It is a fact that most companies go through periods of starvation waiting on the phone to ring failing to realize the enormous revenue right under their seats, the customer base. The base is so overlooked that most service providers consider them "no meat on the bones" accounts when it comes to sales production. The ability to massage the base and harvest the fruits is unique and seldom a point of training. If the base is attacked without proper training the results can be devastating as it risks the base stability. Sales inspectors that have the opportunity to re-inspect existing accounts have a gold mine at their disposal which would benefit the individual inspector, the company and most importantly the customer. Teaching inspectors and service techs to recognize and prosecute OP's (opportunity probes) such as re-inspections, warranty inspections and other customer base requests is learned behavior. Teaching the work force to recognize "needs" and how to introduce them to the customer without coming off as a "sales person" is the responsibility of management. The customer base is a perpetual fuel source that provides stable and positive production that transends "seasons" for any service. The course best suited for this training is Base Psychology of Sales, Preceptions 101
How the customer preceives the company and the inspector will determine the success of any sell to that customer. Perception is sensory and thus can be manipulated. Perception manipulation through vision, actions and words is not trickery, we do it every day in normal life, unfortunately the perceptions most field service providers present is that of a "salesperson". Do you think your dentist is a sales person? Really, think about it, as professional as they are they are the masters of the "upsell" yet we do not perceive them as salespeople. They are service providers, trusted to take care of us so why should the pest tech, inspector or HVAC technician be any different in his approach to manipulate the consumer perception to that of the dentist. Service providers operate on the consumer "needs" not "wants" which is what retail sales operate on. The reason service companies struggle in sales is they present themselves as "sales" not service providers that are there to take care of a specific need. Basically, in most cases, the tech or inspector "unsells" the account. I would venture to say that most people do not decline the dentist when they say a cavity needs to be filled. The consumer sure as heck does not "want" those big hairy hands in his or her mouth with sharp objects but because the dentist said it needs to be done, they do it in most cases. Do your clients have the same trust and faith in your service or sales force? If not it is becasue they do not understand the value or perception and how to manipulate it. Is what it is.....
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