Field Service Management Strategy: Deploy Your Technicians as a Sales Force

Initially, there appears to be little crossover between the roles of your sales reps and your field technicians. But the more you think about it, the clearer the answer: both are experts in your products and your brand. Both interact with your customers. How can you use this to your advantage in a field service management strategy?

From the moment a tech steps into your customer’s place of residence is seen as an expert, whether because the tech carries a toolbox, is there to diagnose a problem, or is available to answer questions.

How do you encourage your technicians to sell and train them to make the most of these opportunities when the customer is paying by the hour? Following are some tips for activating this valuable sales force:

• Define the place of sales in the tech’s role: The primary responsibility of a technician is to provide quality service and first-time resolution in a professional manner. So it’s important to establish priorities. After all, a product or brand recommendation should flow naturally throughout the conversation with the customer. Instead of making a direct approach to sales mandatory, let your technician decide when to actively sell.
• Sales training: It is not surprising if a field service technician is uncomfortable with the idea of selling. When you approach your employees with the proposal, explain the reason for doing so, and provide basic training in sales techniques. Discuss situations when sales conversations will seem natural.
• Provide literature. For technicians who are not comfortable promoting a product or your brand in conversation, or when time doesn’t allow a discussion, provide a brochure and link to your website for additional information. (Every business card, invoice, and estimate should include that website URL.)
• Explain the advantage of face-to-face interaction: For many customers, trust is built through face-to-face interaction. When a job is done correctly and a technician positions himself/herself as a valuable resource for the customer, you are half way home with a sale.
• Promote the role of the technician as an expert resource. Encourage technicians, when they have the knowledge, to make recommendations and suggestions. Give your technicians personal business cards, allowing them to become primary points of contact should the customer have additional questions about products.

Your technicians are an invaluable front line of contact with the customer. In addition to product and brand knowledge, they have seen the application in the customer’s home or business. They are perhaps one of, if not the most, valuable asset in building customer relations. It makes sense to fully tap into their knowledge and skills with sales cross-training.

Use technology to free up your staff to build your business. Use field service management technology to streamline daily operations, so you and your staff have time to interact with leads and customers. Contact us today for a live demonstration and free trial of RazorSync mobile field service management software.