Business expert Diane Helbig has a wonderful new book out called Lemonade Stand Selling. She goes back to basics, to make selling as clear and simple as when you sold lemonade as a kid. Sounds good to me! Here's one of the ideas discussed in her book.
"The goal is to craft the product package so you will have clarity about what it is and what its value is. If you offer a service rather than a product, define your scope of work." -- excerpt from Lemonade Stand Selling
It is so very important that you know exactly what it is that you sell. Too often, small business owners want to be all things to all people. They fear that if they don't have a broad menu of products or services they will miss out on business.
Here's the catch - if you offer too many things you dilute your message. How do people know what you excel at? How do they know what your core competency is? It's harder to be great at several things than it is to be great at one or a handful.
If you pick one thing that you do exceptionally well, you will be able to develop a clear message that you, and others, can land on. This will make your sales effort much easier.
Now what if you offer a service? Understanding the scope of work will help you stay profitable. If you have a vague idea of what the service is, you will have trouble holding the same understanding as your client. This can lead to conflict - conflict you don't want. When you are clear about the scope, you can discuss it clearly and concisely with your prospects and clients. You can detail it in a contract so there is no question about where the job begins and ends. Take the subjectivity out of it.
Does this make sense?
How can you apply it to your business?
What questions does this raise?
Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach, and President of Seize This Day Coaching. She works one-on-one and in groups with business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. Visit her website at http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
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