The services you deliver with your software — implementation consulting, installation, and training — aren’t accessories to your product, they are an integral part of the product and its success. Software plus services plus customer effort equals success.

Because of this, it’s critical to take steps to make each service you deliver predictable, complete, and consistent across customers, channels, and the individuals who provide it.

Yet unlike software, the human element involved in service delivery brings the potential for wide variation in content, quality, and effectiveness. The people who shine in front of your customers, delivering stellar services, are often highly individualistic. Their priority is to perform well when they’re in the spotlight — AKA the hot seat. Like sales reps, they don’t focus on adhering closely to guidelines but on reaching their goal come what may.

To build consistency in your services, follow the seven steps described below.