If you are woman entrepreneur selling a service brand rather than a product brand, you already understand the uniqueness and challenges associated with it: Since a service brand is essentially an intangible and ‘experience’ based brand, it is harder to sell than a service brand, as the customer can only ‘see’ and ‘experience’ it after buying it. Therefore, you would have to convince your client in a far more creative and persuasive manner to opt for your service. You would also find it harder to deliver a service brand in a measurable and consistent manner always. However, selling a service brand also gives you the unique advantage of building long term customer relationship and gaining their retention and loyalty, provided that you do it right. Follow these four steps to add more soul to your service brand, deliver a unique service, and win clients for life:
Focus on Differentiation But More So on Service Relevance
A truly creative woman entrepreneur’s success lies in positioning her service brand in such a way that is becomes different from her competition but still stays relevant to the client’s needs. Don’t try to sell your service to everyone randomly but only to a select target market, your ideal client. Don’t just keep telling your client that your service is unique and is better than A and B but show them how it is relevant to their current needs, or it is what they exactly need in their personal and professional life. Then back these claims with facts and excellent service.
Understand the Expectations, Meet or Exceed Them
Expectations have the potential to make or break any service brand! Your success and that of your brand depend on how will you are able to meet these expectations. So understand what your client expects from your brand and then attempt to deliver it to the best of your abilities. However, for getting ahead of your competitors, you have to go beyond than doing a satisfactory job. Learn to surpass or exceed your clients’ expectations in order to win their long term loyalty. Also, try to under commit and over deliver rather than over commit and under deliver.
Build a Rapport
Winning the client isn’t enough; you are required to continually think of new and creative ways to retain him or him. So focus on building a long term relationship with your clients, one that is based on consistent performance, understanding and trust. Customer relationships that are built on solid foundations can weather bumps and glitches down the road, such as minor service delays, snafus, mistakes, etc.
Communicate with Them Regularly, Consistently
Good communication is the ultimate key to all relationships, and client relationship building is no exception. This means staying in touch with a potential client whether he or she buys from you or not. This means placing a call or sending a ‘how are you?’ email occasionally to clients to ensure that they stay active on your leads’ radar. This also goes for your existing clients. If you only get in touch with them only when you have something new to sell to them then they are most likely to remember you as a pushy saleswoman and not as a talented and professional woman entrepreneur providing a service valuable to them.
Luci McMonagle understands what it takes to build a successful service brand and sell it, what it takes to go beyond breaking even and garner a six figure income. She launched her own business in her early 20s and hasn’t looked back since. If you feel that your service brand is stuck in a rut, then book a complimentary session with me to see how she can work with you to take your service brand from zero to zenith. Click Here.