To answer this question let's first take a look at the difference between promoting products vs services.

Products often have useful features that show results quickly. When you talk about the benefits of a feature and how it'll make your customer's life easier and you'll probably get a sale.

Selling Services

Services, on the other hand, are intangible. There are no buttons to push or before and after pictures to see. Services often get categorized as luxury items we can usually survive without. They are more challenging to sell because the results of service can be difficult to quantify measure or prove until they actually use your service for a certain amount of time.

Many hard sell sales trainers shy away from working with service providers. It is easier to train someone to sell products with features you can see and results you can prove.

Sales agents that are super-stars in product selling often find that they need completely different selling techniques if they find themselves in a new role where they start selling services. There is simply nothing to demonstrate.

Why are services hard to sell?

When money is tight for a business, a useful service is often something that is put off "until later down the line". It is simply perceived as a luxury that can only be indulged when times are better. Your service may indeed be the best thing since sliced bread for them and it may very well propel their business to greater success but of course, they do not "know" this.

Many businesses and entrepreneurs haven't got a clue on how to tell people about the benefits and results of their good services. They feel frustrated and wonder why clients are so hard to get. Many are good at explaining how they work and what tools they use. The problem is that most consumers couldn't care less about how you work. We care more about the benefits we'll experience after hiring you. We want to be clear on what results you can deliver in exchange for our hard-earned money.

What's in it for me? your customers are asking. It is time to stop feature-dumping! Features only imply that a process is beneficial, or a technique is going to help. As service providers, we must be able to describe clear results to potential clients.

Do you struggle with selling your services? You could benefit from a Success Coach and Business Coaching. Contact Anna Scheller for a free consultation.