How to Use a Service Delivery Model to Win More Business. 
By Stuart Ayling, Founder of the Business Development Studio

What is a ‘Service Delivery Model’? And why is it important?

For any business delivering a service or a complex or customised product, potential clients often have two major concerns:

1. How will you do what you do?
In other words, how will you deliver your service?

2. Will your process work for me?
In other words, how can I be confident what you do will give me the result I want?

To get your prospect to become a paying client you must satisfactorily answer those questions. If left unresolved, these questions will develop into a full-blown objection. And that may torpedo your chance of winning the sale.

You must minimise or remove those concerns.

The best way to minimise (and possibly remove) these two concerns is to explain how you do what you do, and how they will benefit, by explaining your Service Delivery Model.

What’s that I hear you mumble? You don’t have a Service Delivery Model?

Let me explain… your Service Delivery Model is a document that visually describes the steps you go through to create or deliver your service (or product). That’s right – this document shows a road map to a successful outcome for your client. It might be in the form of a process chart, a mind map, or a time line.

Importantly, by having a Service Delivery Model you are actively demonstrating your expertise. You are clearly indicating that you have done this before, or that you have carefully considered the process and how to best serve your client.

In sales discussions when you present your Service Delivery Model you are effectively creating an opportunity to discuss details of ‘how’ you deliver your service, or the steps you go through when doing work for your client.

Also, during that discussion you can drop in specific client success stories that get your message across and help your prospect see how they will benefit from working with you.

= = =
Another reason to have a visual representation of your service delivery is that 75% of verbal communication is quickly forgotten or misunderstood. Therefore, if you want to get a meaningful, and lasting, message across to your prospect you must do more than just talk about how you provide your service.
= = =

To maximise the impact of your message, and highlight key areas, use a visual representation of how you deliver your service or how you create a customised outcome for your client.

 
Your Service Delivery Model could be in the form of a:

• Flow chart
• Mind map
• Detailed process chart
• Cartoon-style diagram
• Simple time line

The key to the success of using your Service Delivery Model is to make it easy to understand for your prospect – not too much detail – and to have a standard way of explaining it each time you tell prospects about it. Develop a key-point script to keep you on track.

Why does using a Service Delivery Model work?

Firstly:
It shows your prospect you are an ‘expert’, because you can detail and clearly explain what is required to deliver a successful outcome.

Secondly:
The conversation you structure around the explanation of your Service Delivery Model gives you the opportunity to provide more details about your service, and enables your prospect to get to know you and trust you.

Thirdly:
By structuring your explanation properly you will also identify and remove any concerns the prospect may have about using your services.

• Be seen as an expert.
• Build trust.
• Remove concerns and objections.

A Service Delivery Model is an essential component for your sales success.