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Table of Contents

The Art of Professional Services
A Guide to Integrating Services into Product Companies

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: The Heart of Professional Services

Chapter 1: Think Services

• It's Not As Easy As It Looks
• Services Are Not Products
• Buying Services versus Products
• Selling Services versus Products
• Professional Services Defined
• Not All Services Are Created Equal

Chapter 2: Win the Consulting Game

• Expertise: A Ticket to Play
• Quality, Reliability, Relationships: How to Win
• Trust: The Reward
• Reputation: How to Play Again

Chapter 3: Meet PS Challenges in a Product-Centric Environment

• The Success Formula for Pure Consulting Firms
• The Destiny of PS in Product-Centric Companies
• Why Product Companies Fail Where Consulting Firms Succeed
• IBM: The Premier Full-Service Provider

Part II: The Building Blocks of a Professional Services Organization

Chapter 4: Build Plans and Strategic Alignment

• Create a Business Plan
• Participate in Your Company's Mission and Goals
• Establish Your Fundamental Purpose and Get Buy-in
• Align Financial Goals with Your Mission
• Monitor and Measure Success
• Corporate Resources: An Aid or a Hindrance?
• PS Organizational Structure
• Entrepreneur or Franchise Operation?
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 5: Target Your Markets

• Relationship Jeopardy: Consequences of a Sales-Driven Approach
• For Success: A Market-Driven Approach
• A Market Defined
• Crossing the Chasm—for Services
• Specialization: Key to Quality Control
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 6: Create Your Services Portfolio

• Define Your Core Competencies
• Create Strategies to Reach Your Markets
• Identify Your Service Offerings
• Ensure Service Readiness
• Aligning with Your Company's Key Products
• Offering Total Solutions
• Partnering with Systems Integrators
• Bottom-up Approach to Service Selection
• Input That Improves Your Services
• Increase Customer Trust and Loyalty
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 7: Adapt Marketing to Services

• Organizational Dynamics
• Leverage Your Company's Position
• Importance of a PS Brand Image
• Ensure Quality Services
• Ensure Adequate Delivery Resources
• Start with Marketing Basics
• Build Tools to Support the Sales Team
• Align Marketing Materials with the Sales Process
• Make Your Consultants Stars
• Turn Successes into References
• What Doesn't Work
• Remember: It's about People
• Make It Easy to Find Your Services
• Stacking Up Against the Competition
• Marketing inside the Company
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 8: Establish a PS Sales Force

• Don't Bet on Product Salespeople
• Don't Bet on Support Services Reps
• Create an Overlay Sales Team
• Divide and Conquer Doesn't Work
• Invest in Solution Selling Training
• Provide Motivation and Incentives
• PS Pre-Sales Support Must "Walk the Talk"
• Teamwork and Trust Between Sales and PS
• Identifying Prospects
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 9: Manage the Sales Process

• Qualify the Opportunity
• Manage the Proposal Process
• Contract Management
• Winning Large Deals
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 10: Productize for Easier Entree, Sale, and Delivery

• Who Benefits from Packaged Services?
• It's Not a Panacea
• Choosing Services to Package
• Managing the Packaged Services Process
• Bundling Services with Products
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 11: Optimize Services Delivery

• Choose the Right Talent
• Develop and Retain Star Performers
• Motivate and Cultivate Teamwork
• Implement a Skills Database
• Develop Project Management Methodology
• Invest in Service Delivery Methodology
• Create a Solutions Database
• Be Prepared to Invest
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 12: Utilize Three Most Important Success Factors:
Quality, Quality, Quality

• Importance of Quality Management
• Factors Affecting Service Quality
• Results of Not Keeping the Service Promise
• Build Quality into the Process
• Learn from Your Experiences
• Solicit Customer Feedback
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 13: Manage Partner Relationships

• Nature of Partnering
• Partner Program Objectives
• Partner Program Ownership
• Building Services Partner Programs
• Partner Program Pitfalls
• Types of Partner Relationships
• Certification for Sales and Delivery Partners
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 14: Manage Business Operations

• Hire Experienced Leaders
• Let Price Reflect Your Value
• Set Pricing: T&M or Custom Quote
• Match Supply with Demand
• Measure Financial Performance
• Automate Your PS Business Operations
• Questions for Consideration

Chapter 15: Bring It All Together

• It's about the Fundamentals
• What's Unique about PS?
• Uniqueness Brings Challenges
• In Closing...

Bibliography