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When a shopper picks up a product in a store, what’s
the first thing they notice? The packaging, right? The same
holds true for someone buying a service.
Yet instead of a folded carton with colorful graphics, you
are the packaging for your service business. Intangible points
of contact, including your clothes, your briefcase, maybe
even your breath, all burn a lasting image in your buyer’s
mind.
Here are some of the more common packaging elements all service
marketers should pay attention to:
Your clothes
All your technical expertise won’t mean diddly if you
wear a tie dye t-shirt and striped bell bottoms to your first
client meeting. “Always dress better than you need to,”
says Sue Morem, author of How to Gain the Professional Edge;
Achieve the Personal and Professional Image You Want. “Even
when dealing with a casual company, remember you are not a
part of that company; you’re an outsider.” If
you’re not sure what to wear, find a personal shopping
consultant.
Briefcase
I’ve seen people use briefcases that looked like they
carried the first batch of Pony Express mail. Resist the temptation
to use that briefcase Uncle Joe bought you at Wal-Mart and
instead invest good money in one at a reputable luggage store.
Briefcases are one of the few personal effects almost every
business person carries into a meeting and this simple item
speaks volumes about your image.
Your notebook
When you pull out some paper to take notes, do you pull out
a sturdy, professional looking notebook or just a pad of paper?
This item, which sits on the table throughout the meeting,
may go unnoticed by many of your buyers. But then again, it
may not.
Etiquette
Saying please and thank you. A firm handshake. Looking someone
in the eye when talking to them. “Etiquette is the equivalent
of the ribbon and bow on a package,” says Morem. “Good
etiquette lets others know you are in control and finishes
off your image.” For a good primer on professional etiquette,
consult her book.
Proposal covers
Up until five years ago, I routinely faxed my proposals to
prospects. Then, one of these prospects said to me “Jay,
I have two proposals here. One is handsomely bound and the
other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?”
Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates
or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you
can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business
people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for
it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes,
your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is
studmuffin@yahoo.com or hottie@yahoo.com, you might take a
step back and ask yourself, what image does this convey? If
you’re after a professional image for your service business,
and you have an email address that doesn’t synch up
with this image, you might want to consider upgrading it.
Domain name
These days, with the costs of taking your business online
dropping precipitously, your business really should have its
own domain name. I’m not knocking AOL or Yahoo. But
if you want to project the image of an established business
that operates in a professional manner, having your own domain
name is a giant leap. For more information about availability
of certain domain names, visit InterNIC at www.internic.com
.
Email fonts and colors
I’ve received some very professional looking emails.
I’ve also received some emails that were laughably amateur.
Increasingly these days, buyers and sellers make initial contact
through email, and casual fonts or background colors that
bury the body text penalize you right from the start. Consider
your email address and template as “wrappers”
for your business and treat them accordingly.
Voicemail greeting
Talk about a moment of truth for your business. The vast majority
of business calls (including calls from your prospects) reach
voicemail, thus underscoring the need for a professional,
well-crafted greeting. Don’t have your daughter recite
her new poem or feature a rap version of “Old Lang Syne”.
Keep it simple…and professional.
Punctuality
At the root of being on time is respect; respect for someone
else’s time. So, be on time for all appointments. If
you do run late, call and let someone know. If you’re
running a meeting, end on time or announce that the meeting
may go longer and give anyone an opportunity to bow out.
If you think any of these packaging elements aren’t
worth investing in, then you’ve missed my point. Each
one of these is a defining contact point between your service
business and your market, and forms an important element of
your packaging. Pay attention to your packaging; your buyer
will.
Author Bio
Jay Lipe, aka the “Plan Man”, is the CEO of
Emerge
Marketing; a firm that helps growing companies improve
their marketing. He is the author of the book The
Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses (Chammerson
Press) which is available at major bookstores and online
at www.amazon.com.
He is also a sought after speaker and seminar leader, and
can be reached at (612) 824-4833 or lipe@emergemarketing.com
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