Sales & Marketing Strategy For Service Based Business

Summary

This video script emphasizes the unique challenges of marketing for service-based businesses, contrasting them with product-based strategies. It introduces three key concepts: 'finish line language' to focus on client outcomes, the importance of balancing features with benefits, and the CASE funnel—a step-by-step marketing strategy designed to convert leads into clients efficiently. The script provides actionable advice for service providers to enhance their marketing approach and grow their business effectively.

Takeaways

• 📈 Marketing strategies designed for product-based businesses often fail when applied to service-based businesses due to fundamental differences in how services are perceived and sold.
• 🎯 To effectively market services, businesses should focus on 'finish line language', emphasizing the end result or benefit that the client will receive, rather than the features of the service itself.
• 🔑 The concept of 'People don't want quarter-inch drill bits, they want quarter-inch holes' is expanded to highlight that clients are seeking the outcome or solution that the service provides, not just the service itself.
• 🌟 Service businesses must communicate the transformation or improvement that clients will experience as a result of engaging with their services, painting a vivid picture of the 'finish line'.
• 🔄 The importance of distinguishing between features and benefits is underscored, with benefits being the key motivator for clients to choose a service.
• 📝 The 'feature to benefit ratio' must be carefully balanced in marketing materials to ensure that the value proposition is clear and compelling to potential clients.
• 📊 The CASE funnel is introduced as an effective marketing and sales strategy for service businesses, designed to guide prospects through a series of stages from awareness to becoming a client.
• 🚀 The CASE funnel includes stages such as traffic generation, opt-in, authority amplification, application, calendar booking, and a sales call, each designed to build credibility and qualify leads.
• 📋 The use of an application form in the sales process helps to establish the service provider as an expert and allows for the pre-qualification of potential clients.
• 🤝 The sales call, as part of the CASE funnel, becomes a more informed and less pressured interaction due to the information and value provided in earlier stages of the funnel.
• 📈 The script suggests that by following these strategies, service businesses can replace hope and guesswork with a confident and systematic approach to generating leads and sales.

Q & A

Why is it ineffective to use product-based marketing strategies for service-based businesses?

Product-based marketing strategies often don't translate well to services because services are intangible and clients can't experience them physically before purchasing, unlike physical products.

What is 'finish line language' and why is it crucial for service-based businesses?

Finish line language focuses on the end result or outcome of the service provided, emphasizing how the client's life will improve after engaging with the service. It's crucial because it directly addresses the client's desires and needs.

Can you explain the concept of 'feature to benefit ratio' in marketing services?

The feature to benefit ratio is the balance between describing what a service does (features) and the advantages it provides to the client (benefits). It's important to focus more on benefits as they directly relate to the client's needs and desires.

What is a CASE funnel and how does it help service businesses?

A CASE funnel is a sales and marketing funnel designed specifically for service businesses. It stands for Coaches and Consultants, Agencies, Service Professionals, and Experts. It helps turn leads into clients by guiding them through a series of steps, from traffic generation to a sales call.

How does the concept of 'ideal customer avatar' (ICA) relate to service-based marketing?

ICA is a representation of the ideal customer for a business. Understanding the ICA helps service businesses tailor their marketing to appeal directly to the needs, desires, and characteristics of their target audience.

What is the significance of the authority amplifier stage in the CASE funnel?

The authority amplifier stage is where the service provider establishes credibility and expertise by offering valuable content, often in video form, that helps the prospect with a problem they have, thus increasing trust and interest in the service.

Why is an application form important in the service sales process?

An application form is important because it allows the service provider to collect relevant information about the prospect, assess their needs, and determine if they are a good fit for the service. It also positions the provider as an expert who selectively chooses clients.

How does the calendar booking stage of the CASE funnel streamline the sales process?

The calendar booking stage allows prospects to self-schedule a call with the service provider, which makes the process more efficient and convenient. It also ensures that both parties are prepared and have a clear agenda for the call.

What is the purpose of offering something valuable in exchange for a prospect's name and email address?

Offering something valuable in exchange for contact information allows the service provider to build a relationship with the prospect, follow up with them, and keep them engaged with the service offerings.

