Highly-skilled, talented individuals whose collective goal is to maintain their clients’ technology infrastructures so clients can focus on building their own clientele and increasing revenue: These people staff most IT service organizations. On the flip side, many staff members in these organizations are not salespeople. They can certainly tell current and prospective clients about their qualifications, skills, and certifications. However, they tend to have a hard time expressing how they utilize all those to ease their clients’ pain points. Basically, it’s I can help instead of I can help you.
Gaining and maintaining clients is all about communication. Spouting offerings and great products is one thing; placing them in clients’ perspectives is another. Here are a few things to consider when attempting to communicate IT service values to clients:
It’s them, not us
Customers come first — regardless of whether you’re in IT services, retail, fast food, or any other industry. Company leaders can’t make money to survive and pay their employees without these people. Customer frustrations and anger that come out during consultations may not be in their regular temperaments. Instead, your lack of focus on them and their issues may be the cause. Talk with them instead of posing simple “yes” and “no” questions. Never utilize I when discussing a solution. Always start with something like “Here’s how we can help you …”
Proactive value
Don’t wait for clients to ask how you can help them. Add value immediately by sending them useful industry information. Show them how well you can ease their pain points compared to the competition. Show — don’t tell — clients your successes with similar companies and how you can implement customized solutions to help them.
Tout success
Humility isn’t a requirement when working to obtain or keep clients. There’s a definite need to promote your IT services company successes to detail the help you’ve provided others. However, touting success does not mean inflating your ego. Remember: You and your staff members are always learning to stay active within the IT services game. Let clients know this so they can feel secure about the low risk potential should they come onboard.
Empathy
Offering your company solutions and asking “What do you think?” isn’t going to help you increase sales or maintain clients. You need to be empathetic about their problems. Provide examples of other clients who’ve run into similar situations. And — even though it doesn’t work elsewhere — this is the moment when you can share personal stories on the parallel pain points you encountered as you built your company. This empathy allows clients to connect with you and your services — and understand they’re not alone.
You can never truly partner your IT services company with a client if you or your sales staff members can’t get past talking about yourselves. Connecting with these clients through passion, forward thinking, and empathy is the best way to tout your company value and join clients for successful partnerships.
[cta]I’ve been helping IT clients attract potential customers and develop more business with predictability for over 12 years. Watch my video case study to learn how to unlock engagement, get attention from your ideal customers, and grow your business faster.[/cta]
