A business idea has weight if it answers 3 questions. What to sell, how to offer, and who will become the consumer. The services market differs from trade in tangible goods. The performer offers the result. A long-term process of getting rid of a problem. Let's look at how to properly sell services to a client. Product packaging options in the real world and on the Internet. Read the article to the end, it is useful.

Significant differences between goods and services

Conventionally, goods are divided into 2 types: food and non-food. The former serve to satisfy the client's vital needs. Satisfying hunger and thirst. Non-food items help solve everyday issues, make life more comfortable, and protect you from danger. An important feature of goods is their mutual dependence with services.

• manufacturing;
• recovery;
• education;
• service.

The first and second are closely related to material products. The latter are based on the distribution of information and providing comfortable conditions for clients. An important difference between a product and a service is target orientation. The first solves the problem immediately, the second promises to get rid of the problem in the future.

Along with tangible products, services cause concern among customers. The customer is not 100% sure of the results and the proportionate return of the costs incurred. The performer sells the promise. At the stage of concluding a deal, the air that needs to be packaged in a selling form.

What does a customer look at when placing a service order?

• Price. A factor whose magnitude can be measured and compared in the material world.
• Result. Getting rid of what worries the customer now or threatens a comfortable existence in the future.
• Guarantees. A promise to correct deficiencies or bring the project to the expected level.

The psychology of the buyer requires packaging the offer in a conditionally tangible form. For the service, visualization and analogy with the material are sufficient:

• select "name";
• provide choice;
• make the offer profitable;
• justify the significance of each step.

The method of converting intangibles into tangibles helps strengthen the organization’s competitive position. Formation of a unique selling proposition that looks more attractive, along with similar ones. Let's consider whether it is possible to sell services as goods in more detail.

Choose the correct "name"

The first rule of materializing an intangible product is in the name. The name of the company, brand and range of services should be associated with the result. For example, “Car repair” or “Car service Zhemchuzhina” directly indicate the direction of the organization’s activities. You cannot call the service station “Chaika” without indicating a link to an action useful for the client.

Provide choice

Selling a range of services allows you to break down areas into components and distribute them into several packages to solve specific consumer needs. A good example is furniture assembly. Offer standard delivery and lifting of materials. This way the client will have the opportunity to choose between saving money and solving additional problems.

Add to the two existing packages an additional set of post-warranty services. A technician will come to your location and fix your sagging cabinet door for free. But you will have to pay extra for this. According to research, 64% of respondents would prefer to overpay to get rid of an additional problem. Take advantage of this.


The issue of cost savings remains open in the case where it is preferable for the customer to exclude a direction from the complex. For example, delegate the processes of apartment renovation between companies with a narrow service profile. Give the client the opportunity to combine his own package of services. It works.

Add benefits to your offer

The lack of differentiation, along with competitors, forces the client to focus on price. Market monitoring will allow the company to identify these similarities. Offer services with significant benefits, without focusing on the cost of the product. For example, vocational training courses are associated with the relocation of employees to another city.

Offer a solution to the problem at the expense of your organization. Please consider accommodation and transportation costs when determining your tuition fees. Customers will appreciate the uniqueness and benefits of the offer even if the price of the product exceeds the offer of competitors.

Another example would be a free extension of the warranty period. Or delivery at the company's expense. It is important not to overdo it with the price, allowing for partial repayment of the costs of fulfilling accepted obligations.

Emphasize the significance of each step

Selling services involves actions aimed at fulfilling the assigned tasks:

• consultation;
• visit of a specialist;
• placing an order;
• delivery of materials;
• stages of service implementation;
• transfer of results to the customer;
• warranty service;
• Additional services.

Develop a unique selling proposition for each of the steps presented. Describe on the website or present in person the significant advantages associated with the tasks performed by your company’s specialists.

Decomposing the process of interaction with customers into components will reveal the company's potential in more detail. Form a clear picture in the consumer’s head of what he is buying.

How to sell services over the phone

Entrepreneurs try to avoid cold calling. The reason for this is the sad statistics of refusals from potential clients. The truth is that the problem of the latter lies not in the fact of the telephone conversation, but in the negotiation tactics of the organization’s employees.

According to researchers, direct contact, along with the effectiveness of media advertising, website or landing page, increases the likelihood of ordering goods and services by 38%. How to make telephone conversations work to increase your organization's profits?

Use the script

A set of questions and answers that take into account 9 out of 10 potential client behavior options. A standard template can be downloaded or purchased online. Modify taking into account the specifics of the services provided. Or order a unique negotiation program from a specialist.

