Faced with fierce competition, it becomes difficult to differentiate yourself with your products. On the other hand, your services can bring that little extra that will delight your interlocutor and allow you to win the market. This little extra that will strengthen your image as a serious, innovative supplier close to the concerns of its customers. This little extra that will transform your prospects into loyal buyers.

The question is how to come up with ideas to exactly make this difference. Because, of course, your competitors did not wait for you to package a tempting offer. So how do you find new services?

 There are many sources. By tapping into a wide range of leads, you will maximize your chances of generating interesting ideas.

 Internally

Information is sometimes tidy at home … If you have employees, interview them. Your employees have information that you do not suspect exists. Your logistician interacts with that of your client; your accountant with his counterpart, etc. They are aware of recurring hassles. This knowledge is worth gold for those who know how to profit from it. Using this data, it can be easy to make life easier for your dear customers by implementing new services or even new products.

 At your customer : Analyze your customer processes

Open your ears wide and listen .Your customers are sending you signals that you shouldn’t miss. It is the power of listening during a sales interview. For example: “when I receive the products, I spend a lot of time repackaging them”. If you don’t see anything obvious, ask them what they do with the items from the time they receive them until they are used or sold. And again, be very careful, soak up the workings of the organization opposite. Pick up, deepen any cloudy area. This will show your professionalism and your interest in their concerns.

 With your competitors

Compare what you offer compared to your competitors. In the usual way, you may already be rendering services appreciated and not delivered by other competitors but without putting them forward more than that. By giving them more body, and especially by communicating on them, they can greatly participate in your differentiation. Why not build on that strength?

 Analyze what your competitors are offering more than you

And why not take up the service ideas of your opponents… by doing better? The idea is to differentiate yourself, don’t forget that. The other competitors in your markets undoubtedly offer formidable services. Break them down and analyze them from a customer point of view. Ask yourself questions like: « Me client, what does this service do for me? What does it make me gain? What are its limits ?, etc. « . The goal is to understand the basics. You may discover by knowing the need or the motivation to which it is addressed, that ultimately, there is a better solution to satisfy the customer. The process is similar to that of building an argument for the understanding of needs part.

In other sectors

Look at what is happening in markets that have nothing to do with your business. Many services delivered in one market are not (yet) known in another. It is often a matter of maturity. Be curious, watch, read what companies are doing in other industries. With a little adaptation, some ideas can be transposed.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no shortage of sources for generating new service ideas. You have to know how to listen and seize the signal when it arises;