Page 37 - Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing - PDFDrive.com

What does this mean? Every service company should have a director of
technology who studies and regularly tells management how new technologies
can be used for competitive advantage.

In addition, every internal review of a company’s marketing should ask four
questions that have not been typical of marketing reviews until now: In our
industry, are we second to none technologically?

Among service industries, and compared with firms of our approximate size,
are we second to none technologically?

Are we doing all we need today to be second to none two years from now?
Have we carefully considered innovative ways that new technology can be
used to improve our service and grow our business?
Make technology a key part of every marketing plan.

Study Your Points of Contact

To get started, study every point at which your company makes contact with a
prospect.

Usually, you find only a few contact points. Your receptionist. Your business
card. Your building/store/office. Your brochure. Your public appearances. A
sales call or presentation. Just a few points of contact—the moments that decide
whether or not you get the business.

Then, ask: What are we doing to make a phenomenal impression at every
point?

Don’t squander one point of contact. It may be your only one.
The points of contact continue once the person becomes a client. But again,
the moments are surprisingly few. A call here and there. A meeting now and
then. A few points of contact.
Did you get everything possible from those points of contact? Did the client
feel respected, amazed, impressed, delighted?
Study each point of contact. Then improve each one—significantly.

Life Is Like High School

Why do so many people in services, particularly professionals, believe that sheer
technical competence ensures success? Odds are, they learned that in college.

College and graduate school teach us that technical competence is all.