The script begins with a greeting and the first question, diverging into branches depending on the results of each stage of interaction. Contrary to the misconception, answers to a standard set of questions do not imply excessive variability. As a rule, the script needs 2-3 universal options for the interlocutor’s reaction.

Example of a telephone sales script:

— Good morning, Sergey. My name is Olga, Oblik photography studio. Are you comfortable talking?

Option 1: Yes

— I would like to offer New Year’s shooting services in our studio. We've updated the decor, the pictures will be amazing. And at a reasonable price. Would you and your family be interested in taking beautiful holiday photos?

Option 1.1: Yes(or: How much is it?)

— During the New Year, our studio is in enviable demand. Young couples and families with children love New Year's shooting. Therefore, we are able to offer our clients affordable prices. For example, an hour of shooting in a studio, the services of a professional photographer with subsequent processing and printing of 15 photographs cost only 3,000 rubles. Agree that 200 rubles for a studio-level family photo is Very nice price.

Option 1.1.1: I agree...

Option 2: No

— What time would be convenient for you to answer the call? We are talking about a New Year's photo shoot for you and your family Very nice price.

Option 2.2: Call after lunch …

A company employee communicates with a client using a “cheat sheet” that allows him to focus on the intonation of his voice. Creating a positive mood and the opportunity to improvise with the goal of bringing the client’s answers to the script algorithm.

1. Conquer your fear. Remember that talking to your interlocutor is not a private matter. Your task is to sell services. Don't take harsh answers personally. A negative result is forgotten from the moment the connection is broken. The positive, on the contrary, deserves to be remembered. Take the answer “no” with permission to call back at another time as consent.
2. Lead your potential client. Keep it short. Highlight facts and benefits. Ask counter questions in order to minimize errors in the script. And suggestive, so that the client is convinced of the benefits of the offer on his own.
3. Plan your cold calling times. Get into a rhythm. Set yourself a negotiation plan with a time limit. For example, 40 companies before lunch. If the interlocutor asks to call back, make a note in the plan.
4. Set goals for yourself. Negotiation leads to positive action. The conversation leads to the desired result. Sign up for a consultation, place an order, visit the office, etc. Remember, the effectiveness of telephone sales increases if one conversation has one specific goal.
5. Practice your serve. Your voice is the only link between the company and the consumer of services. Speak confidently, with clear pronunciation, and be polite. Depending on the line of business and the purpose of the call, you should give the appropriate firmness to your voice.
6. Smile when you talk to your interlocutor. Even if the interlocutor responds to the proposal with rudeness. Smiling helps maintain a positive tone, encourages you, and gives confidence to your voice.
7. End the conversation on time. When your goals are achieved and there is nothing more to say, thank the other person and hang up. A prolonged pause or repetition of topics covered, as well as solved questions, leads to a negative impression. Remember to be brief.
8. Call from your personal phone. Let potential clients call back and hear a familiar voice on the other end. The interlocutor does not see you, but associates the offer of services with him. Subconsciously becomes attached to it, buying the product from you personally, and not from your company.
9. Be punctual. If the conversation is scheduled for a specific time, stick to the agreement. From the moment the potential client waits, the call ceases to be a cold call. The same rule applies to requesting feedback on the company website. Here the “law of 15 minutes” comes into force unless the visitor specifies another convenient time. We will return to this topic later.
10. Get started. Practice makes the difference.

How to sell services to a client in person

Personal selling is a strategy aimed at obtaining an order, involving personal communication with the client. Building trusting relationships. Individual approach to the problems of a person or company. Joint search for solutions to assigned problems. Packaging the product in a form that is attractive to the consumer.

The customer gets the opportunity to ask a question personally. Communicate with a company representative authorized to create comfortable conditions for cooperation. The result of negotiations largely depends on the talent and charisma of the seller. Cost, guarantees and completeness of the product fade into the background.

5 Secrets of Personal Selling

The negotiation platform is a script. A salesperson's pattern of behavior aimed at presenting a unique selling proposition. An unambiguous answer to standard questions, supported by facts and compelling arguments in favor of concluding a deal. Or obtaining a different result, depending on the task.

