"Invisible" Wisdom, Part 2

Previously, I was highlighting a few of the great points that Harry Beckwith makes in his book, Selling the Invisible.  I wanted to continue with two final points that I think are worth the consideration of anyone in the technology or service industry.

4. "Stand for one distinctive thing that will give you a competitive advantage"

Beckwith spends a lot time stressing the importance of good positioning.  He takes four rules from Al Ries and Jack Trout's book Positioning:

1. You must position yourself in your prospect's mind
2. Your position should be singular: one simple message.
3. Your position must set you apart from your competitors
4. You must sacrifice.  You cannot be all things to all people; you must focus on one thing.

Beckwith's examples include Domino's Pizza, who never made any claims regarding price or quality, but told everyone that their pizza would be there in 30 minutes or it was free, therefore taking the position as the quickest pizza delivery chain. Now, Domino's has set the industry standard for delivery time.  

As mentioned earlier, when one company raises the consumer's expectations, everyone must react.  Today, no matter who is delivering your pizza, you expect it to be there in 30 minutes or less.  Because that is now the standard, Domino's is currently in the midst of a new campaign based on quality.  Despite the campaign change, they stay focused on a single topic.  There is no discussion of price or delivery time, just quality pizza.

To broaden your appeal, sometimes you have to narrow your position.  Newfangled has done this since around 2000.  Instead of a website development company for anyone needing a site of any size, Newfangled has positioned itself as a company that "works with ad agencies, marketing firms, and in-house marketing departments to build conversion-focused websites for mid-sized businesses."  Website development is becoming an increasingly large field, but this narrowed focus positions Newfangled in a niche where they can be a leader and focus on what they do well, therefore increasing Newfangled's appeal and solidifying their place in the market.  Not to mention the SEO benefits of a clearly-defined area of expertise.

5. "Holding on to what you've got: nurturing and keeping clients"

Bingo.  They say to save the best for last, and I wanted to save this chapter because I feel that it speaks to what every service company strives to do - keep clients.  This chapter was also near the end of Beckwith's book, however, it was one of my favorites.

One of the most important things that Beckwith points out is dealing with expectations.  A service company must not make promises it cannot deliver.  Your prospects and clients should have realistic expectations of what you are going to deliver.  If you allow them to expect your service to be perfect, even a very very good service will leave them dissatisfied and thinking that you misled them.

Beckwith describes a customer's satisfaction as "the gap between what the customer expects and what she gets."  An example of this can be seen simply by sending a letter to California.  The letter gets there three days later.  Is this service acceptable?  Well, it is horrible for an overnight service and absolutely outrageous for a fax, but for a letter, it is perfectly fine.  This example really illustrates how managing the customer's expectations can help you maintain their satisfaction as well.  You should set realistic expectations and then aim higher.  Whatever you do, avoid hype.

The last point that Beckwith stresses about client relationships is the amount that you should thank your clients for their business and continually remind them that you are there, working for them.  With the purchase of a new car, the shinny exterior, the new car smell and the softness of the slick new leather seats are all constant reminders of money well-spent.  Services, being intangible, cannot do this, so the service provider must go out of their way to stay in touch with clients, thanking them and reminding them of all of the things that the provider is continuing to do.

Newfangled has set an example in this category.  The project managers set up regularly-scheduled times to chat with all of their clients who are on our Total Managed Support plan, and they are more than willing to answer any questions that come in from clients and help solve any bugs that may arise.  After a site goes live, Newfangled does not go away, but instead, keeps reminding clients that they are still around and willing to help.

Newfangled integrates analytics into all of their sites to measure performance and track site activity.  Also, Newfangled is always looking far ahead at technology trends and helping clients to remain ahead of the curve with their websites and internet marketing efforts.  These are great ways to stay in touch with clients and avoid being "out of sight, out of mind."

I'll wrap it up simply by saying that I suggest everyone in a service industry check out this book.  In fact, even those in a business that sells a product can learn a lot from the lessons in Selling the Invisible.  The book will alter the way you think about selling and marketing a service, and despite the age of the book, almost every word is still applicable today - just another illustration of the strength of each lesson.