Because services are not touchable, marketing messages for services do more than market services. Communications make services more tangible, and present prospects something firm to make reference to.
As a result, marketing communications for most services haul around a heavier burden than communications for products. A bright red Porsche 911 convertible, for example, shouts loudly and beautifully for itself. Very few services speak for themselves at all.
We implicitly trust most products. We trust that our new tyres won’t blow out, our brown sugar will taste sweet, and our aspirin will relieve our headaches without bad side effects. But we are far less trusting and certain about most services.
We worry that our lawyers and auto mechanics will do more than necessary, and charge more than necessary. We are concerned that the latest weight loss service will be useless, just like the two we have tried before. We worry that our home renovators will pad their budget and finish weeks after they agreed to. We worry that the collection agency we hire for our service will harass our clients worth keeping and collect only a small part of our outstanding receivables.
So unlike communicating about products, communicating about services must make the service more tangible and real, and must soothe the worried prospect. It’s not like selling Porsche automobiles.
For more information about services marketing and making services more concrete, visit Rob Johnson’s Twitter page. Sponsored by Rob Johnson of http://seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au/
Tags: marketing services, rob johnson cairns, services marketing