It is rare that a goal is achieved through a single meeting with a potential buyer. An experienced negotiator expects to sign an agreement in 2-3 visits. In the preparation process, take into account 5 recommendations:

1. Communicate with key figures. Before you make an offer, make sure you are dealing with the right person. A person with the right to make decisions in the company. The same strategy should be followed when communicating with a private person. For example, if the final word in the family belongs to your spouse, try to get into a conversation with her.
2. Ask questions. Find out how interested your interlocutor is in offering services. Are you currently using a similar product? If so, ask which competitor he considers a priority. The degree of satisfaction with the company's services. What would you like to get more of or change?
3. Suggest a solution. Indicate the interlocutor’s problem within the framework of the service provided. Focus on the result - getting rid of the issue that interferes with a comfortable existence. Stable implementation of the company’s business processes or saving the family budget. The decision depends on the product you are presenting.
4. Close the deal or set deadlines. After presenting your services, ask your potential client if they would like to place an order right now. Or the time it will take the consumer to make a purchasing decision. Try not to delay your follow-up visit for more than 3 days. This is exactly how long the motivation of a buyer who is imbued with the benefits of your offer lasts.
5. Follow the client. Closing a transaction does not break the connection between the seller and the consumer. Add the client to the database. Happy holidays. Ask about satisfaction with the service provided. When the consumer needs the service again, he will know who to contact.

Selling services via the Internet

Online promotion allows you to save on advertising. Provide potential clients with comprehensive information about your company. Increase the cost of the services offered. Free up time to implement and improve key business processes. It is a rare company that will refuse the opportunity to increase sales and expand its customer base.

The network is attractive to individuals who prefer to work independently. Having a relatively small budget for ordering advertising in the media. And also those who lack time to make cold calls and conduct personal negotiations. We wrote about selling services on the Internet in a separate article.

• Establishing an online presence
• Search Engine Optimization
• Working with potential clients
• Reaction to reviews on the Internet
• Blogging
• Finding ways to attract clients
• Ensuring good reputation
• Formation of a base of regular customers

The information is easy to learn and applicable in practice. Let’s supplement the article by focusing on channels for attracting consumers for free and at minimal cost.
An important feature of working in an international network is the connection of an exhaustive amount of resources. Social networks, forums, free message boards and a personal website serve to successfully attract new customers.

The technology for selling goods and services is significantly different. When it comes to a service, selling involves a longer process consisting of several stages. Here it should be noted the search for a client, agreement on the conditions under which the service will be provided, drawing up contracts, as well as the direct implementation of the agreed actions by the company’s specialists.

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To ensure that the quality of work with clients is at the highest level, you should carefully select personnel who work directly with clients. These must be qualified specialists with extensive experience in this particular field of activity. It is also important to provide additional training to employees and improve their work skills.

What prevents sellers from selling well?

If the company has low demand for the services offered to clients, we can say that the management is making certain mistakes in its work. It is these errors and inaccuracies in the company’s activities that prevent it from increasing the volume of services sold and, accordingly, profit.

First mistake- this is the hiring of unqualified personnel who do not have knowledge and practical skills in working with clients. In this case, the activities of such specialists will repel clients.

Thus, the most common mistakes of management are improper management of personnel.

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Today is a guest post from Maria Gubina, a business coach and consultant who helps micro-businesses and freelancers become better and sell more using marketing tools. Links to Maria’s project: http://azconsult.ru, https://vk.com/azconsult , https://www.facebook.com/azconsult.ru.

Selling a product online is easier than selling a service. The fact that the product is tangible helps it even in the online space. There are photographs of the product, they show what it looks like. There are specific characteristics on the basis of which the client can make a choice: size, power, volume, design. In addition, for most products there is the possibility of returning: ordered, looked, touched, smelled, didn’t like it, returned it.

But what about services? Let's say, a hairdresser's service - how to convince a potential client that it is of high quality? How can you make it clear in advance that consulting a psychologist will be useful? How to convince someone to make a decision to purchase training if the counterparty has no idea how the training is carried out and what needs to be done in the process?

There are tools to make the service more understandable, the process of providing it more visual, and the result more tangible. As a result, it is easier to promote a service on the Internet.

Detailed description of the composition of the service and the process of its provision

Don’t pour water in the format of selling texts about how many joys will appear in the client’s life after meeting you. Give more information about your service.

• Step by step on how you do it.
• What materials or tools do you use and why.
• What in the service delivery algorithm did you come up with yourself and why is it good?
• How do they get the result, why exactly this.
• What will this result be?
• And so on.

For example, you are conducting a training. Tell us what preliminary information the participants receive, how the classes are conducted, how they communicate with the trainer, who and how solves technical issues, what will happen at each stage of the work. I even tell my future students what formats they will receive webinar recordings in. According to reviews, a clear description helps make a decision to participate, since clients no longer pay for an abstract “training”, but for a set of understandable actions and materials.

Service visualization

Try to give the client the opportunity see your work, and not just read about it in the text.

