
they offer. These issues are only a small part of the total
package of the services offering and could be taken for
granted. They will definitely not distinguish a service from
one advisor to other. The distinguishing factor here would
be a quality of advice, and a way of presentation. 

This leads to two important factors. First, the client is,
essentially, “in the factory,” watching production all along
the way. It is very important for a service provider or
consultant to carefully manage the “production process”
as the client is able to observe it in action and make
judgments about quality and value.

Second, the client often expects the service to be provided
in a specific way or by a specific individual-and that can
pose challenges in assigning staff, delegating, managing the
process, and ensuring the frontline people display the
appropriate knowledge, attitude, and appearance when
delivering the service.

How we should deal:

Services marketing professionals can encourage client
participation during the delivery process. As the client is
engaged through interviews, fact finding process, strategy
sessions, regular communications, testing, and face-to-face
updates at major milestones, he gains confidence and builds
commitment to the engagement and relationship.

To manage distribution and pricing considerations and other
paraphernalia services, in the face of inseparability, the
marketing professional can identify the level of
personalization that the client requires and the company
can support. For example, interactions can be managed
through conference calls versus on-site visits, or exchanges
can be shifted from high-contact to low-contact operations
(e.g., personalized banking to ATM or online banking). These
changes should be carefully evaluated to ensure client
acceptance and positive brand impact.

3. Variability

Sometimes called “heterogeneity,” services quality and
consistency are subject to great variability because they are
delivered by people, and human behavior is difficult to control.
Personal performance and quality can vary by time of day
(people get tired), time of month or year (during tax time for
CPAs), workload (as is generally in March), experience (past
experience the service provider has had with a particular
client and vice versa), attitude, knowledge, and various other
factors. Maintaining client trust during lapses (which will
happen) is very critical. Also, variability is why it can be risky
to have one person make the sale and establish the
relationship, and another deliver the service. (Most important
factor in selling is creation of trust. And this is truer in the
selling of Insurance and other financial services). The original
contact person is the one who reduced risk for the client;
when someone else delivers the service, the client may
become agitated or wary.

How we should deal:

Services marketing professionals particularly can overcome
variability by developing special service packages.

For example, the level of quality to be received can be
deliberately limited. IT maintenance contracts frequently offer
a range of service packages (e.g., from “basic” with response
in 4-6 hours, to “premium” with immediate, on-call support).
Standardizing some service offerings enables the organization
to be very specific in noting service and quality deliverables,
thus decreasing variability and meeting client expectations
simultaneously. Instead of providing similar types of services
to all the clients, different standards could be created for
various categories of clients and various types of services,
depending on the amount of skill and man hours required for them.

When this method is used, variability can become a point of
differentiation as it enables flexibility and services customization.

When promoting services, marketers can overcome client
concern about service consistency in two ways-through team
introductions and through positive referrals.
The sales leader should make it clear that a qualified team will
work with the client, and schedule face-to-face introduction
and discovery sessions to smooth the next-phase transition
process.

In addition, positive word-of-mouth referrals, written
testimonials and case studies, or reference-able accounts can
dispel client concerns about variability.

LIMP THE LOOPHOLES: Because things can and do go wrong,
the services producer should know how to deliver a
professional client response. How quickly the response is
delivered is critical. The objective is to maintain client trust;
so shifting blame, explaining it away, or ignoring it can further
damage the relationship. The services producer should provide
an apology, fix the problem or situations quickly, make up for
the inconvenience with additional free services or a token of
appreciation, and determine the reason for the error and fix it
at the root-even if it means people or process changes.

Finally, research shows that employee satisfaction is the most
important factor in providing high quality service. Potential
client interaction problems can be minimized through adequate
training, empowering employees to make more customer-
focused decisions, and rewarding them for positive customer-
oriented behavior.

Also, establishing employee feedback mechanisms so that
management can hear and take action on issues of concern
will strengthen employee perceptions of the company, increase
satisfaction, and result in better client interactions.

4. Perishability:

You can’t store services for future use. When a client misses
an appointment with his attorney, that time can never be
recaptured. When hotel rooms are empty and theater tickets
go unsold, the inherent value vanishes.

Perishability also affects performance, as balancing supply and
demand can be difficult. Demand may be seasonal, time sensitive,
or crisis driven. When demand fluctuates, it can be a challenge to
maintain high performance levels.

For example, a Tax consultant at tax time in March; may have
difficulty giving the same personalized attention as at other times
of the year. In IT services, performance could be tested during
peak times of disaster recovery, massive server outages, or
when juggling new installation projects in four states. While
product marketers handle supply/demand issues through
production scheduling and inventory management, services
marketers don’t have that advantage. Probably that is the
significance of March hours in India, as Saving Tax becomes
priority in the period.

How we should deal:

Unlike the other three characteristics, perishability primarily is a
concern of the service producer-the client is aware of this factor
only when there is an insufficient supply and he has to wait for
the service. For the services marketing professional, perishability
affects pricing and distribution most distinctly.

