The SLA Effect

Practical Sales Training™  > How To Keep Your Clients Happy > The SLA Effect

 

 

What is it?

The SLA Effect is all about establishing service levels that you will adhere to when dealing with clients.

 

Why does it work?

Being clear about the level of service a client can expect and the timeliness of communication / requests can eliminate a lot of the unknowns and reassure the buyer that they will indeed be looked after. A Service Level Agreement is exactly that – an agreement for certain service standards.

 

How can you use it?

Depending on your offering, what could you commit to in terms of the level of service you offer your clients. Could it be to work within certain timeframes or to identify certain amounts or quality of your deliverable that can be externally ratified? If you can implement SLAs it ensures both you and your clients know what to expect at each interaction.

Potential service level agreement items:

  • Time to respond to calls/emails
  • Time to respond to help requests
  • Time to resolve help requests
  • Time to deliver results

 

Example: The SLA Effect

Business Type: Web Design Agency
SLA Example: “Your Site, Supported – Guaranteed”

How they use it:

As part of their support packages, the agency outlines a clear SLA on their website and in client contracts:

  • ✅ All emails responded to within 24 business hours

  • ✅ Critical website issues resolved within 4 working hours

  • ✅ Minor updates (text/images) completed within 2 business days

  • ✅ Monthly uptime report and security scan included

They display this in a visual “Service Guarantee” badge on their proposals and checkout pages.

Why it works:

  • It builds buyer confidence by removing ambiguity

  • It reduces friction for new clients unsure about support

  • It creates accountability on both sides (expectation clarity)

  • It becomes a sales differentiator vs. competitors who are vague

 

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