• Show a photo or video of the process itself: how you give advice, conduct training, cut hair, repair computers.
• Showcase your workspace. If you need special equipment to provide a service, you can show with a photo that you have it. If you want to emphasize, say, the elite category of a service, take a photo of the expensive interior of your office.
• If you provide a service directly on the Internet, they will help you visualize it screenshots. If you conduct trainings, you can provide screenshots from your events: here is a picture of a webinar room, here is a presentation, here is a chat. If you are a designer, show the stages of your work in the form of screenshots.

• Let me evaluate the result of the service. Photos based on the “what was then” principle work great. If, for example, you do manicures or process photographs, this item is mandatory for you to implement. If you increase the flow of clients to your website or teach how to write texts, you can show screenshots of your clients’ results.
• Your own photo and/or don’t forget to post photos of your employees too. People always like to know who they are working with.

Social proof

People make decisions more easily when they can rely on the opinions and actions of other people. Accordingly, if you show that you have many satisfied clients, it will become easier to promote and sell your service.
What social proof should you use?

• Reviews. Be sure to ask clients to leave them. For publications, choose informative ones, not just “I liked” ones. It’s good to give customers the opportunity to write on your website themselves; such reviews are more trusted. You should not link to reviews published on third-party resources. It's better to take a screenshot and post a picture.
• Cases, that is, stories about how you successfully solved a client's problem. It is clear that if you are a stylist or makeup artist, all you need to do is show a before and after picture. However, if you have training, consultations, coaching, printing, medical services, cases will work great. You describe the client’s problem, how you came up with its solution, how you worked, what you offered, and what specific result your work gave.
• Recommendations- something like a review, but not from a client. Partners or more experienced market experts can recommend you as a good specialist.
• Numbers that show the scale and quality of your work. How many clients did you have, the percentage of repeat purchases, the achievements of your clients. For example, 90% of clients' profits double after your consultation, or 80% of your graduates enter university without additional preparation - good numbers that should definitely be used.

Service materialization

Add some tangible element to the service.

• Certificate about completing the training and handouts. Even if the training takes place online, electronic certificates are highly valued by students.
• Recorded disc offline training. It doesn't matter that the recording can be downloaded via the Internet. It is the box with the disc that works magically.
• Give book your authorship, even if it is a small brochure that you print yourself in a printing house.
• And some guides take pictures their clients during the excursion and give photo albums as souvenirs.

These additional material bonuses can be announced on the website.

Training and information

The last block on my list, but far from the least important. Create content that shows your mastery of the topic and your professionalism in providing the service. To everything that I have already written about above, add useful materials of your own authorship. Write articles, do master classes, record video lessons. Don't be afraid to teach too much or give away trade secrets. Remember: in each material you do not just tell the reader or viewer how and what he can do, but first of all show how professionally you do it. This is how trust in you is built. And where there is trust, there are sales.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to make it easier for yourself to sell a service. You may not be able to use all of them at once. I use half well. But this half also significantly simplifies my life. I wish the same for you!

By the way, it would be great if in the comments you share your own tricks and tricks that help you sell and promote your service.

Author

Maria Gubina, business coach and consultant.

I help micro-businesses and freelancers become better and sell more using marketing tools.

What questions will you find answers to in this article:

• Why is it important to take care of clients' children today?
• How to sell your services a year in advance
• Are cross-selling always effective in the service sector?

Remember the characteristics and habits of customers

For hotels, as well as for many companies, operational efficiency is determined by such an indicator as customer return. To evaluate this parameter, you need to maintain an electronic client card (in a CRM system or MS Excel spreadsheet). For example, we issue an electronic card for each guest, in which we record his wishes and comments expressed during his stay at the hotel, as well as additional information (what car he arrived in, what he ordered for the room, etc.). Feeling that the hotel is carefully taking into account his interests, the client will prefer to stay here next time. I will give an example from my practice. Our guests had a third child, and the family, as always, came to us in full force. We have prepared gifts for mother (massage and cosmetology procedures), father (cigars) and baby (gift set). They were very touched by this attention. But here is a completely different case. I wanted to book a room at a hotel I had stayed at before. Over the phone they began to clarify with me everything that I reported last time. I said that the data was in my client card, but they answered me: “It is on another server. We see her only when you arrive.” I didn’t want to go to such a hotel.

Provide unexpected and convenient service

Most hotel rooms have folders with a list of additional services. This way of informing the client about services has long been outdated (this does not apply only to luxury hotels: there such a folder is a beautiful and expensive element of the decor). To demonstrate respect for the customer and the technology of your company, replace (if not in all rooms, then at least in business class rooms) folders with tablet computers so that the guest can order food from the restaurant without calling the phone. Or another example. Many hotels offer bed and breakfast. But often the restaurant does not have enough seats. Offer a "Breakfast in the Room" service. It won’t cost you anything: the maid will just bring breakfast to the guests and pick up the dishes an hour later. And guests will definitely appreciate this offer: “We are ready to serve breakfast in your room and bring you a cup of your favorite coffee.”

