Point of difference

When your business provides a service, there is one thing that will make the biggest difference to the clients experience, and it's very hard for anyone to imitate or copy it. You probably know what it is. It's you, the service provider.

Any florist can sell you flowers, any lawyer can draft a contract, any accountant can help you with your tax return, any hairdresser can cut your hair, any barista can you make you a coffee, any tutor can teach your children maths. What makes the difference, what attracts new customers and helps retain existing customers, is the experience the customer receives, not the actual product. As customers we almost take the product you are offering for granted. We expect it to be very good. It's all the little things that we experience on our purchasing journey that add up to making the biggest difference.

In my line of work, corporate training / adult education there has been a trend in recent years towards online learning and webinars. They can serve a purpose, however they are no substitute for a face to face in room training program. It's like the difference between listening to your favourite song on Spotify and hearing it live at a great venue with another 10,000 fans. No comparison.

At NRG, one of our points of difference is the in room experience, you the participant receives. Being part of group, engaging in discussions, reflecting on why you do what you do, whilst working with an experienced facilitator makes all the difference. Yes, the content is important, but it's the whole experience that adds the most value and will help you make lasting changes. 

Here's a few suggestions on how to add your personality into the way you work with your clients:

1. Be authentic - Don't try to be someone that you aren't. Be the best version of yourself that you can be. When you are speaking with your clients focus on them. The minute you try too hard to be someone you are not, you start to lose credibility. 

2. Be curious - The best service providers are interested in their clients. They ask questions. They want to help them make better choices. If you were a Florist you could ask a few questions when someone is browsing "Are you looking for something for a special occasion? Do you know if they have a favourite colour? Would you like a special and unique card to go with the flowers?

3. Remember little things about your clients - If you genuinely take an interest in people it shouldn't be that hard to remember little things about them. Double shot latte, spouses name, football team they follow, taste in music, last holiday. If you are curious and authentic and are willing to share some personal information with your clients you'll be pleasantly surprised how much they will share with you.   

And the cherry on top. When you provide outstanding service levels and remember the 3 little tips above, you'll be surprised how many referrals will come your way. We all love sharing great experiences with others. When you see a great show on Netflix, enjoy a terrific meal or stay at fantastic hotel you'll always be happy to share with others. Most of us love using the thumbs up emoji.

So, dust yourself off, put a smile on your dial and get in to dialogue with your clients. You're a very hard act to copy.

Posted in Leadership; Tagged Leadership, Finding great sales people; Posted 24 June 2019 by Steve Herzberg