Shortly after the December 2013 ENX issue was distributed, I had several service professionals, dealership owners and even one sales manager stop at the ENX booth at a tradeshow to talk with me about my December ENX article, Service Tech Sales Sleuths. To summarize the article (available on line www.enxmag.com archives Dec 2013) I discussed specific ways to keep your field techs engaged, knowledgeable and up to date on your company’s current software offerings. When field techs are familiar with what the software can provide to the end user, they are better able to identify who may benefit from buying one of your software products. Setting up ongoing, structured education and mentoring of your service staff will enable them to consistently turn in appropriate and profitable solutions-based sales leads.
During these one-on-one conversations with the business professionals who stopped by the ENX Booth at the trade show, I extended my thoughts on additional ways to increase service generated leads that ultimately can increase service and sales profitability. I’ll also go into more detail in this article about how to train techs once the leads have landed you additional business.
Tech Lead Generators
Great lead generators are those who are able to mentally connect the dots of each client’s business maze. At the beginning of the maze is the customer who has a known need, frustration or challenge. In many cases, the end user is unaware of the time and cost savings certain software or equipment solutions may be able to provide.
A great field tech lead generator is the one who knows and understands the functions and features of the hardware and software that your company offers. An outstanding tech lead generator (who often continually self-educates themselves through personal industry interest) often has an intimate knowledge of the latest, greatest and most flawed advancements in digital hardware and software.
Before taking on a new software or product offering that has been recommended by one of my IT field specialist or from the sales department, I make sure someone else does comprehensive research of the capabilities of the proposed product, as well as the long term credibility and viability of the company that licenses the software and supports the product. I also make sure that at least two of my IT staff understands the functionality and is able to fully support the product in the field. When double training is unrealistic, I make arrangements in advance with a trusted company (partner) who I can outsource any needed support if I am unable to have multiple techs trained and familiar with the product.
The Mystery Proposal
The next step is to actually do a cost analysis to make sure an ongoing profit can be generated with the sale of the product. It is often surprising to upper management how much profit a product can provide when our sales department is not involved. Actually selling a product, service or solution on its own merits, rather than a low price bidding war, always improves its profitability.
Our dealership has resold, installed and maintained (outsourced) obscure equipment and software licenses that our geekiest techs have recommended. In some cases, the proposal we present the client may not even include the name of the software or hardware product that is suggested.
It is difficult for a client to shop price comparisons on the internet or with competing resellers when they do not know exactly what they are being offered. These mystery proposals often only provide the cost of the end result, training and support (which includes licensing fees). There is no mention of the actual name of the product or cost of the licensing fee. When it comes to sales, I have always found the greater the amount of mystery in the product, the greater the opportunity for a fair and reasonable profit for the selling dealership.
The mystery sale is much more successful when dealing with a long time client who knows and trusts your company and the people who actually will be doing the work in their office. It is relatively easy to sell an incremental needed service when the cost can be added to their monthly (quarterly) invoicing that already is covered under their current Purchase Order for document management or other business services.
A better scenario is to get involved with new product offerings that will be suitable for a vertical market in which your company already specializes. In this case, there is already an ongoing market within your customer base to expand the offering. Once the product has proven itself with current clients, requests for referrals to similar companies or other branches of current clients can be explored.
When a mystery product becomes very successful and is ultimately turned over to the sales department for marketing, our revenues always diminish. Professionally, I rationalize that by the time the product makes it to the general sales staff, our start-up costs are lower and our field proficiency has advanced. Our field techs have received generous lead fees and our egos have been enhanced.
Telling the Truth in the Right Way
So, how should you train your techs to handle issues that invariably arise with new software? When dealing with any new products from our OEMs, long term software partners or our mystery solutions, our field service staff is trained to never suggest or say, “We are using you as our beta tester for this product. This is the only one we have ever sold.” Or, “I sure hope this works.” Trustworthy, inherently honest techs often tend to volunteer to tell the truth, even when it is not necessary. I never ask my tech to lie. But I do teach them alternate ways to tell the truth in a manner that is more reassuring to the end user.
In the face of an in-field frustration, when a competent, properly trained tech encounters a challenge they cannot quickly alleviate, they have a pre-scripted competent answer. Techs are always encouraged to begin any discussion of an in-field challenge by agreeing with the client’s assessment of the situation. A simple, “I understand your concern,” or, “I see what you are encountering,” or, “You have described the challenge perfectly,” are all reassuring ways for the field tech to tell the truth without expressing frustration or ignorance. The client is put at ease because the tech is expressing calm reassurance that the client is right.
“Let me do some research to see what is actually going on,” or, “There may be a new update to by-pass this situation,” are truthful ways for a tech to approach an in-field road block to success. When the field tech is dealing directly with the client’s IT staff, the use of IT humor can divert specific questioning. “I hope a Windows 8.1 developer didn’t design this software,” can defuse direct questioning of, “What’s wrong?”
In each case, with proper preparation and ongoing encouragement, the field tech can extend their value to the company by always being on the lookout for appropriate lead opportunities. Once new products are sold and lead fees paid, the servicing field tech is not afraid of having to work with the new products. Having an arsenal of truthful answers available to respond to an end user’s questions alleviates the field tech’s fear of failure in front of an end user and encourages them to continue to provide new sales leads.
