Sales Strategy: There’s a Big Difference between Selling a Product & Selling Your Services

When you try to use the selling techniques that are appropriate for product sales to sell your services you’re missing the mark and it will hurt your results. Buyers can see, feel, touch, and experience a product. They usually can’t experience a service until after they make the buying decision.

Unfortunately the sales training that most insurance agents and financial advisors are taught is primarily based on product sales training. Your prospects aren’t looking for a product they’re looking for a particular benefit, solution, or result. And you have to help them to imagine having that without being able to immediately experience it based on the level of trust they have in you.

When people buy products they aren’t expecting to have a relationship with the sales person. When and if they have a concern about the product after purchase the problem will be taken to the manufacturer. In contrast, when a buyer purchases your services they are expecting to have a relationship with you. And when or if there is a problem with your service they will expect you to resolve it even if the source of the problem is the underwriter or broker.

When you’re selling a product you need to showcase the product in light of the buyer’s tastes. When you’re selling a service you really need to showcase the buyer and the potential of the buyer’s wants. In doing so you build the buyers confidence in you.

When someone is buying a product they can strongly dislike the sales person and buy the product anyway. You may have experienced the negative side of this exchange the last time you bought a car. But when someone is looking for your service they have to buy you first or there’s no sale.