December 20, 2007 Issue 014 : Return to Articles : Printable Version

Best of the Year - 2007

Facility service contracts, never considered glamorous, are difficult to sell.

That's why we're bringing you the best of Revenue-IQ. Our crown jewels so to speak. These insights will help you win more than your fair share.

What's the best? These were our most widely read articles and blog postings in 2007.

Written solely for contractors, these writings make sophisticated practices easy to understand. And more importantly, may give you the confidence to try them in your business, if you aren't already.

We've included articles in these categories.

• Online Reverse Auctions
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Sales Planning
• Presentations
• Request for Proposals (RFPs)
• Branding & Messaging

Good luck,

Chris Arlen, President, Service Performance

Online Reverse Auctions

Reversing Into Darkness
When customers bid large service contracts through online reverse auctions, contractors can feel like they're drinking bleach. This blog provides research about reverse auctions and discusses why contractors may not want to participate in them.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicators
Customers want to feel confident they've received what they've paid for. The slippery nature of services makes that difficult. Contractors can tangibilize services in a way that customers understand - in numbers. That's the role KPIs play, to make services real. There are instructions in the article how to receive a FREE list of KPIs.

Standard KPIs: Oh, What a Wonderful World!
In a perfect world, service providers would be measured using a standard set of metrics. However, that's not the case now. This blog lists reasons why both customers and contractors would want to be able to measure and compare their performance.

4 Problems with Performance Based Contracts
Performance based contracts rely on Key Performance Indicators and other factors. Four challenges to measuring performance are outlined in this blog posting.

Sales Planning

Sales Plan-o-rama
Sales planning is a mixed bag. Done right, it gives direction, focus and goals. Done wrong, it freezes action, confuses and wastes time. This is a "how-to" article along with a FREE sales plan template for download.

Presentations

10 Tips for Great Presentations
Presentations are unique opportunities to sell. However, they more often end up as mind numbing black holes in daily calendars. Here are 10 tips to make your presentations remarkable, noteworthy and even memorable. That's what you want isn't it?

Request for Proposals (RFPs)

Hollow RFPs
Customers and contractors can feel quite differently about the same thing. Take Request for Proposals for example. Contractors feel some customers use them insincerely, that they're just going through the RFP motions.

Dear Customer...about your RFP
This article is an open letter to customers expressing contractors frustration with hollow RFPs and recommending alternative processes instead.

To Bid, or Not to Bid
It's nice to be asked to bid. But, as a contractor, what if it doesn't make sense to bid? This blog lists what could happen if you don't bid, and identifies signs to help you make that decision.

Branding & Messaging

Quicksand Words & Phrases
Some words and phrases are so overused, and abused, they've lost their power. When we use them our customers turn off - stop listening. We've lost them in quicksand. This article lists a few quicksand words and phrases.

Pushmi-pullyu: Selling vs. Marketing
Where to spend precious resources is always a challenge. This blog explores positives and negatives of investing in selling or marketing.

Customer Experience is the New Brand
The concept of brand can get lost in fancy logos or catchy taglines. This blog posting addresses what's behind customers choice of one provider over another.

The Leaning Tower - Part I & The Leaning Tower - Part II
Your brand and the message you spread is the foundation of your business. And like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it's the foundation that ultimately determines how high you can build. Here's a two-part article on building for maximum growth.

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