Show concern for children

Pay attention to the experience of Western companies, which have long understood that it will be easier for an adult to please you if you please his child. A typical example is the McDonald's chain, where parties are held with clowns, the child is given a toy in a set, etc. We, for example, always inform that we have a changing room, a crib with a special mattress, a zoo, a swimming pool with a children's “saucer”, paramedic If a client is planning to come with small children, he will be attracted by the message about a small play corner in your office.

Sell ​​services for the future

This is more suitable for working with corporate clients. For example, in the hotel industry, companies book venues in advance for summer events. They usually do this in September-October of the previous year (due to the need to approve the budget). This means that we can call and offer our services at the beginning of autumn.

However, the same approach can also be used when working with private clients. Car dealers do the same thing. When selling a car, they immediately offer to buy a service contract for, say, three years in advance. The contract price already includes scheduled maintenance and replacement of some spare parts. In this way, dealers guarantee themselves that the client will definitely return to their showroom, where he can service and repair the car for less money than if he did it not under a contract. I advise you to determine what you can sell to your clients in the future.

Place different emphasis depending on the gender of the client

A sales manager must know the specifics of communicating with different clients. For example, if a woman calls, it is important to her how she can personally relax (cosmetic procedures, massage), as well as how her husband and child will eat. If a man calls, you can tell him about the bathhouse, a nightclub with a cigar room and football broadcasts.

Don't be intrusive

When offering services to private clients, act unobtrusively. There was a case when the manager called the client and offered to relax again at special prices. The wife answered the phone and said that her husband had not been to this hotel (the last time, as it turned out, he was vacationing there with his mistress). There is no chance that the client will return to the hotel.

How can you unobtrusively remind yourself without inundating your client with letters? Add the section “I agree to receive a plan of hotel events and promotions once a month (week, half-year, year)” into the client card. Then, thinking about how to organize a vacation, the client himself will return to this plan to find out what will happen on the dates he is interested in.

For those who doubt, give a nice bonus

Allocate the sales manager a monthly budget (for example, 10 thousand rubles) and allow, by attracting a client, to dispose of this amount at his own discretion. Let’s say a person calls who doubts whether it’s worth paying 15 thousand rubles. for accommodation. The manager quickly responds: “With us you will receive a basket of fruit and a bottle of wine as a gift. Come!” The man agrees because he is traveling with his wife, and she will think that it was the husband who took care of the treat. The cost of a fruit basket and a bottle of wine at the purchase price is about 500 rubles, and your hotel will receive 30 times more.

However, if we are talking about a city hotel, then slightly different rules apply. Most often, business travelers stay in such hotels. The average length of stay is 1.5 days. As a rule, guests do not eat at the hotel (they only pay for breakfast) and do not spend money on additional services. The maximum that can interest them is laundry and ironing services, as well as a one-time visit to the gym.

Hold themed events

It is necessary to constantly maintain and increase interest in the services of your company. So, if the hotel has a restaurant (or you manage a restaurant), organize regular festivals, for example, “Oyster Week”, “Spaghetti Week”. Another example (not from the hospitality industry): the logistics company DHL hosts events for key clients, including go-kart racing. In this way, the company not only organizes pleasant leisure time for customers, but also once again emphasizes in their eyes its competitive advantage - expedited delivery.

Cross-sell

There is such a popular trick: you use the services of one company (for example, a hairdresser) and get a discount in another (for example, in a hotel). Keep in mind that this only works in the low and middle price segments (for example, if the cost of living in a room is 3,500 rubles). A client of an expensive salon will not be interested in the offer - he simply will not want to show that he needs a discount. We ran similar promotions: only 2-3% of those who received the offer called back and asked what the discount was for and how to use it. Discounts offered by group shopping sites are also low in effectiveness: these sales do not provide the required profitability, and in addition, a client who vacationed with an 80% discount will not return and will not pay the full price.

For hotels, cooperation with companies that organize trainings and corporate events provides greater benefits. Such organizations can provide a more or less stable influx of visitors, but they impose a number of conditions. The main thing is that their employees are not always ready to travel far outside the city: among the trainers and coaches there are often foreigners who are very limited in the time they can spend abroad.

Encourage leaving good reviews on social networks

For owners of small non-chain hotels, I recommend promoting services via the Internet (you shouldn’t work through travel agencies - the commission will be about 20%). For example, ask all customers to leave good reviews on your company's Facebook page. In hotels, a notice with such a request can be hung in the room or placed at the reception. In return, offer the guest a small discount on accommodation (1% or a little more) or a gift.