How does the CASE funnel approach reduce the need for hard sell tactics?

The CASE funnel approach provides extensive information and value upfront, which helps prospects make an informed decision about the service before the sales call. This reduces the need for aggressive sales tactics as the prospect is already pre-qualified and interested.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Tailoring Marketing for Service-Based Businesses

This paragraph emphasizes the unique challenges of marketing services versus products. The speaker points out that traditional marketing strategies designed for physical products often fail when applied to service-based businesses. To succeed in selling services, three key concepts are introduced: 'finish line language,' the 'feature to benefit ratio,' and the 'CASE funnel.' The importance of focusing on the end result that the service will provide to the client is stressed, rather than on the service's features. The analogy of customers wanting 'holes' rather than 'drill bits' illustrates the point that clients are interested in the outcomes, not the means to achieve them.

05:02

🔑 Understanding Features vs. Benefits in Service Marketing

The second paragraph delves into the distinction between features and benefits, explaining that features describe what a service does, while benefits explain what it does for the client. The speaker uses everyday examples, such as a coffee cup handle or a pen cap, to clarify this difference. The paragraph also provides service-related examples, like pizza delivery and overnight shipping, to illustrate how benefits can be communicated effectively. The CASE funnel is introduced as an effective sales and marketing strategy for service businesses, outlining its stages from traffic generation to the sales call.

10:05

🚀 Implementing the CASE Funnel for Service Business Growth

In this paragraph, the CASE funnel is explained in detail as a practical and tactical sales and marketing strategy for service businesses. The funnel consists of several stages, starting with generating traffic and leading potential clients through an opt-in page, authority amplifier, application form, calendar booking, and finally, a sales call. The authority amplifier stage is highlighted as a crucial point to establish credibility and provide value, while the application form helps in pre-qualifying clients and setting the expert frame. The calendar booking allows for a tailored approach to discussing client goals and determining a good fit, making the sales call more of a confirmation than a hard sell.

🤝 Enhancing Service Business Marketing with the CASE Funnel

The final paragraph discusses the effectiveness of the CASE funnel in making the sales process enjoyable and pressure-free. By the time a prospect reaches the sales call stage, they are well-informed and have already made a decision about working with the service provider. The speaker also mentions additional marketing strategies that are not covered in the video and invites viewers to explore them in a linked resource. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of the importance of identifying an Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) for targeted marketing.

Keywords

💡Marketing Strategies

Marketing strategies refer to the methods and tactics used by businesses to promote their products or services. In the context of the video, it emphasizes the difference between strategies for product-based businesses versus service-based businesses, highlighting that the latter requires a unique approach to be effective.

💡Service-Based Business

A service-based business is a company that offers intangible products such as services, experiences, or expertise rather than physical goods. The video script underscores the unique challenges of marketing for service-based businesses, such as the inability of clients to see or touch the service before purchase.

💡Finish Line Language

Finish line language is a concept introduced in the video that involves focusing on the end result or outcome of a service. It's about communicating to potential clients how their lives will improve after utilizing the service, rather than just detailing the service itself.

💡Feature to Benefit Ratio

The feature to benefit ratio is a marketing principle discussed in the video that emphasizes the importance of explaining not just what a service does (the feature), but more importantly, how it will improve the client's situation (the benefit). This ratio is crucial for making marketing messages more powerful and believable.

💡CASE Funnel

The CASE funnel is a specific sales and marketing funnel introduced in the video, designed for service businesses. It stands for Coaches and Consultants, Agencies, Service Professionals, and Experts. The funnel is designed to turn leads into clients by guiding them through a series of stages, from traffic to sales call.

💡Authority Amplifier

In the context of the CASE funnel, the authority amplifier is a stage where the service provider establishes their credibility and expertise. It often involves offering a short training or valuable content that helps the prospect with a problem, thereby increasing the prospect's trust in the service provider.

💡Application Form

An application form is a part of the CASE funnel process where potential clients fill out a form to apply for the service. The video script explains that this not only helps the service provider gather information about the client but also positions the provider as a selective expert.

