Most people think of selling as product and feature based.

They think you have to talk about all the special stuff that sets your product or service apart.

That’s what people in electronics do when they emphasize that their product is the latest and greatest, with the most megabytes and megapixels, with the most wattage and with inbuilt capacitors and regulators from Guanjing China.

People in fashion do this too when they talk about the latest fall or summer trends and which thing is made with Egyptian cotton or chameleon leather.

People in all walks of business do this when they get ready to meet the customer thinking of which products, features, or product benefits to boast about.

While this seems to be the most natural and intuitive way to sell, is this the only way? Or the best way to sell?l anything?

There are other ways and other perspectives around how you make people aware of you and your business.

One of those “other types” is service based selling.

Service based selling isn’t a method so much as another way of thinking.

The idea behind this is that the very process of selling should be a distinguishing factor between you and other players in the market.

What should be different from you and other players in the market shouldn’t just be that you offer 100 megawatts while others offer 60 megawatts.

The key differentiator shouldn’t just be that you offer a 3 year warranty while your competitors offer only 6 months.

The megawatts and warranties are important, but your level of service and professionalism should be the main distinguishing factor.

Service based selling compels the customer to buy from you because the very process of interacting with you is different.

You reach out differently, you handle the phone and enquiries differently, you manage relationships, projects and timelines differently, and you do a whole host of services differently from your competitors.

The reason why this kind of attitude towards selling is best, should be very simple and obvious.

Any competitors can copy your megawatts, your megapixels, your faux leather, or your chameleon chic fabric.

Not everyone can copy your service delivery. It requires a certain level of dedication and professionalism. It’s hard work.

If you can make a service based approach of selling your key differentiator, you’re starting to create a competitive moat and protection around your business that can’t be copied.

Products and features and good! Service processes are better.

Copying someone’s product is easy. Copying someone else’s sales process and company culture requires too much time, effort and dedication.

Rather than copy you, they’ll run off and look for some other business features and products to peddle.

Protect yourself and your business. Rely on the processes and not the features.