Motivating service sales managers

Payments to reservations department employees must include a fixed and variable portion. As a rule, the variable part can only be tied to the amount of money earned for the company. Focusing on sales of accommodation in individual rooms or introducing more complex KPIs, in my opinion, is ineffective in the hotel business. On average, the constant and variable parts of a manager’s income should be equal (subject to achieving planned indicators). Let's say, if in your region the average salary of a service sales manager is 30 thousand rubles, give him a salary of 15 thousand and pay another 15 thousand for fulfilling the plan 100%.

In addition to processing incoming calls, the manager’s responsibilities include issuing travel packages, communicating with potential guests, corporate groups, etc. We try not to bother clients with too frequent mailings and calls. So, a manager can call a client with any proposal (to hold a birthday, event, etc. at our hotel) once every two months, and emails with our event programs are sent out once a month.

The practitioner says: Evgenia Zavolzhina- Director of the Department of Hotel Complexes of the Euro-Asian Management Company, Yekaterinburg

What performance indicators should be introduced for sales employees?

In our reservation and sales center there are reservation specialists who work with incoming customer requests, and sales managers in areas (conference rooms, rooms, country holidays, organization of special events, banqueting, catering). The income of the company's employees consists of a salary, which increases if the sales plan is exceeded, and bonuses. Bonuses are awarded for achieving performance indicators in several parameters:

• the number of requests received from clients (this indicator is entered only for reservation specialists);
• absence of accounts receivable (only active sales managers should comply with this indicator).

In addition to the reservation center staff, sales are carried out by reception staff. Their motivation system is based on the following indicators:

• compliance with hotel standards;
• sale of rooms “from the counter” and sale of additional hotel services;
• absence of complaints and complaints from guests (checked using questionnaires);
• guest return statistics;
• “mystery shopper” report (accommodation and call to the hotel).

Expert opinion: Andrey Stegantsev- President of the Russian Union of Business Trainers, Consultants, Coaches, Moscow

Five ways to increase sales of services

The main difference between a service and a product is that a service is work with the client’s property. By transferring his property to a stranger, the client experiences fear, which makes it difficult to sell services. What is the client afraid of? He fears that, at best, the service will not benefit him, and at worst, that his property will be damaged or stolen. Moreover, the more valuable property the client transfers to the contractor, the more fear he has. For example, when staying at a hotel, a person trusts the owners with his property and himself - his health, well-being, mood. No wonder he gets worried.

There are several ways in which a client's concerns can be alleviated.

1. Reduce the size and likelihood of damage. Inform that all the property of those staying at the hotel is insured, comfortable conditions have been created for them, and a professional security service is working; and if the guest doesn’t like something, he will be refunded the money for the remaining days and taken to any hotel in the city for free. I think that with this approach, almost everyone will want to stay at your hotel, even if your cost of living is higher than that of your neighbors. Also reduce the likelihood of damage: if the client knows that the hotel has a doctor available around the clock in case of sudden injuries and illnesses, and a detective in case of unpleasant incidents, then he will feel safer.

2. Promise to compensate for possible damage. Decide what you can do in this direction and inform your clients. You can figure out, for example, how to encourage a client to return to you again, even if some problems arose during his stay. Let's say, in case of incidents related to service, one of the possible methods is the gift of a discount card (or a free dinner, or a city tour, or something else - this opens up space for your creativity).

3. Increase the transparency of service provision, make it interactive. If the client sees on the website not only photos, but also videos of rooms, if he can order a small rearrangement in advance, if he is asked the question: “What is most important for you in the equipment of the room?”, if his opinion can be taken into account when drawing up the buffet menu , his trust in such a hotel will increase sharply.

4. Get results faster. This principle allows you to decorate the overall picture with a few bright strokes. What does a hotel client pay money for? For peace, coziness, comfort, safety. Well-known tricks: transfer from the airport, free drinks at the reception, Wi-Fi in the lobby. I have seen more than once people leave hotels where they already had rooms booked, only because there was a delay in check-in, they had nowhere to sit, and the girls at the reception were not very helpful.

5. Provide the opportunity to quickly contact you. Provide your mobile phone number so the client can call if there is any difficulty. Recently, at the reception of one of the hotels, I saw an appeal from the hotel owner to the guests with an offer to call her personally if the guest was not satisfied with something. Nearby were her business cards with her mobile phone number. Agree, this is captivating!

