ITSMA Services Sales Effectiveness (SSE) Update is provided to SSE subscribers as part of their annual program.

Changing the client interaction from a transactional to a relationship-driven consultative process is the primary challenge facing services marketers involved in supporting a sales force.

This challenge stems from a history of transactional product sales and unstructured or ad hoc support of the sales force. Traditionally, the sales cycle is a pipeline to be filled with leads, and the number of leads in each stage of the cycle is tracked. A client-centric approach to sales turns this thinking on its head to focus on the client’s buying cycle rather than the selling cycle. Taking a client-centric approach and managing the buying cycle means tracking potential clients through their buying process.

Additionally, the sales cycle traditionally ends at the point of purchase. In contrast, the buying cycle extends beyond the initial point of purchase to address the ongoing relationship. Services marketers have recognized the importance of client loyalty to repeat purchases; it is time to translate that knowledge into tools that support the sales force.