One of the biggest challenges for any service business or company is marketing. This is mainly due to the fact that a service business tends to have to sell something that really isn’t all that tangible sometimes. Sure, selling appliances is a tad easier because the potential customers can actually see the appliance and get all of the relevant stats. What about a financial services or software consultant? What about a payroll or sales training company trying to draw in some new clients? Those are a tougher sell than trying to sell that car or refrigerator or new cell phone.
- A major factor in the success of any service company is satisfied clients. Peer reviews are hugely important these days and you must make it easy for potential customers and clients to access your reviews. Placing links at your website to the major review sites would be extremely helpful but nothing is better than personal testimonials. Having them written out and placed on your home page will have an immediate and lasting impact. Better yet, a one minute video commercial featuring a satisfied long time client will establish you as a player and someone with the experience potential clients are looking for.
- One of the special traits of potential service company clients is that they are looking to stop the pain right now. They aren’t normally just shopping around as if looking for a new television or cell phone or some time down the line. They are in pain now and need you to help them through it. That is why it is critical that you have multiple contact points through which you can be reached. Answering phones on the first ring is ideal as is an immediate response to an email. Can’t do that by yourself? Then hire someone to do it. The cost will be more than justified with the new clients that will come in.
- It should go without saying that you need to be immediately seen as legitimate. One of the est ways to do that is to leverage as many of the top industry badges of confidence and awards that you can from the Better Business Bureau to your local chamber of commerce to any industry groups that you belong to. These will give you an instant credibility and the potential client will feel confident beginning to learn more about you.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