Kirill Irtyuga- General Director and owner of the management company “RosinvestHotel” and the Voyage Hotels & Resorts chain, Moscow; expert of the magazine

To begin with, a very, very subtle psychological moment. Do you think you are taking money from your clients or are you helping them? We know sellers who worry (audibly or silently): This service is not worth that kind of money! What, exactly, did I do?

If you don't personally feel that there is value, that you are helping, and what exactly you are getting paid for, you have a problem. So you think that you are taking money, deceiving, selling, swindling, and this is very difficult, and what will the client get in this case in the end?

So first you need to feel what kind of value you provide to your customers. If you are confident in the quality of your services, if you have satisfied clients, then feel free to talk about it. But specifically, do you feel comfortable when you have to say: “I understand what you need, will my services help you when we start?”

This can only be said by a person who is absolutely sure that he is helping the client: you need me. But g saying it right away is irresponsible, this is amateurish. There are stages such as identifying needs and others, but if it dawns on you that this is “your client,” you should just not be shy - do you need me when we start?

“I’m not asking if you’ll order, just tell me when. But what is needed and what exactly is wrong with me, I already know this when we start?”

In general, modesty as a concept is great. And it would be impossible to live if there were no humble people. But when it comes to selling, no one will convey to the client that you have a solution for him except yourself. So there is no need to be shy about making such a statement. I know what you need, we did it, this is part of our experience, I will help you. There is absolutely no need to be shy! No one else will convey this except you. The best thing you can have to help you close a deal is the feedback from your customers. If you are equipped with this, it helps a lot.

Another interesting question. Who do you think should be satisfied after the deal is concluded? Usually they answer that both should be satisfied. But when a deal is concluded, there are usually many more participants.

Eat seller's company, There is the seller himself. And don't say it's the same thing. If a salesman sold $1,000,000 worth of something and was paid $1,000 for it, are you saying he's going to have a lot of enthusiasm? Of course not! And vice versa. If a company pays a seller decent money, but he always works at the maximum discount, it turns out that he is happy, but the company is not very happy.

The third person, let's call him conventionally client, it could be a specific person, and there is also a concept like client company. There is a concept client's client. And now we want to ask a funny question - which “both” of these five should be happy?

At a minimum, you can't have a deal without at least three participants. Conclusion, not both, but all. Let's look at this triangle.

What happens if the company and you are very satisfied, but the client is not satisfied? The client will not come back and tell others how unhappy he is. You made a one-time deal.

What if it so happened that the seller concluded a deal where he was satisfied and the client was satisfied, and the seller’s company was dissatisfied? The company will draw organizational conclusions and say that we organized all these dances so that the owners could earn money, by the way.

What if the client and the company are satisfied, but the seller is dissatisfied? Then the seller’s motivation will drop, he will not sell better because of this, he may quit, he may start stealing

We have a separate training “concluding a deal” where we examine 18 different techniques. They are more suitable for selling goods, but when it comes to closing a deal for selling services, here is what they look like:

Make the client spend more time with you.

If this is an important client, a fat client, make him spend more time with you. Let's say you need to determine needs, but the client does not like interrogation and questionnaires. And spontaneously, by communicating, it’s much easier to find out everything.

You don't win deals with a remote control. If the client does not have a clearly defined method for making a decision, then he will have questions, doubts, wishes during the process, and the one with whom he discusses this will win. Let's say circumstances change. What is more typical for the client? He was friends with five possible suppliers, circumstances changed.

Option one - he notifies everyone in writing and says : “Guys, I talked to you, but something has changed. Please tell me what your proposal will look like now?” Or the option is when a person is standing next to me. Of course he will ask: “Tell me if so?”

There are always barriers between the seller and the buyer - the more you are together, the fewer of them will remain. If the client has allocated time for a conversation, presentation, etc. - It looks like he needs you.

Concluding “mini-contracts” on the way to closing a deal.

If you listened carefully to the client and then expressed to him your understanding of his problems and needs (without even mentioning your services) - you can get one small YES. If you are convinced of what the client's expectations and concerns are, this is another step forward. If you are able to provide proof and guarantees, this is a new step. If you have divided the sales cycle, and at each stage you achieve a specific goal, these are steps towards closing a deal.

The point is to move towards concluding a deal in small steps, with intermediate goals . Let's do this, then that. Let's prove it, let's show it. This is cool.

Act as if you have already received the order.

There is no need for any conventions. There is no need to build such a structure “If you have chosen me, please understand correctly, I am not pretending, you are still choosing, but if you have chosen me. Then let’s say, if you chose me, then we will do this.”

For what? Everything is very simple! This is our practice. This is what we will do with you. Mentally transfer him to the space called “We are already friends.”

