Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 38. Building a Bridge between Service and Selling

Walt Zeglinski and Bill Kowalski

Integrity Solutions Holdings

This should not come as a shock . . . Markets are becoming more competitive and products are rapidly commoditizing.

Against this backdrop many organizations remain committed to their growth strategies. They have recognized that the success of their growth strategy depends on increasing customer acquisition and loyalty. Therein lies the dilemma: how to acquire new customers and increase the number of products and services purchased per customer, while maintaining the high level of service customers have come to expect. At a time when most consumers feel "like a number," this has great appeal. If your organization can build the bridge between superior service and results-producing selling, you will have created a unique competitive advantage.

SERVICE VERSUS SELLING

In a pure service culture, organizational and employee behavior is contingent on your team's skill in responding to customer inquiries. However, in a service-selling culture employees pro-actively seek to understand customers' wants and needs and increase the value created in every customer experience. Service organizations who have not made this transition will find organic growth difficult.

The most progressive of organizations, across industries, have made significant investments to improve the proactive needs-focused selling behaviors of their service team. Others have chosen to emphasize a more reactive ...