The Surefire Way To Sell Services
Upon further investigation, they learned the notebooks were part of a revamping of the customer's entire sales-automation system. The opportunity ultimately expanded from just selling notebook computers to include remote-access design and implementation. And it turned out to be an extremely profitable and rather large project for the solution provider.
Still, talk about a close call,one that happens all too frequently. Despite the need to creatively drum up new business, there are still many salespeople out there who are reactionary. That translates to a tremendous number of missed opportunities as a result of not drilling down deeper into what customers are doing.
When solution providers ask me how to identify opportunities to sell services, I reply with a question: "How many customers and potential customers did your salespeople talk to today?" If they say 100, I say, "You missed approximately 80 opportunities to sell services." The good news is that you don't have to stretch very far to build a pipeline filled with services opportunities; all you have to do is ask the next question up,what I like to call the "opportunity info chain."
The chain starts exactly where a salesperson is at any given moment within a single opportunity. It can start at a pure hardware or RFQ level, or it can begin when you are talking to a customer about upgrading a server, installing a new application or operating system, etc. Also, the chain can lead to the next question or the next six questions, depending on the salesperson's ability to move up the chain.
Picture your salespeople working a hardware deal and asking questions like, "How are you going to use this hardware?" or "What is this hardware going to be connected to?" or "What project is this a part of?" It's easy to see how new opportunities can unfold.
This I can assure you: If each and every one of your salespeople asks at least one more question up the chain on every opportunity they have, no matter what it is, and they do this day after day, your technical services pipeline will expand dramatically.
The key success factor in getting this to happen is that management presses the issue (see "Moving On Up," left). It has to become a cultural obsession, a bandwagon onto which management drives and inspires everyone. The good news is, it's relatively easy to create a positive stir for climbing the opportunity info chain, and once you get it going, the results will speak for themselves.
If you choose to move on this idea, you will not only expand your services pipeline, but will ultimately be able to engage your customers earlier in their decision-making processes. That can help create the competitive advantage that is essential to survival in today's tight market.
Remember, information is power. And it is also profit.
Jeff Baker is president of Development Resources, a Sedona, Ariz-based channel consulting firm. He has more than 20 years of experience in the computer industry.