Monday, 12 September 2011

Whatever Will The Customers Think?

It is almost business suicide for a professional services provider to operate as a commodity supplier - For example publishing a 'catalogue' listing services and prices and then competing on price - Yet many professionals put themselves in this category by their actions.

In reality the professional at least provides an 'experiential' service, with many customers demanding something totally unique.  The mistake is to treat all customers equally, by having just one hourly rate - Indeed by charging by the hour at all.

“Measuring what's easy to measure is a poor substitute for
  innovation.  Benchmarking outside your own industry would at least
  be innovative!”

Believing you are a commodity is a self-fulfilling prophesy.  If you think you are a commodity - And demonstrate the fact in your products, promotion and pricing - Then so will your customers.  There's nothing else for them to believe!

Benchmarking yourself against your competitors helps perpetuate the commodity myth.  It's another symptom of lazy people measuring what's easiest to measure, rather than what's most important to measure.  Benchmarking studies results and not processes - It confuses cause and effect.

“If you think you are a commodity then so will your
  customers.  There's nothing else for them to believe!”

These lazy people compare apples with apples because it's easy.  Sure, they will vehemently claim that the things they measure are the important things to measure, but in fact it's just a poor substitute for innovation.  Benchmarking outside your own industry would at least be innovative.

If you agree with these thoughts and would like to find out more about structuring your business in a better way, selling properly, how to make sales without selling and get paid what you're worth,, visit www.sws3.co.uk to download 30 more free practical ideas you can implement straight away in your business.

Service providers who charge for their time or their materials, or whose prices are influenced by their competitors can find out how to get paid what they're really worth at www.sws3.co.uk


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