Selling a service is about more than just offering something that people need. It’s about building trust and confidence with potential customers. It’s about assuring them that you and your team are the best at what you do and the right people to purchase services from. The CoLab hosts Megan Marsh and Andres Munar welcome sales expert Ryann Dowdy, founder of the Social Sales Academy, to discuss strategies on increasing sales for service companies. And how to take your service sales to new levels.

The saying goes that good products sell themselves, but anyone behind a service-focused business knows there’s more to it than that. Marketing a service is more complicated than just advertising a description and cost. It’s about relationship building because you’re not only selling your service but your expertise and knowledge behind that service.

How to successfully market your service—and yourself—continues to change as potential customers are seeking out and interacting with businesses through more than just traditional channels. That means you need salespeople with different skillsets who can navigate all sorts of environments: conferences, online platforms, cold calls, and much more. And those salespeople will look different than the stereotypical men in suits.  

Ready to dive in? Here’s what we’re covering in this episode of The CoLab:

•  [02:01] Introducing Ryann Dowdy, founder, and president of Uncensored Consulting and co-founder of the Social Seller Academy. Before starting her own business, she spent 15 years in the corporate world building multi-million dollar sales organizations for start-ups in the marketing space.
•  [09:20] While TV shows and movies often portray salespeople as aggressive men, the fact is there is plenty of room for women to succeed on sales teams and in their own businesses.
•  [15:23] As social media plays a larger role in how consumers connect with businesses, it’s led salespeople to become social sellers—meaning social media becomes their primary tool for attracting sales.
•  [27:28] Not every salesperson is the right fit for any sales job. If you’re looking to increase sales and want to bring someone on board to do so, be sure they are bringing the skills you need to succeed in the position. Once you hire, you’ll want to make sure they have access to resources and training to help them grow.
•  [38:10] Like any job, money can be a motivator for salespeople to go above and beyond in their roles, but it’s important as a business owner to recognize that not everyone is driven by dollars. Find out what your employees value, like extra time off or the opportunity to travel for work.

Connect with The CoLab at www.thecolablife.com or on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.