El proceso de Compra de Servicios B2C

Selling B2C services represents a unique challenge in the commercial world. Unlike tangible products such as tennis shoes, where the customer can see, touch and try what they are buying, services require specific strategies to make them tangible and demonstrate their value. Understanding the different profiles of salespeople and how to adapt your commercial strategy according to the type of service you offer is fundamental to achieve successful results. Let's see how you can optimize your B2C service sales approach and what type of salesperson you need in your team.

How to tangibilize a service for B2C sales?

When selling services, we face the challenge of showing something that is not physical. The first fundamental step is to deeply understand our ideal customer and how our service will solve their specific needs. This involves:

• Clearly defining what we are offering and its specific benefits.
• Identifying the profile of the ideal customer who will buy our service.
• Understanding how our service will address the specific needs of that customer.

Once we have this clarity, we can start prospecting and grouping potential customers. However, before we launch into prospecting, it is crucial to determine what type of salesperson we need and what the business flow our client will follow.

What types of salespeople exist and which one do I need?

In the world of service sales, there are mainly two types of salespeople: hunters and farmers. Each has particular characteristics that make them more suitable for different stages of the sales process.

The hunter profile: the hunter of opportunities

The hunter is characterized by:

• Being proactive and dynamic in the search for new customers.
• Having a generally extroverted profile.
• Being strongly results oriented and competitive.
• Being bold and quick to make decisions.
• Motivated mainly by commissions and measurable achievements.
• Focus on capturing qualified leads.

This type of salesperson is ideal for the initial phase of prospecting and acquiring new customers. Their energy and determination make them excellent at opening doors and generating sales opportunities.

The farmer profile: the relationship cultivator

On the other hand, the farmer or cultivator is distinguished by:

• Being patient and strategic in their approach.
• Excel in customer retention and relationship maintenance.
• Naturally empathizing with customers.
• Having a consultative approach, deeply understanding the customer's needs.
• Be loyal and maintain constant communication with your accounts.
• Excel at cross-selling and upselling services.

Farmers are critical when the service requires a long-term relationship or has a longer buying cycle. Their ability to nurture relationships makes them ideal for services with recurring payments or that require constant follow-up.

How do I determine what type of salesperson I need for my service?

The choice between a hunter, a farmer or both will depend on several factors:

• The time to purchase: how long does it take a customer from the time they learn about your service until they decide to buy it?
• The complexity of the service: Does it require detailed explanations and follow-up?
• Recurrence: Is it a one-time or recurring (monthly/yearly) service?
• Long-term customer value: How important is retention and additional sales?

In some cases, especially in simple services with short sales cycles, a single profile can handle the entire process. In more complex or high-value services, it may be necessary to have hunters for initial acquisition and farmers for account maintenance and growth.

The importance of listening to the customer

Regardless of the type of salesperson you choose, the key to success in selling B2C services is to actively listen to the customer. This involves:

• Understanding their real needs, not just trying to sell.
• Adapt your offer according to what you discover.
• Being attentive to changes in their requirements.
• Using their feedback to continuously improve your service.

As we mentioned before: "No matter how good your technology is, how good your service is, how good your onboarding is.... we must listen to the customer and understand the customer and learn from the customer to know how I'm going to serve them in the future."

Selling B2C services requires a personalized and strategic approach. Identifying whether you need a hunter, a farmer or both in your sales team can make the difference between simply attracting customers and building long-lasting and profitable business relationships. Do you identify more with the hunter or farmer profile? Reflect on your characteristics as a salesperson and how you can leverage them to improve your results in selling services.