Service
The effective salesperson must be ready to address service issure such as:
• Does the company service its products or does the company send them to a third party?
• Does the company service its product locally or send them off to another state for service?
• Does the price include service or will there be a service charge when service is needeed?
• What does the service agreement include? Shipping? Labor? Or none of these?
• How long does the service generally take? Same day? Within a week? will a loaner be provided until the product is fixed?
• Are there any condition that make service not a vailable? After five years? Damage from flood? fire?
buyers need to be comfortable with answers to these questions, and a good salesperson will make sure they are answered appropriately.
Darrell beaty from Ontario Systems in Muncie, Indiana, spends quite a bit of time discussing service with each of his prospects. Hiscompany sells collection sofeware (i.e.,receivables) that requires support from his firld engineers. Ontario system also has an 800 support group that takes calls 24 hours a day, seven a week. Why is this important to Beaty? One of his major competitors also has 800 support, but only 8-5, Monday through Friday. Beaty know that he has servicesuperiority. Salespeople who can offer the better service have an ad vantage for generating new business and taking away business from the competition. The salesperson's service mission is to provide added value for the customer. Is is important for the salesperson to understand what service dimensions are a concern to the buyer.
For instance, delivery, installation, training, field maintenance, and investing are all issues that a salesperson may be prepared to talk about. Buyers, however, may only be concerned with inventory because their present supplier runs out of stock frequently.
Exhibit 2.3 reviews service dimensions in which a salesperson could demonstrate service superiority. Additions may be made depending on specific customer demands.