If you, as a professional, know what is best for your client, do it. Maybe he doesn't realize that the deal you're proposing is a good deal, and he'll drag it out. Help the person make a decision. Did you “sell” him the status of “specialist”? Keep in mind that if the client is unhappy, he will blame you, despite the fact that he made the choice. So help him make the right choice.

Talk positive, highlight the source of urgency, but don't scare the client.

The point here is that putting pressure on a client rarely brings success. Almost everything you want to scare him with can and should be said differently. Instead of: “I’ll be busy later,” say “I’m free now.” Instead of “it will cost more from August,” say “it will cost less until August.” Instead of demanding a response by a specific deadline, ask when you can expect an answer. A positive approach leads to engagement, pressure leads to withdrawal.

Be positive. The client said the word “problem” - you say the word “solution”. He said the word “project”, you say the word “operation”, because it is more manageable, more predictable. And don't be scared. Stimulus is great, but horror is bad: “And if you don’t do this, then you have this, this, this.” No need.

Ask the client to imagine the end result.

People are owners by nature; they love when something belongs to them. And if the client gets something new as a result of your work, make a picture in his head “Imagine when you have it, this is what it will look like. Imagine that you just closed these questions And. You don't do this anymore. We took it upon ourselves. Delegation, outsourcing, etc.

If the client delays and cannot decide for a very long time.

There is one nice question for a client who is afraid of change. It sounds like this: “ Please tell me what will happen if you do nothing?” Very good question. You don’t scare him, but you convey to him that the changes are not because of me, they are because they are needed. If he doesn’t do this at all, where will it end? .

Make sure that the client is not afraid to make a deal - eliminate his fears.

With proper communication, the client will tell you what he agrees with, what he fears, what he likes, and what he perceives as a risk. Having found out what the client fears, provide evidence, give specific guarantees, explain how you intend to avoid the risk area, give examples.

Example. Let's say you sell some kind of software. Your technical staff receives a salary of 140,000 rubles, and the client’s company employees receive 20,000. And they participate in the same team, do the same thing, and they must bring something to the end. You can be sure: the latter will have a little less optimism, a little more desire to engage in sabotage, to prove that your system does not work at all. And the client may be afraid of this.

What else could a client be afraid of? The average age of his employees in the accounting department is 58 years old; they consider themselves professors, and this is justified: they are experienced and know their job. And the head of the customer’s company may fear that they will sabotage the implementation: they will prove that the new system is unfriendly.

Having learned these things, you must provide examples and evidence that will alleviate the client’s concerns.

But be careful: remember that it is extremely disadvantageous for you to promise what you cannot deliver, and it is extremely advantageous for you to define measurable parameters of success.

Lead the client sequentially through the steps (A, B, C...) and act decisively before concluding a deal.

The client goes (consciously or not) through the following stages:

a) awareness of needs

b) collecting information

c) comparison and decision making

d) order (possibly participation in its implementation) and

e) assessments

We said earlier what stages you go through in the sales process. Think, synchronize and take logical steps in the right direction. This is a dance, and the client will dance with you. Someone (you) must know the figures, determine the tempo and, of course, decisively invite to dance. Shyness and uncertainty are very bad. Can you imagine a doctor timidly and hesitantly asking a patient: “Maybe you need an x-ray, what do you think? Or some other analysis? Funny! This doesn't happen. A competent doctor will tell you: relax, you are in the right place, everything is fine, he knows what to do with you. Clients love the word “procedure” and really don’t like to be friends with amateurs.

Respond quickly to customer requests and questions.

The client wants something, a request, a change - respond quickly. Who will trust your deadlines if you need three days to answer questions? You are conveying a hidden message: this is how I work, this is how I will provide services.

The client will appreciate your efficiency and professionalism, and he will compare you with your competitors. Remember, there are no two ways to make a first impression. For small transactions, the client may not have to wait for 3-4 offers and order from the one who sends it first.

And further.

If when selling a product you understand when the transaction took place, then with services it is a little different. Don't relax after you receive your order. Only after this will they begin to seriously evaluate you. Make sure that the client clearly says what he needs. It's a win-win move. In Russia this is a little difficult, but this should become your comparative advantage.

Adapt your speech style to the client. Some clients are irritated by the “machine-gun” manner (in the manner of telephone sales), others - when they “pull rubber”. Practice. If you didn't make a deal, you have no right to be too upset. If you charged a price that reflects your efforts, you won't lose that much. If nut 12 does not fit onto screw 14, it cannot be said that the screw or nut is incorrect. If you do not agree with someone, do not conclude that someone is to blame.

© Radmilo Lukich, Evgeniy Kolotilov 2012