SalesStryke: Online Sales Portal for Service Companies
The following is probably the most important information you will come across for your service business. We recommend that you take a few minutes and read every word. Really. What you’re about to read is abrupt. We don’t hold back. We care about your success. We know there’s a battle against The Big National service companies. We’re here to help you compete. And win!
Fact: 80% of customers EXPECT to be able to buy your products and services online. 24/7/365. On Demand. Right Now.
Referred to by some as The Amazon Effect, today’s customers want simplicity:
- Google “[your type of] service near me”,
- find your company,
- see a quote,
- buy, pay, done.
- 2 minutes.
- No “pesky” sales rep.
They don’t care about your company story (do you know Delta Airline’s company story before you buy on Expedia?). Today’s customers want convenience and immediate gratification. Don’t believe it? Read this article from Forbes, and then continue.
Fact: A majority of buyers prefer online self-service via an online sales portal.
According to Forbes, “67% of customers prefer to shop anonymously and want an almost frictionless shopping experience with near-immediate results.”
They want the peace and convenience of bypassing the pressure of a sales rep and to comparison shop without the sales pitch – anywhere, anytime on their preferred device.
Only 27% of people prefer to talk on the phone. If your sales are generated by calls or email responses to online submissions, you’re on the losing side.
Fact: 90% of customers EXPECT a call center to answer their sales questions
It’s only AFTER customers experience your online sales portal and have a question that they will EXPECT to talk to a customer service representative. Not an answering machine. Not an email. According to Forbes, a 4hr response time is way, WAY too long. This is why so many websites have chat functions nowadays.
Is your call center up to the task? At 8 pm? On Sunday at 10 am? On Thanksgiving? SalesStryke offers its clients an online sales portal backed by an experienced customer call center. And the sales portal is available on your website 24/7/365. We can help you enable chat response as well.
Fact: A Majority of people are Introverts; sales reps are undesirable.
Why do grocery stores have self-service lines? Psychology. According to Meyers-Briggs, a majority of people are “I”, as in Introvert (vs “E”, as in Extravert). No wonder people buy online! In fact, according to the Forbes article above, “61% would choose using a kiosk over speaking with a sales associate.” Oh, and the dirty little secret? It also lowers their cost of sale. With SalesStryke, you can appeal to your customer’s psychological profile and reduce your cost of sale.
Fact: New customers JUDGE the quality of your company based on how easy it is to buy online.
It seems a bit ridiculous, right? But the facts are the facts. According to the Forbes, customer perception of your business, and the all-important first impression weighs heavily on the initial customer experience. Customers equate an easy online sales experience with quality; they’re nearly synonymous. A high-quality sales portal exudes organizational quality to today’s customers. What?!! You don’t have an online sales portal? You’re losing business you never attempted to get! And to today’s online buyer, you look junky.
Fact: Expedia and Priceline have 95% of the U.S. travel booking marketplace (Investor’s Business Daily).
95%. Ninety-Five Percent! Think about that for a minute. Did the airline, hotel and car rental industries want to show and compare their prices online for all the world to see? Maybe not. But that’s what the customer wanted. And the customer always wins. Always. Always. Disagree? Re-read the first words of this paragraph until you agree. Oh…and they also have 2/3 of the world’s travel booking. So, like it or not, online shopping for services will happen. It’s smarter to be an early adopter, leading the industry, rather than sticking your head in the sand. Leave that non-strategy to your competition.
Fact: According to Forbes, “92% of shoppers prefer stores that have mobile experiences.”
92%! Having a mobile enabled online sales portal is key to the new economy and selling to online buyers.
Fact: 77% of the population now own a smartphone (Pew Research); do you offer mobile-enabled sales?
While it is true that ages 18-29 have the highest smartphone ownership (94%!), Ages 30-49 and 50-64 have astonishingly high ownership percentages as well, 89% and 73% respectively. Even the 65+ retirees have 46%. These numbers are slated to increase for all demographics. And nearly all of these people will buy services at some point in their lives.
Fact: 75% of smartphone owners use their phone to solve their on-demand issues and purchase solutions (Google)
According to Google, 3 out of 4 smartphone owners use their phones first to address their immediate needs.
Fact: Purchasing convenience is now a competitive advantage (Forbes)
The On-Demand Economy is expanding rapidly across all industries. Do you really think your company is immune? Do you really think the service industry will escape this fact?
Fact: Most service companies do not have online sales portals – you’re giving business to your competition.
Imagine. You’re a new homeowner. The trash is piling up in the garage. You pull out your phone and Google “trash service near me”, and who do you find? Big Waste. Big Trash. Big Garbage.
Or, you own a garage door service company. You only have phone service -no automated way for customers to buy your service online.
The big companies do! They have a “buy now” button. Their price seems fine. Their price is something like you’ve paid in the past. 2 minutes later, you’re done. The trash in the garage is as good as gone in your mind. The garage door is already fixed -in your mind. Heck, you don’t even notice it now. You feel good –instantly gratified. You accomplished something. You solved a problem.
Ever wonder why your incoming sales calls are declining? Because you rely on outdated methods of contact: phone and/or a website form requiring the customer to wait for a response. And – you’re on page 2 of a Google search. Even if they did find you online, for today’s online buyer, your way just takes too long!
YOU JUST LOST BUSINESS YOU NEVER ATTEMPTED TO GET!
Just to rub some lemon juice into that paper cut, now your service tech gets to drive by a house in his/her territory you essentially GAVE your competition. It won’t be long before it’s 5 houses. Not awesome.
Fact: The Big National Companies know all this. They already have online sales portals on their websites.
The Big National Companies are big for a reason. They acquire customers! Even if you offer services or a level of customer service they don’t, they are gaining customers because of the following:
- name recognition,
- strong search engine ranking,
- and an online sales portal where customers can see a live quote and sign up for service.
Because of this, they can get business and customers you never even knew were looking for service!
How do you win?
Show up to the game!!! You’ve got name recognition in your community, right? We can certainly help you to boost your online ranking via our SEO/Website services. And, SalesStryke is an online sales portal designed specifically for the service industry to meet the needs of the online buyer and “Buy Right Now Economy.” With SalesStryke, competing against The Big Nationals is made a lot easier. Let’s work together to even the odds. Let’s show up to the game instead of forfeiting as a no-show.
Hey! Do we have your attention yet?
No matter how good you think your company is relative to the competition or The Big Nationals, no matter how much of a lock you think you have in your town, the market has changed. The customer has changed. Your inferior competition can win more new business, the business you never had a chance at getting, just because they have an online sales portal and you don’t. You can ignore it and hope for a change, but, frankly, that’s not a winning strategy.
SalesStryke. Target your Customers and Sell!
About the Author: K Ryan Hasse. CEO SalesStryke Software, creators of The TrashBolt Software Sales System for Haulers, GarbageBolt, a national online waste services booking site, and GarbageBolt for Charity, the loving way to buy waste services.
K Ryan Hasse has started several companies,
including several tech companies from capital raise to sale. He is actively involved in business
consulting, helping businesses reach their goals. Most importantly, he’s a happy father to a
special needs daughter whom he loves dearly.
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