💡Calendar Booking

Calendar booking is a stage in the CASE funnel where prospects can select a time slot to have a call with the service provider. This stage allows for a preliminary discussion of the client's goals and whether the service is a good fit, streamlining the sales process.

💡Sales Call

A sales call, as mentioned in the video, is the final stage of the CASE funnel where the prospect and service provider discuss in detail the service, its benefits, and whether to proceed with a business relationship. The video emphasizes that by the time of the sales call, the prospect is already well-informed and interested.

💡Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA)

The Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) is a marketing term for a hypothetical representation of the service provider's ideal client. The video script suggests that having a clear ICA helps in tailoring marketing messages to resonate specifically with the target audience.

Highlights

Marketing strategies designed for product-based businesses may not be effective for service-based businesses.

Three key elements for successful service-based marketing: finish line language, feature to benefit ratio, and CASE funnel.

Finish line language emphasizes the end result of the service, which is more important than the service itself.

The importance of focusing on the client's end result rather than the service's features.

A quote by Theodore Levitt illustrates the concept that customers want the benefits, not the product.

Examples provided to demonstrate the application of finish line language in various service industries.

The feature to benefit ratio is crucial for effective service marketing communication.

Definition and distinction between features and benefits in service marketing.

Examples of features and benefits using everyday items to clarify the concept.

The CASE funnel is introduced as an effective sales and marketing strategy for service businesses.

The steps of the CASE funnel: traffic, opt-in, authority amplifier, application, calendar booking, and sales call.

The importance of an opt-in page to collect leads and establish a follow-up opportunity.

Authority amplifier stage establishes credibility and provides value to the prospect.

Application form as a tool to pre-qualify clients and set the expert frame.

Calendar booking allows prospects to self-schedule a call, streamlining the sales process.

Sales call becomes more of a confirmation of the client's decision rather than a hard sell.

Additional marketing strategies are available in a linked video for further learning.

The concept of an ICA (Ideal Customer Avatar) as a crucial component in marketing.

Transcripts

- If you try to sell your services

using marketing strategies that were designed

for product-based businesses,

you're gonna end up pretty disappointed with the results.

This is because selling services and doing marketing

for a service-based business

requires a very different approach than the standard advice,

and strategies, and tactics that are out there.

Strategies and tactics that were designed primarily

for selling products and that rarely translate well

over to selling services.

So if you wanna get more clients, grow your business,

and sell more of your services,

there are three things that you need to know.

First, you need to use finish line language.

Get this wrong and it doesn't matter

how great your services are, how much you care,

or how smart, and funny, and creative any of your sales

or marketing materials are, they're just not gonna work.

Don't worry if you've never heard of this before,

I'm gonna walk you through exactly what it means

and how to use it in just a minute.

Next, you need to nail the feature to benefit ratio

which will make everything you say in your marketing

immediately more powerful and believable,

and will make the whole sales process

about as close to effortless and automatic as possible.

Lastly, you need to be using something called a CASE funnel.

This is a simple but incredibly effective sales

and marketing funnel for service businesses

that's been proven to turn leads into clients,

and it will allow you to replace hoping and wishing

in your sales and marketing with knowing, and the confidence

of being able to generate new leads, new clients,

and new sales anytime you want.

So let me show you how it's done

starting with the all important finish line language.

The biggest difference between selling services

and selling products is clearly the fact

that services aren't physical items, they're intangible

and your clients can't see them, or feel them, or hold them,

or do anything like that ahead of time

prior to making a purchase.

Sure you could offer trials or demonstrations,

or show videos and graphical representations

of what it's like, but it's still not the same

as being able to pick something up and hold it in your hands

before making the decision to buy it.

This is why one of the biggest mistakes

service business owners make when describing their services

is focusing too much on the service itself

and all the deliverables that go along with it

rather than what is actually important to the client.

Because the fact is when it comes

to selling and marketing services,

the single most important thing is the end result.

This part's really important.

So let me say it again.

The key to selling more services

is to focus almost obsessively on the end result

and how the client will be better off after

than they are right now.