If the services are particularly time sensitive, demand-based
pricing can be instituted as with airline tickets, seasonal vacations,
or even a partner’s hourly fee structure.

For many services, managing demand is handled by scheduling
delivery through appointments, while increasing supply is
addressed through multiple locations or additional site personnel.

Another way to balance supply-demand issues is through the
use of retainer agreements. For those services that are long-term,
maintenance, or consultative in nature, this pricing and delivery
method ensures the client of ongoing services delivery with a
greater consistency in quality and allows the services producer to
establish a more predictable cash flow and forecasting scenario.
Some factors, like use of modern technology; additional
personal and judicious delegation which is done to take care of
the variability, may actually help in handling perishability and
improving the efficiency and effectiveness, especially during the
pick times.

The Final Factor

What’s right for your services? How can you strengthen client
relationships and improve your competitive position?

Understanding the characteristics of services can provide a unique
opportunity for services producers to improve business success
by rethinking their models and packaging options, improving
production processes and client participation, enhancing customer
focus, and building employee relationship skills.

Yours views and experience is very critical for all of Us. Learning
by sharing is a continuous two way process. So do write us back.

Wish you a happy selling.

Yours Enthusiastically,
Amal Mondkar.

We all make mistakes when selling our product/service. Here
are the most common sales mistakes people make.

Sales Mistake # 1: Allowing a prospect to lead the sales process.

The best way to control the sales interaction is To Ask
Questions. This is also the best way to learn whether or not
your product or service meets the needs of your prospect; a
process we call Qualifying. Quality questions that uncover
specific issues, problems, or corporate objectives are
essential in helping you establish yourself as an expert. Also,
this will create an opportunity to design solutions keeping
Prospect’s interest in mind- a quality of a true professional.

Sales Mistake # 2: Not completing pre-meeting research.

After several weeks of voice mail I finally connected with my
prospect and scheduled a meeting. Unfortunately, I entered
the meeting without first researching the company.

Instead of presenting a solution to an existing problem, I spent
the entire meeting learning fundamental information, which to
senior executives, is a complete waste of their time. This
approach is one of most common sales mistakes. Invest the
time learning about your prospect before you call them and
before you try to schedule a meeting.

Sales Mistake # 3: Talking too much.

Too many sales people talk too much during the sales
interaction. They espouse about their product, its features,
and their service and so on. When I first bought carpet for my
home I recall speaking to a sales person who told me how
long he had been in the business, how smart he was, how good
his carpets were, etc. But this dialogue did nothing to convince
me that I should buy from him. Instead, I left the store thinking
that he did not care about my specific needs.

A friend of mine is in the advertising business and often talks to
prospects who initially request a quote. Instead of talking at
great length about the ad agency’s experience and qualifications,
he gets the potential client talking about her business.
By doing this he is able to determine the most effective strategy
for that prospect.

Sales Mistake # 4: Giving the prospect information that is irrelevant.

When I worked in the corporate world I was subjected to
countless presentations where the sales person shared
information that was completely meaningless to me.
I don’t care about your financial backing or who your clients
are. Make the most of your presentation by telling me how
I will benefit from your product or service until I know how
your product or service relates to my specific situation.

This is a tricky area. As a thumb rule, you can keep the “extra”
data (not relevant to the benefit presentation) ready, and
furnish the same, if (and only if) asked for.

Sales Mistake # 5: Not being prepared.

I remember calling a prospect expecting to receive a reply
from his secretary. That meant I was completely unprepared
when he answered the call himself. Instead of asking him a
series of qualifying questions I simply responded to his
questions, allowing him to control the sale. Unfortunately,
I didn’t progress any further than that initial call.

When you make a cold call or attend a meeting with a
prospect it is critical that you are prepared. This means
having all relevant information at your fingertips including;
pricing, testimonials, samples, and a list of questions you
need to ask. I suggest creating a checklist of the vital
information you will need and reviewing this list before you
make your call. You have exactly one opportunity to make
a great first impression and you will not make it if you are
not prepared.

Sales Mistake # 6: Neglecting to ask for the sale.

I recall a participant in one of my workshops expressing
interest in my book. I told him to look through it but at no
time did I ask for the sale. Later, I heard him express this
observation to other participants in the program. If you sell
a product or service, you have the obligation to ask the
customer for a commitment, particularly if you have invested
time assessing their needs and know that your product or
service will solve a problem. Many people are concerned with
coming across as pushy but as long as you ask for the sale
in a non-threatening, confident manner, people will usually
respond favorably.

ABC of selling means Always Be Closing. If you don’t close,
you are working for your competitor.

Sales Mistake # 7: Failing to prospect.

This is one of the most common mistakes independent
business make. When business is good many people stop
prospecting, thinking that the flow of business will continue.
However, the most successful sales people prospect all the
time. They schedule prospecting time in their agenda every
week. Sophisticated Automated tools like Winner Plus are
available in the market. Utilise them, and emerge as a true
professional.

Even the most seasoned sales professional makes mistakes
from time to time.

Avoid these blunders and increase the likelihood of closing
the sale. Wish you a happy selling.

                                                                   – Amal Mondkar