Service Sales

At the core of a successful service sales effort is the right people, with the right skills in the service sales position. The skills and traits required to overachieve in selling service are very different from those required for product sales. Placing the wrong people in the service sales position typically results in underachievement, turnover, or both.

• Job Descriptions - Identifying and hiring productive service sales representatives begins with a well defined job description. The skills required to be successful in services sales vary by market segment. They usually have little in common with the skills required to sell products for the same company. Many companies put too much focus on industry experience when interviewing and hiring service sales representatives. In the majority of cases this desired experience is secondary to sourcing behavioral styles and communication skills needed in this specialized field. Service sales is a high activity, high energy environment. It requires individuals that possess excellent communication skills, intelligence, integrity, and take pride in winning any order small or large.
• Compensation Plans – Incentive plans are a key component for an effective service sales program.  Common to all sales positions is the reality that compensation drives behavior. All too often services sales incentive plans are poorly conceived and lack the ingredients to drive performance, improve company business margins, and reduce sales turnover. An effective plan needs to consider how sales people will be rewarded for generating new business from both existing and new customers. Service sales incentive plans that pay the same rate for all services sold are often a major failing. Individuals that sell high margin services should be rewarded at a rate greater than those selling the basic offerings.