There's a quote in marketing

that's commonly attributed to Theodore Levitt that goes,

"People don't want quarter-inch drill bits.

They want quarter-inch holes."

Basically meaning your clients

and customers don't want the thing you're selling.

They want the benefits

of what that thing is going to provide.

They want the end result, the outcome.

But we could take this a step further, and we should,

because people don't want quarter-inch holes either.

So what I'm thinking here is we just fill it

with as many quarter-inch holes as possible.

Yeah, that's perfect.

Rather, people want to hang a picture, or a shelf,

or a guitar, or anything else that people hang on walls.

And this is where finish line language comes in

which is all about highlighting the end state.

The end result, the outcome of whatever service

that you provide.

Wow will they be better, or healthier, or stronger,

or wealthier, or whatever?

You see, your potential clients all have some kind of pain,

or problem, or fear, or frustration

that you could help them with.

They're all at the starting line, suffering needlessly,

and in desperate need of what you have to offer,

but because they can't see, or hold, or feel your services

ahead of time, you need to show them

what the finish line looks like,

and show them how it will feel

when you guide them across it victoriously, like a winner.

Let me give you some examples.

If you're a coach or consultant,

then you're not offering a package

of four 60 minute consultations delivered in person

or over the phone.

What you're actually selling is better performance,

or health, or relationships, and showing them

how their lives will be better

once they get this taken care of.

If you're an agency,

then you're not giving clients social media, or content,

or video services, you're actually offering the promise

of more customers, more clients, and more sales and revenue,

which in turn will give them a feeling of success,

and pride, and safety knowing that their business is growing

and in demand.

If you're a service professional, like say a landscaper,

or lawn care specialist,

where you show up at someone's house

and take care of their backyard for them,

well, you're not just offering a freshly cut lawn.

You're giving them back time, and freedom,

and the opportunity to spend their weekends doing

what they want instead of baking under the hot sun,

getting hit in the face with grass clippings.

A photographer?

You're capturing memories

and helping preserve someone's legacy.

Childcare services?

You're offering freedom, security,

and peace of mind to parents.

Meal preparation services?

You're selling convenience, and time, and maybe health

depending on what kind of food you cook.

Think you get the point.

Next, let's make sure you nail the feature to benefit ratio.

One of the biggest sales killers

in all of services marketing comes down to failing

to do one simple thing.

And that simple thing is failing

to clearly communicate why your potential prospect

or client should care about what you're selling.

That's it.

Because if they don't care,

they're definitely not going to buy.

And this is where so many service businesses go so wrong

spending way too much time on features

and not enough on benefits.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

And I don't wanna totally trash features here

because they are important.

Yeah, bro, what you got against features?

Nothing against features.

So with that said, first, let me uncover the key differences

between features and benefits.

The simplest and most clear way to put it is

that a feature is what something does

and a benefit is what something does for you.

Or to put it another way,

a feature is about the service, like how long it takes,

what's included, are there any guarantees,

and things like that.

And the benefit is about the client

and how they're going to be better off

because of the feature, like how it'll make them cooler,

or safer, or smarter, or better off in some way.

The feature is what enables the benefit,

but it's not the feature they care about, it's the benefit,

and the result they're going to get by engaging

with the feature.

This stuff can be a bit confusing, so here's some examples.

A coffee cup has a handle. That's a feature.

The benefit is that you can hold a hot cup of coffee

without burning your hands.

A pen has a removable cap. That's a feature.

The benefit is that you don't write all over yourself

when you're carrying it around.

A baseball has stitches. That's a feature.

The fact that these stitches help you throw it further

and faster, well, that's the benefit.

Catch.

(glass breaking)

Now those are useful examples

to help you understand the difference

between features and benefits.

But now let's put that into a service context.

A good example here would be something like, say,

Domino's Pizza, which I appreciate is also a product.

However, the service is pizza delivery

and the feature is 30 minutes or it's free.

The benefit is you know you're probably gonna get your pizza

in 30 minutes.

It's not gonna be very good pizza,

but at least you're gonna get it.

And while we're on the topic of time based features

for services, well, FedEx is another good example.

