Selling Professional Services - Overcoming Human Error

A sale in professional service industries is simply a transaction based upon a promise – a promise that your firm and its employees will perform in a manner that is consistent with the client’s needs and that offers value to the client organization.

Yet we know that people are flawed, and performance levels will vary from project to project and from employee to employee. The average customer probably couldn’t detect even a slight difference in hundreds of widgets coming off of an assembly line. Put a dozen of your consultants, attorneys, or accountants in front of a potential client, however, and odds are they’ll come away with very distinct opinions about who is best qualified or with whom they would prefer to work.

So how do you contend with the realization that your firm’s primary product – its people, are inherently flawed and will drop the ball on occasion – that your customers are human and might be personally incompatible with staff members – even in the absence of substantive performance issues. The answer is communication. Make that over-communication!

Clients understand the fallibility of people. What they don’t understand is poor communication and tardy notification of performance issues. They can’t understand a service provider explaining why they missed a deadline instead of clearly explaining how they will remedy the situation.

They understand employee turnover. They can’t understand why they only discovered that their favorite point of contact at your firm is gone by placing a random phone call 3 weeks after the fact and being told, “That person no longer works here. Can someone else help you?”

Your greatest strength as a service provider is the ability to inspire trust in your customers. Have faith in those customers as well. Trust that if you are courageous enough to explain issues clearly and promptly, your candor will help solidify client relationships and stimulate loyalty in your clients.

see www.fuzzy-widget.com for more sales resources. Happy selling!