Selling Customers a 'Disruptive' Service

A startup that wants to persuade doctors and lawyers to replace paper files with electronic storage should prepare for a lot of hand-holding, discounting, and trumpeting of positive testimonials

By Karen E. Klein

How can I get the word out about a new service my startup offers? We provide electronic storage for doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who must retain files for many years for legal purposes. We compete against traditional physical-storage companies. —R.J., Cerritos, Calif.

Introducing a "disruptive" product or service (one that requires your customers to make major changes) is always tricky. "You must treat your early customers as investors, because their risk is similar," says Tom Barnes, president of MediaThink, a marketing consulting company based in Atlanta.

Think about offering free training and a help desk that will ease customers' worries about taking the leap. You should also triple anticipated adoption times for your service. "The uptake is never what you think it's going to be," Barnes says.

Some professionals you serve may face mandates for electronic storage of their files, so this will be a marketing plus for you. Another way to ease the transition is to make it easy for nervous customers to keep up their paper file storage for some time as they begin adopting your system in parallel, Barnes says. Eventually, as they and their employees become more comfortable, they will go with your service exclusively.

Target early adopters. There are doctors and other professionals who are known for their boldness and interest in technology. You might have them sign on with you at a discount or give them an extended free trial. If they like your service, ask them to participate in case studies and testimonials, says Al Lautenslager, author of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days.

The case studies can be offered as special reports on websites, in direct-mail marketing pieces, or even as basic web content for your home page. "These can be integrated into other marketing, like press releases announcing the case study being available, or handouts on sales calls," Lautenslager says.

Set a goal of gaining one or two high-profile initial customers and perhaps a highly regarded boutique practice, too. A smaller practice may find it easier to consider a new service provider because it has fewer installed systems and fewer decisionmakers, says Dave Skibinski, chief executive officer of Quantum Method, a marketing firm in Glendale, Calif.

"Develop a unique list for each prospect of the benefits of adopting this new storage solution. Take the question head-on about switching costs and change," Skibinski says. "Show them that you have a process and training and personally commit to being on-site … to handle any hiccups that may occur."

Begin educating prospective customers by getting the word out to industry organizations and trade journal editors. You can use online tools such as SlideRocket.com to create a informational presentation—not a sales pitch—that you can deliver at trade shows and professional meetings, he says.

Once you have customers in your sales funnel, keep in touch with them about new training modules and upgrades. "You want them to pay you every year and not switch to another service provider," says Pamela Muldoon, a relationship marketing strategist at Next Stage Business in Minneapolis. "Stay out of the commodity game."

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.

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