Both their tagline of when it absolutely,

positively has to be there overnight.

Well, overnight delivery is a feature,

but the benefit is you're going to get things,

whatever it is that you're shipping, fast, overnight fast.

I think you get the picture.

So now let's get a little bit more practical, and tactical,

and a little bit mathematical.

That rhymed more than I thought it would.

Because it's time to break down

one of the most effective service business sales

and marketing funnels of all time, the CASE funnel.

Just to make sure we're all on the same page here,

in case you're not already familiar with a marketing funnel,

it's also known as a sales funnel

and it's really just a visual representation

of the steps that a prospect or potential client would need

to take in order to go from having no idea who you are,

all the way through to becoming a paying client.

And over the past 10 years,

I've found there's one simple marketing funnel

that continues to beat pretty much anything else

I test against it.

It's perfect if you sell your services through a sales call,

and it helps you to pre-qualify clients,

overcome objections in advance,

and really just makes the entire process faster, easier,

and a whole lot more enjoyable.

I call it the CASE funnel,

which stands for coaches and consultants, agencies,

service professionals, and experts.

And it looks like this.

We start with traffic.

We move on to the opt-in.

Then the authority amplifier, then to the application,

a calendar booking, and ultimately a sales call

where they become a client.

I'll walk you through the steps now.

Every marketing funnel starts with some kind of traffic.

This could be a social media post, a blog, a podcast,

a video, an ad, pretty much anything.

The key here, though, is to drive this traffic

to the next stage of the funnel, which is the opt-in page.

The opt-in page exists for one simple reason,

to get someone to opt-in.

That was profound, I know.

What you wanna do here is offer something valuable,

like a free downloadable cheat sheet,

or a checklist, or a blueprint, or a guide,

or some kind of downloadable training.

And you're doing this in exchange

for your prospect's name and email address

so you can follow up with them later.

Once they enter their name and email address

and they hit submit, they're immediately taken

to the next stage of the funnel

which is the authority amplifier.

It's here in the authority amplifier stage that you want

to provide value and establish your credibility

and expertise.

What works best here is to provide a short training,

and ideally in video form, that helps your prospect

with a problem that they have.

Now, you don't have to give everything away

but try to provide a quick win, and then follow it up

with an invitation to apply to your services

by clicking a link somewhere on the page.

Once they click the link to apply,

they're then directed to an application form

which is the next stage of the funnel.

Having an application form for your services

is one of the most valuable things you can do,

because it not only allows you to collect valuable

and relevant information on your prospect

and whether or not you can help them,

but it also sets the frame that you are the expert

and you're not necessarily just going to work with anyone

just 'cause they have the money.

You can choose to review each application manually,

or most online form software will allow you to automatically

redirect depending on the quality of the application

and take them to the next stage.

And the next stage is the calendar booking.

Here in the calendar booking stage,

you can allow your prospect to choose

from one of your available times

in order to have a quick call with you

to go over their application, discuss their goals,

and decide together whether or not you're a good fit

to work together.

All of which of course happens in the final stage,

the sales call.

If everything goes well up to this point,

then your prospect is going to show up to the sales call

interested, and informed,

and with many of their questions already answered

through the help of your authority amplifier.

If you're anything like me

and you don't particularly love sales calls,

you're not a pushy person and you just want to help people,

then you're gonna love this.

Because by setting your funnel up in this way

and providing so much value and information ahead of time,

when your prospect does show up on the sales call,

they've pretty much already decided

whether they want to work with you or not.

So now the choice is yours of whether you wanna work

with them or not.

No pressure, no persuasion, no hard sell tactics required.

It's a whole lot more fun, too.

But as great as this is,

there's still a few more things you can do

that I didn't have time to get to in this video.

And this is why I've linked up a video right here

with seven of my most effective marketing strategies.

So make sure to check it out now

and I'll see you in the next video.

We offer higher quality, and we offer better service,

and all of that stuff

that everybody's heard a million times before

and they're completely blind and deaf to.

So the best way to solve this is to move

on to our next point here,

which is that you need an ICA.

ICA is marketing talk for ideal customer avatar.